Results 3,921-3,940 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A total of €30 million is expected to be saved on child benefit as a result of the impact of net outward migration. Special control measures were introduced last year but we would like to ensure child benefit does not continue to be paid to parents who are no longer in the State. The certification process will be enhanced this year with non-EU recipients being required to certify their...

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: At the end of the day, the fairest thing was to give people almost nine months notice that the Christmas bonus will not be paid in December. We are aware this will be difficult for people but the alternative of cutting all weekly payments would be much worse. It was not an easy decision and it was not a choice any of us made lightly, but we felt it was the fairest option. The Government...

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: It means local authorities must conduct a full housing assessment-----

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: -----to ensure people are in need of housing.

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Exemptions will apply where a housing authority designates that a person is homeless, has been identified as having a housing need, is a tenant of a voluntary housing body, is aged over 65 or is in receipt of a disability type payment. Rent supplement will continue to provide support where housing authorities are not in a position to respond within a reasonable timeframe and where the person...

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: While tenants are contractually obliged to pay the rent agreed to in their lease, we expect landlords to decrease the rent in recognition of the fact that rents have fallen generally and that there is now a large number of vacant rental properties nationally.

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I urge all Members to support us in this and help us to send a clear message to landlords that the State will not be overcharged. On a positive note, agreement has been reached with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on 1,000 transfers from rent supplement to the longer term rental accommodation scheme in 2009, which will bring the total number of such transfers...

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Access to the general back to work enterprise allowance scheme is also being improved. New work placement and graduate placement schemes, which we are devising with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, will ensure that graduates and young people will be able to maintain their social welfare entitlements while gaining work experience. This will be an important element of our...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 252 together. A breakdown by occupation or the nature of the self-employment of recipients of the back to work enterprise allowance scheme is not available from records held by the Department. A person in receipt of a social welfare payment who decides to set up a business may be eligible to apply for the back to work enterprise allowance. In order to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Apr 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 is calculated to ensure that an eligible person after the payment of rent has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Apr 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 is calculated to ensure that an eligible person after the payment of rent has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to his or her family circumstances, less a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for a farm assist payment on 4 March 2009. Her claim is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation of her circumstances. On completion of enquiries, a decision will be made as soon as possible and she will be notified of the outcome. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board, the Citizens Information Board, the Family Support Agency, the Combat Poverty Agency and the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman. The annual salary of the Chief Executive of the Pensions Board is €158,644. He is a member of the Board's Superannuation Scheme. The annual salary of the Chief Executive of the Citizens...

Written Answers — National Carer's Strategy: National Carer's Strategy (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253, 256 and 263 together. During 2008 an interdepartmental group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, with secretariat support provided by my Department, undertook work, including a public consultation process, to develop a National Carers' Strategy. The work of developing a Carer's Strategy was well advanced by the group. However, faced with the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The jobseeker's schemes provide income support for people who are seeking their first job or have lost work and are seeking alternative employment. A fundamental qualifying condition for both the Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance is that a person must be available for full-time work. Where a person is employed for up to three days in a week, they may claim Jobseeker's Benefit or...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned was awarded Jobseeker's Allowance at a reduced rate from 30 September 2008 based on means assessed by a Deciding Officer of the Department. An appeal against this decision was opened on 24 November 2008 and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the case has been referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing. It is not possible at...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Civil service posts at the levels of Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary are covered by a scheme of performance related awards. Recommendations in relation to awards are made by the Secretary General of each Department and the operation of the scheme is overseen by the Committee for Performance Awards. The funding for awards is based on 10% of the payroll for the posts covered by the...

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department does not have any agreements in place with limited companies established as sole trader ventures for the provision of full-time or part-time services. Similarly, the agencies under the aegis of the Department do not have any such agreements in place.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded shortly.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (7 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I refer the Deputy to my replies to previous parliamentary questions on 21 October 2008 and 2 December 2008 in relation to the person concerned. I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, following an oral hearing, the appeal of the person concerned was partially allowed. He was notified accordingly on 6 March 2009. Subsequent to that, it became apparent that an error had...