Results 4,041-4,060 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 816 and 817 together. 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 supplement provides short-term support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in...

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (24 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 818 and 819 together. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the main Government funded service which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. There are 53 independent MABS companies with voluntary boards of management operating the local MABS services from 65 locations throughout the...

Written Answers — National Carers' Strategy: National Carers' Strategy (12 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 192 together. During 2008 an interdepartmental group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, with secretariat support provided by my Department, undertook work to develop a National Carers' Strategy. Unfortunately, faced with the current economic situation, it was not possible to set targets or time lines which could be achieved. In that context,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Mar 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. The Executive has advised that the entitlement of the person concerned to rent supplement is as communicated to the Deputy on 5 March 2009.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is in receipt of one parent family payment at the maximum rate payable to a person in her circumstances. She has not notified the Department of any change in her circumstances. All customers, especially those in receipt of a means tested payment, are advised of the necessity to notify the Department when there is a change in their circumstances.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Mar 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 — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 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 supplement provides short-term support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (12 Mar 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. The number of households in receipt of rent supplement by duration is shown in the tabular statement: Recipients of Rent Supplement by Duration, 27 February 2009 Months Recipients 0-6 32,209 6-12 16,135 12-18 7,937 18-24 5,032 24-30 3,717...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme is designed to help those in receipt of a social welfare payment who have not worked for a period of time to improve their employability and job-readiness by acquiring educational qualifications. It is in recognition of the special difficulties which such persons can face when attempting to gain a foothold in the labour market. The scheme enables...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There are two strands of the back to work scheme; back to work enterprise allowance (BTWEA) for self employed and back to work allowance (BTWA) for employees. The allowance is payable at a tapered rate of the qualifying payment. The self employed strand is payable at 100% of the qualifying payment in year one, 75% in year two, 50% in year three, and 25% in year four. Participants on the...

Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (11 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: 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. While a number of drafts were produced covering the areas outlined in the terms of reference, a final text was not completed by the working group. Faced with the...

Written Answers — Compulsory Retirement Age: Compulsory Retirement Age (11 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: There are currently 711 Civil Servants in my Department who are not subject to a compulsory retirement age of 65 years as they were recruited on or after 01 April 2004. The following table sets out the breakdown by gender. Gender Totals Female 474 Male 237 Total 711 147 of the above staff are aged 45 years or older and 564 are under 45 years of age.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 333 together. 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...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 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. There are currently almost 80,000 households in receipt of rent supplement. The following tabular statement shows the number of households in receipt of rent supplement of more than €800 per month in each county. Recipients of Rent Supplement...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: An unemployed person may qualify for Jobseekers Benefit or Jobseekers Allowance. Jobseekers Benefit is based on a person's social insurance record and Jobseekers Allowance is based on weekly means. A fundamental qualifying condition for the benefit is that a person must be available for full-time work. However, a person who engages in voluntary work within the State may continue to be...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In assessing means derived from payments received from EU Member States (including U.K.) which do not form part of the EMU currencies, the Department uses the conversion mechanism provided for under Article 107 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 574/72 on Social Security for Migrant Workers. The exchange rates for converting Sterling and other non-EMU currencies are published quarterly in the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Health Service Executive has advised that payment of rent supplement for the month of March 2009 and arrears due will issue on 30 March 2009.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: In assessing the means of a person under 25 years who is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, account is taken of the value of the benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of the fact that they have free board and lodgings. Board and lodging are taken into account because a person living at home with parents does not have the same expenses as a person who...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I appreciate that there are delays in processing claims in some areas and that this is causing difficulties for some people. However, the average processing time for jobseekers benefit claims processed in February was 3 weeks. This is the national average and there are differences from office to office. The Department is continuously reviewing its processes in order to deal with claims in a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A self-employed person is not required to cease trading before they can qualify for jobseekers allowance. A self-employed person can apply for this scheme if their business ceases or if their income falls as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. Jobseekers allowance is a means-tested payment and any person who satisfies the means test and the other conditions of entitlement...