Results 3,301-3,320 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Order of Business (25 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Opposition had nothing to say.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The couple concerned applied for Farm Assist on 18 February 2009. The application is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation and it is expected that this will be completed within the next week or so. A decision on their claim will be made immediately thereafter for investigation and they will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for jobseeker's allowance on 4 February 2008. He was requested to furnish certain documentation within 7 days of this date in support of his application. He was advised that failure to do so within the specified time would result in the closure of his claim. He failed to furnish the required documentation within the specified time and his claim was subsequently...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In order to qualify for Domiciliary Care Allowance a child must have a disability so severe that the child needs care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively all of the time, so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The increase is intended as a contribution towards the...

Written Answers — Adopted Children Register: Adopted Children Register (24 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I have made enquiries of an tArd-Chlaráitheoir regarding the matter raised by the Deputy and the position is as set out below. The provisions governing the registration of domestic adoptions and the issue of birth certificates drawn from the register of adoptions are set out in section 22 of the Adoption Act, 1952. Under these provisions, the Registrar General is charged with maintaining an...

Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure in order to restore order and stability in the public finances. This has involved reviewing all public expenditure programmes, including social welfare programmes, which at some €21.3 billion in 2009 form a substantial portion of overall public expenditure. The rates of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A claim for Illness Benefit was received from the person concerned on 21 May 2009. He was advised by letter dated 28 May 2009 that he is not entitled to Illness Benefit as the records of the Department show that he has insufficient PRSI contributions to satisfy the qualifying conditions (which are also set out in the letter). If the person concerned considers that he has more PRSI...

Written Answers — Rural Transport Programme: Rural Transport Programme (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of access to public transport in rural areas is being addressed at present through the Rural Transport Programme, which is being managed by Pobal, on behalf of the Department of Transport. My Department is contributing €1.5 million to the initiative this year to ensure that free travel pass holders continue to have access to community based transport services. I am aware of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Central Control Section in Carrick-on-Shannon accepts details of suspected social welfare fraud from members of the public. All information given is treated in the strictest confidence. Under the Data Protection Act, information regarding action taken on any such reports to the Department cannot be provided. Details of suspected fraud can be given in any of the following ways: a.by post: to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A Deciding Officer disallowed the jobseeker's allowance claim of the person concerned from 13 May, 2009, on the grounds that his means, derived from the benefit of spouse's earnings, exceed the maximum jobseeker's allowance rate payable to a person in his circumstances. He has appealed this decision and his file was forwarded to a Social Welfare Inspector for re-examination of his means. The...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Details of EU funding received by the Department from 1993 to 2008 are set in the table below. EU Funding received by the Department Name of Programme Amount Received€ 1 Repayment of grants under the EU Horizon Project 1995 290,242 2 EU Presidency 1996 114,545 3 EU Presidency 1998 89,492 4 Conference on caring for older people at home 1999 31,115 5 Conference on Social Development...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 358 together. During the first six months of 2009, advertisements were placed in the National press, relating to the following policies and programmes:1. Consultation on fees payable to Health Professionals; 2.Notice to Landlords of Tenants receiving Rent Supplement; Table 1 outlines the costs associated with the above advertisements; Table 2 outlines...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Defined benefits pension schemes winding up in deficit and with an insolvent employer will be able to avail of pension insolvency payments scheme being introduced by the Department of Finance. I recently met with representatives of the trustees of this company's pension scheme and understand their concerns. On foot of discussions, I undertook that my officials would liaise with the Department...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There are over 600 staff in the Department at local regional and national level whose work involves some element of control activity in relation to the prevention, detection, deterrence of fraud and pursuit and recovery of overpayments. This number includes 392 Inspectors serving in the Department of which 88 Inspectors are attached to the Department's Special Investigation Unit (SIU). The...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is in receipt of a farm assist payment at the weekly rate of €255.90. This payment includes an increase in respect of a qualified adult and child, less weekly means of €110.00. The means of the person concerned are derived from income from a holding and capital. She has a gross annual income from a holding of €29,054.00, less expenses of €21,254.00 giving a net...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Rent supplement is normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum contribution of €24, which recipients are required to pay...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Government outlined in Budget 2009 that the decentralisation programme to Drogheda would proceed as planned. The OPW has purchased sites in Drogheda to accommodate the Department's Headquarters and the Social Welfare Appeals Office. It is intended that the accommodation will be procured by Public Private Partnership (PPP), the procurement process to be conducted by the National...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Jun 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The position remains as advised in Parliamentary Question 319 which I answered for the Deputy on 19 May 2009. The Executive has advised that, while the person concerned had been in receipt of rent supplement, payment was discontinued on his return to work. The Executive has further advised that there is no record of an appeal against the decision to discontinue payment of rent supplement to...