Results 4,141-4,160 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The figure could be as high as €30 billion, a significant amount of money. I can understand people's concerns about their pension schemes. Pensions are well regulated under trust law and the Pensions Acts, but there is scope for a tightening of regulation as has occurred in other areas, such as in the financial arena where regulation was not as tight as necessary. Defined benefit schemes...

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Commission has not started its assessment of the requirements on individual countries.

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: When the Commission reviewed the transposition of Article 8 of the directive, it——

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: ——gave an assurance that Ireland had adequately transposed the provision. The implications of the Robbins judgment are being assessed fully by the Commission to discern whether it places additional obligations on member states.

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Robbins case was taken in the UK, not——

Pension Provisions. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: ——by Irish workers. When the EU assessed the transposition of the directive, it stated that Ireland had, at the time, done so adequately. The Robbins ruling is being assessed to discern what additional obligations exist. The case was taken in the UK, not in Ireland.

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is payable to people who are unable to meet the cost of renting private accommodation and is intended as a short-term income support. Currently, almost 80,000 people are in receipt of rent supplement, an increase of 34% since the end of December 2007. Rent limits are set at levels that enable eligible households to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation....

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: A total of 18,000 people have been moved from being in receipt of rent supplement onto the RAS. Of those, 8,600 were placed in social housing and the rest, through the local authorities, were perhaps placed in private housing of good quality or whatever. The great benefit of being on this scheme is that once one qualifies for it, one can work, thereby removing any disincentive to work that...

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: My Department been working closely with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which has responsibility for housing. There is close co-operation between the Departments to ascertain whether more people can be taken off rent supplement. In recent months, all local authorities have begun to give priority to this issue and I look forward to seeing even greater...

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The answer is because of the Department——

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Perhaps if the Deputy were to listen to the replies that are given, she would find they answer the questions.

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I will revert to the first question asked by the Deputy, which I already have answered. However, I am happy to answer it again. The provision of social housing and responsibility for the RAS rests with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, with which we are working very closely to ensure that those who are on rent supplement can transfer.

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: As for the quality of accommodation, again this is the responsibility of that Department and new regulations came in force on 1 February. They apply to new premises immediately and allow a four-year phasing-in time for other premises, which should help to improve the quality. As I mentioned, the availability of additional places, some of which are new, should ensure that people are able to...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The money advice and budgeting service, MABS, is the main Government-funded service that 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 country. In addition, the MABS national telephone...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I am unsure what the Deputy is asking in her first question.

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: That is what the money advisers do at present. I am aware the Deputy had a meeting recently to deal with her interests and concerns in this regard but in any company I have visited, the money advisers contact all the different creditors. One problem they are encountering is that those who are approaching them have up to 23 different creditors. In the past, when they dealt with a person who...

Money Advice and Budgeting Service. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: More than 3,000 new clients have presented to MABS in the first two months of the year. It is under great pressure but is responding well to the demands on its resources. I will certainly investigate the issue the Deputy has raised and am willing to discuss it in more detail with her. The sub-prime lenders are a serious concern. MABS money advisers are finding it extremely difficult to...

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Since its introduction, the underlying objective of the back to education allowance scheme has been to equip people on social welfare payments with qualifications that will enable them to obtain employment in the labour market. It is a second chance educational opportunities scheme for people on welfare payments who wish to participate in full-time education and who would not otherwise be...

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The context of the Taoiseach's speech and the speeches I and others made at the Ard-Fheis was to ascertain how, through co-operation between my Department, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, we can make best use of the various existing schemes in order to facilitate as many people as possible to avail of training and education. My...

Social Welfare Benefits. (5 Mar 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Many of the courses that are of particular benefit in terms of upskilling and retraining are at post-leaving certificate level, which is considered to be second level. Therefore, the less strict time requirements are applicable in those cases. For participants in the national employment action plan, the time requirement in respect of third level courses is reduced from 12 to nine months.