Results 4,921-4,940 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Referral to Select Committee (12 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social and Family Affairs, in accordance with Standing Order 122(1) and paragraph 1(a)(i) of the Orders of Reference of that committee.
- Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: We gave a double bonus.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 101 together. The continued reduction and eventual elimination of poverty and in particular child poverty remains a top priority for the Government. The latest poverty statistics from the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), released in November 2007, indicate that there was a decrease in the rate of consistent poverty from 8.2% in 2003...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Family Income Supplement is designed to provide support for people with families who are on low earnings. This preserves the incentive for them to remain in employment in circumstances where they might only be marginally better off than if they were claiming other social welfare payments. FIS is a central element of a programme of reforms targeted specifically at addressing child poverty....
- Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The statutory basis for the introduction of a personal advocacy service under the Citizens Information Board (CIB) was provided for in the Citizens Information Act, 2007. However, having regard to the current budgetary circumstances, it will not be possible to proceed with this next year. The provision of an advocacy service remains a priority for this Government. In this regard, significant...
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102, 105 and 114 together. The MABS provides a high quality personal service to the public and makes a difference to peoples lives. However, it has been recognised for some time that the Service needs a proper legislative basis and structure. The Programme for Government envisaged that such a new structure for the MABS would involve strong national...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Towards 2016 includes a commitment to study the extent to which children undertake inappropriate care roles and the impact on their lives. The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has the lead role in relation to this study, which aims to develop mechanisms to identify young carers aged 5-17 years, the positive and negative impact of caring on their lives, and to make...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 106 together. The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over and to people receiving certain disability or care payments. Proposals to extend the free travel scheme to Irish born people living abroad and those receiving pensions from my Department have been examined and, in this regard, officials of the...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 154 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department, provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest. The purpose of the mortgage interest supplement is to provide short term income support to...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Entitlement to a State Pension (Transition) or State Pension (Contributory) is based on a person's social insurance record. The pensions are payable at age 65 and 66 respectively, subject to satisfying the qualifying conditions. State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means tested pension, payable to people aged 66 or over, subject to satisfying the qualifying conditions. The numbers of people...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The household benefits package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. It is also available to people aged under 66 who are in receipt of certain disability payments or carer's allowance. The package includes the electricity and gas allowance, telephone allowance and free...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department, provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of mortgage interest. The purpose of the mortgage interest supplement is to provide short term income support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage...
- Written Answers — Child Support: Child Support (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 153 together. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward proposals to tackle obstacles to employment for lone parents and other low income families. These included proposals for the expanded availability and range of education and training opportunities for lone parents; the extension of the National...
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I have not made any proposals to Government to merge the employment support services of FÃS with the Department of Social and Family Affairs. FÃS and the Department work together in a complementary way on behalf of people on social welfare payments. Both sides operate under a memorandum of understanding which is updated periodically. Senior officials of the Department hold regular joint...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 136 and 160 together. The household benefits package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. It is also available to people aged under 66 who are in receipt of certain disability social welfare payments or carer's allowance. The package...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The needs of older people have been a priority for this Government for many years. Under this policy the rate of the contributory pension has increased from â¬147.30 per week in 2002 to more than â¬230 per week from next January, with the non-contributory pension increasing from â¬134.00 per week to â¬219 per week over the same period. In addition to increasing personal rates of pension,...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 120 together. The Department delivers a front-line service through a network of 61 Local Offices and 64 Branch Offices countrywide. The main services provided from these offices include jobseeker's payment, one-parent family payment and an information service. The Department has put a range of measures in place to deal with the extra workload arising...
- Written Answers — Fuel Poverty: Fuel Poverty (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I share Deputies' concerns about the impact of rising fuel and energy costs. My own priority, as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, is to ensure that Government assistance is available to those who need our help the most, older people, those with disabilities or serious illnesses, and people on low incomes. Government policy in recent years, has focused on increasing primary social...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The family income supplement scheme (FIS), which provides income support for employees on low earnings with families, is designed to preserve the incentive to move from welfare to (or remain in) employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. Since its introduction concern has been expressed...
- Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (11 Nov 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 451 together. The development of a National Carers Strategy is a key Government commitment in both the national partnership agreement Towards 2016 and the Programme for Government. A working group, chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach, is working on developing the strategy. My Department provides the secretariat to the working group which also...