Results 4,621-4,640 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The reason is the preparation of the Civil Partnership Bill which, as the Senator knows, is due to be published early next year. It will give civil partnership registration for same sex couples and will also confer a range of rights and obligations. I intend, following the passing of that Bill, to ensure equivalent social welfare treatment will be...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The difference between now and previous occasions is that the scheme for the Civil Partnership Bill was approved by Government last year. Preparation is well under way, unlike previous occasions when generalities were being discussed. That Bill will have a significant impact on same sex couples and on their rights. Therefore, it is appropriate to wait until that Bill has dealt with those...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I fully appreciate what Senators are saying about the value of carers in our community and that they support looking after the young and old in their own homes. At present approximately 44,000 people are in receipt of a carer's payment. Of those 14,200 are getting the half-rate carer's allowance. Of course each of these will get the increase set out in the section of â¬7 or â¬3.50 for...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: It is just not possible to pay the Christmas bonus to everybody who is claiming, although I appreciate the difficulties some families have. People who are running into difficulties with mortgage interest repayments and so on should certainly investigate the mortgage interest supplement. So far we are providing mortgage interest support to more than 7,000 people. It is a particularly...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Senator McFadden is right in thinking that the family income supplement is a valuable payment in cash to low-income families. Given the evidence we have seen of the difficulties faced by some low-income families, it is important that they can benefit from it. It is true there has been a lower than anticipated take-up of FIS, but this has improved as a direct result of advertising campaigns....
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: No, I am not accepting the amendment, because I am awaiting the results of the research.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: As soon as I get it, I will lay before the Houses the research on why there is not sufficient take-up of FIS.
- Written Answers — Departmenal Expenditure: Departmenal Expenditure (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Department of Social and Family Affairs did not have a representative on the High Level Group on Business Regulation. The Department contributes to the reduction of the administrative burden on business by the participation of a Principal Officer on the relevant Inter-Departmental Group chaired by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. A process has commenced, in the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The review of the one-parent family payment claim of the person concerned is ongoing. The Social Welfare Inspector has been in contact with her and has made arrangements to meet with her shortly to clarify certain aspects of her circumstances. When the inspector's enquiries are complete, a decision will be made as soon as possible and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome....
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: A Social Welfare Inspector's investigation of the circumstances of the person concerned has been completed. A decision will be given in her case 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 Officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in...
- Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provided services to 15,647 new clients in the period to end November 2008. In addition, 2,303 people sought information about budgeting and money management. The MABS National Helpline, received 9,990 calls to date in 2008 and some 11,500 calls since its launch in October 2007. The detailed statistical breakdown of clients per centre requested...
- Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Department has engaged consultancy expertise in 2007 and 2008 to support it in undertaking strategic reviews (e.g. review of the Social Insurance Fund and the equality review of the Social Welfare Code) and to provide specialist technical expertise in the application of information technology. Details of the consultants engaged to undertake strategic reviews and reports in each of these...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Executive has advised that the person concerned is in receipt of basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance but has been asked to provide documentation to the Community Welfare Officer. This documentation has not been provided to...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned made an application for Jobseeker's Allowance on 21 April 2008. Following a full investigation, the application was disallowed by a Deciding Officer on the grounds that the person concerned failed to establish that he was genuinely seeking employment. The person concerned appealed the decision of the Deciding Officer and an appeal was forwarded to the Social Welfare...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The claim for carer's allowance, by the person concerned, was refused by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 21 October 2008 on the grounds that the care recipient was not so invalided or disabled as to need full-time care and attention. An appeal was opened on 25 November 2008 and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the...
- Written Answers — Child Poverty: Child Poverty (10 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Combating poverty and building an inclusive society are key priorities for the Government. The overall goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion (NAPinclusion), is to reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty, including children, to between 2% and 4 % by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016. The latest poverty statistics released last week...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Christmas Bonus is paid to all recipients of long-term social welfare payments. The payment was made during the first week of December, at an estimated cost of â¬201million and some 1.3 million persons comprising 940,000 recipients and 400,000 dependents benefited from the payment. The estimated cost of extending the payment to recipients of jobseeker's benefit is an additional...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The review of the one-parent family payment claim of the person concerned is ongoing. The Social Welfare Inspector has been in contact with her and has made arrangements to meet with her shortly to clarify certain aspects of her circumstances. When the inspector's inquiries are complete, a decision will be made as soon as possible and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome. A...
- Written Answers — Departmental Statistics: Departmental Statistics (10 Dec 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The number of persons on the Live Register at 28 November 2008 was 268,586. The CSO publishes a breakdown by nationality grouping in the monthly live register release. The department collates nationality data on this basis also. The main nationality groupings on the live register are as follows: Ireland, United Kingdom (UK) including Northern Ireland, England Scotland and Wales; the 12...