Results 3,961-3,980 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: No commitment regarding payment was given by an official of the department in this case, as this claim is under appeal with the Social Welfare Appeals Office. The department has been informed that an Appeals officer has made a revised decision dated 30th March 2009, partially allowing the appeal and that the file will be returned to the department for follow up action. On receipt of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (2 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Section 7 of the Finance (No.2) Act 2008 introduced an exemption from an income tax charge under section 118 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 in respect of a benefit in the form of a bicycle or associated safety equipment provided to a director or employee by his or her employer, where the bicycle/associated safety equipment is used by the employee or director mainly for qualifying...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 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 normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned has been awarded Disability Allowance at the weekly rate of €76.80 from the 18 March 2009 with effect from 1 April 2009. She was assessed with means derived from her Social Security payment from the United Kingdom and also from that of her spouses' Social Security payment from the United Kingdom. Disability allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (1 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to answer Question Nos 133 and 134 together. The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. All Child Benefit claims require a minimum level of information and documentation to be provided and verified before being awarded. The amount of information and documentation required varies depending on the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (1 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A key objective of the Department's control strategy is to ensure that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time. Almost €476 million in Social Welfare payments was saved through fraud control measures in 2008, an increase of €29 million...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (1 Apr 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned has been awarded jobseeker's benefit from 16 February 2009 at the maximum weekly rate of €204.30. A payment of €985.80 including arrears due will issue to her on 1 April 2009. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Under the PRSI system social insurance contributions are compulsorily payable by employers and employed and self-employed workers. In relation to employee's contributions the amount payable is determined by reference to reckonable earnings in a weekly period, and is subject to a range of thresholds and an annual ceiling. The PRSI exemption on low earnings stands at €352 per week. People...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which includes mortgage interest supplement, is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Mortgage interest supplements are normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of mortgage interest, has an income equal to the rate of SWA appropriate to their family...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Code: Tax and Social Welfare Code (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The social welfare and tax systems have evolved over time and in response to a variety of factors, including Constitutional imperatives as interpreted by the Courts, changing social trends and EU Directives. The EEC Equality Directive 79/9 and the subsequent Supreme Court case ( Hyland v Minister for Social Welfare, 1989 ) led to the change in the treatment of non-married cohabiting couples...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned has been awarded jobseeker's allowance at the maximum weekly rate of €204.30 from 17 February, 2009. A payment of €544.80, which includes all arrears due, less any supplementary welfare allowance paid, will issue to her on 31 March, 2009. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is in receipt of child benefit in respect of one child. He applied for One Parent Family Payment (OPFP) on 20 September 2007. His application was disallowed as he failed to disclose all of his means. He appealed the disallowance decision and the decision was upheld by an Appeals Officer. He does not have a current OPFP claim pending.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Health Service Executive has advised that the payment of supplementary welfare allowance to the person concerned is currently under review with the Executive's Appeals Office. The person concerned will be informed of the Appeals Officer's decision in due course.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The habitual residence condition applies to all claimants for certain social welfare payments, regardless of nationality. Any person who makes a claim for jobseeker's allowance, child benefit, one parent family payment, disability allowance, State pension non-contributory, carer's allowance, widow's non-contributory, guardian's non-contributory payment, blind pension or supplementary welfare...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A person who has been living in the United States for the past three years will not have sufficient PRSI contributions to qualify for jobseeker's benefit. To get jobseeker's benefit during 2009 the person must have: (a) 104 PRSI contributions paid since they first started work and (b) 39 PRSI contributions, at classes A, H or P, paid or credited in the 2007 tax year. At least 13 of these...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Ireland has bilateral agreements on social security with the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. The EU Regulations on social security for migrant workers apply, with certain exceptions, to workers and their families migrating between the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the case of the first four of these bilateral agreements, provision is made for the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The rate of jobseeker's benefit being paid to the person concerned was reduced with effect from 9 March 2009 when her son reached 18 years of age. Her Social Welfare Local Office has written to her for proof of his continuance in full-time education. When this information is received, a decision will be made as soon as possible regarding any necessary adjustment in payment and she will be...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Information on the numbers of PRSI contributions paid is held on my Department's computer systems in individual contributors' records. Statistics are not held on the numbers of contributors whose total contributions amount to various amounts over various periods of time. The creation of such statistics would require diverting scarce computing and other resources from other work that is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A key objective of the Department's control strategy is to ensure that we pay the right person the right amount of money at the right time. Over 600 staff at local, regional and national level are engaged on a full or part-time basis on work related to the control of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Department supports government policy which aims to facilitate the greater use of electronic payment systems in the economy in the interests of developing a world class payments environment in Ireland. Our payment strategy is designed to ensure that cost effective arrangements are in place for making payments to social welfare customers by using a range of payment options and to ensure...