Results 3,121-3,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (9 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The provision of an advocacy service remains a priority for this Government. Significant resources have been provided since 2007, and will continue to be made available to the Citizens Information Board (CIB) for the development and provision of advocacy services for people including those with disabilities. Funding of â¬6.1 million was provided to CIB in the period 2005 to 2008 for the...
- Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (9 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. There are 53 independent companies nationwide with over 250 money advice staff operating the service. Almost â¬18 million has been provided in 2009 to assist the MABS in dealing with its workload. The MABS provides a high quality personal...
- Written Answers — Social Inclusion: Social Inclusion (9 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: With effect from 1st July 2009 (in line with the Government Decision announced in Budget 2009), the Combat Poverty Agency and the Office for Social Inclusion have been integrated to form a new division within the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The new division will combine the experience and expertise of the staff of both bodies. It will enable a strengthened and unified approach to...
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (9 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Family Support Agency was established on 6 May 2003 and its mission is to promote family and community well being through the provision of appropriate supports and services to families. Funding for the Agency has increased from â¬17.28 million in 2003 to almost â¬36 million for 2009. The main functions of the Agency include: The Family and Community Services Resource Centre (FRC)...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Government decided in February 2006 to transfer certain functions from the Health Service Executive and from the Department of Health and Children to the Department of Social and Family Affairs, as part of its reform of the Health Sector. The functions concerned included the administration of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme by Community Welfare Officers and related staff....
- Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (9 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The preparation by the Office for Social Inclusion of an annual report is a key element in the social inclusion monitoring and evaluation processes set out in Towards 2016 â the social partnership agreement 2006-2015 and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAPinclusion) 2007 to 2016. The first annual Social Inclusion Report 2006-2007 prepared by the Office for Social Inclusion...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: There are currently almost 90,000 people in receipt of rent supplement, an increase of 51% since the end of December 2007. Rent supplements are subject to a limit on the amount of rent that a recipient may incur. Setting or retaining maximum rent limits at higher levels than are justified by the open market can have a distorting effect on the rental market, leading to a more general rise in...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Construction Federation Operatives Pensions Scheme (now known as the Construction Workers Pension Scheme) operates as a Registered Employment Agreement under the Industrial Relations Acts. Compliance with the terms of the scheme is enforced through the Construction Industry Monitoring Agency, The Labour Court and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. My Department has no...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: A claim for Jobseeker's Benefit from the person concerned was received in the Department on 29 th of January 2009. There is a discrepancy in his contribution record for 2007 and enquiries are being made with his former employer. A decision on his entitlement to jobseeker's benefit will be made as soon as these enquiries are completed and the current PRSI contributions applicable is...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 369 and 370 together. Applicants for a jobseeker's payment are assigned a code based on their previous occupation. This code identifies a person's trade or profession, for example painter, printer or teacher. However, the Department does not have a specific code for apprentices and as a result the information requested by the Deputy is not available.
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: There are currently 93 people employed on a permanent basis in Social Welfare Offices in County Waterford. As a number of these avail of family-friendly work arrangements and are consequently employed on a less than full-time basis, the total employment in these offices equates to some 85 full time equivalent posts. The following table gives a breakdown by office of permanent staff. TABLE A...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the department by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Rent supplement scheme is intended to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The total amount spent on public advertising to date in 2009 is â¬137,473. â¬660 on statutory and â¬136,813 on non-statutory. The breakdown between statutory and non-statutory advertising across the Department and the agencies under its aegis is outlined in the table. Name of Agency/ Board Cost of Statutory Advertising in 2009 (â¬) Cost of Non-Statutory Advertising in 2009 (â¬) Total...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: Cases of social welfare fraud can be taken to court by way of criminal prosecutions or civil proceedings. All such cases are sent to the Chief State Solicitors Office (CSSO) to initiate legal proceedings through the District Courts. At present, the legal costs involved are not borne by this Department and the information requested by the Deputy is currently being sought from that Office. In...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Live Register at the office concerned has increased by 76% over the last twelve months as a result of the economic downturn. Accordingly there are now larger volumes of people, both making claims for the first time and also signing on the Live Register. Applicants for Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance at the office concerned sign on the Live Register once a month. Signing of...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Live Register at the office concerned has increased by 76% over the last twelve months as a result of the economic downturn and staff are working flat out to deal with this increased claim load and to minimize the time taken to decide claims. The average processing times at the office concerned for the month of June were 2.87 weeks for Jobseeker's Benefit claims and 6.05 weeks for...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Live Register at the office concerned has increased by 92% over the last twelve months as a result of the economic downturn and staff are working flat out to deal with this increased claim load and to minimize the time taken to decide claims. The average processing times at the office concerned for the month of June were 2.73 weeks for Jobseeker's Benefit claims and 9.75 weeks for...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The average claim processing times for the office in question, in the month of June, were 2.63 weeks for jobseeker's benefit and 5.05 weeks for jobseeker's allowance. The corresponding figures nationally were 3.34 weeks for jobseeker's benefit and 5.92 weeks for jobseeker's allowance. The processing target for jobseeker's benefit is 90% in three weeks, while for jobseeker's allowance the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The processing times for jobseeker's allowance applications for June 2009 in respect of the social welfare office in Edenderry are 13.10 weeks. The processing times for jobseeker's benefit applications for June 2009 at the office are 4.73 weeks. The social welfare office in Edenderry is a branch office and decisions on applications made in that office as with the branch office in...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2009)
Mary Hanafin: The Government is determined to ensure that people who have lost their jobs, or been put on shorter working weeks, can get access to their entitlements as quickly as possible. To that end, productivity in local offices has increased, claim processing procedures have been improved and extra staff have been put in place. Following staffing reviews in 2008 and again in recent months, some 300...