Results 4,961-4,980 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Under the PRSI system social insurance contributions are compulsorily payable by employers, employed and self-employed workers. The employee PRSI ceiling is reviewed annually in accordance with the legislative stipulations of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005. The legislation requires that changes in the average earnings of workers, as recorded by the Central Statistics Office,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 161 together. The back to work allowance scheme is designed to assist and encourage the long term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour force. These allowances provide a monetary incentive for people who are long term dependant on social welfare payments to make the return...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The introduction of a paternity benefit payment would be contingent on an underlying entitlement to statutory paternity leave. Responsibility for issues relating to paternity leave rests with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Following commitments made in the social partnership agreement 'Towards 2016', a Working Group led by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The telephone allowance is a component of the household benefits package which also includes the electricity/gas allowance and free television license schemes. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare payment or who satisfy a means test. It is also available to people aged under 66 who are in receipt of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The one-parent family payment is a means tested income support scheme for separated, unmarried and widowed persons who are rearing a child or children without the support of a partner. The number of people in receipt of one-parent family payment at 31 October 2008 is 85,977. The corresponding figure for the end of October 2007 was 84,462 and 82,524 at the end of October 2006. The increase in...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Representatives of Tara Mines Disabled Workers and Pensioners Association have been in touch with the Department over a number of years in relation to the operation of the Tara Mines scheme. The issues raised are multifaceted and include the interaction of the pension scheme with the associated income continuance plan, the employment status of disabled miners and, more recently, the election...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Guardians' payment schemes allow for the provision of a weekly allowance to a guardian of a child who has either been orphaned or whose parents have abandoned and failed to provide for the child. Section 2(1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 defines an orphan as a qualified child— a. both of whose parents are dead, or b. one of whose parents is dead or unknown or has...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Among the main objectives of the Department's child income support policies is the alleviation of poverty among families with children and the facilitation and encouragement of employment by parents, as it is recognised that employment by a parent is the best route out of poverty. The main policy instruments used for achieving these objectives are child benefit, increases in weekly social...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Regulations made under the Pensions Act 1990 prescribe the range of information that must be issued periodically to a pension scheme member. However, regulations do not require schemes to issue this information to former employees who still retain rights to deferred pensions on foot of their previous membership of an occupational pension. It is therefore only at retirement that such schemes...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has consistently publicised the Family Income Supplement (FIS) scheme in order to maximise uptake by qualified families. Significant improvements in the qualifying income limits and ongoing awareness campaigns have resulted in a strong upward trend in the level of new claims. There are currently over 26,000 families in receipt of FIS. In 2007 the Department received 36,900...

Written Answers — Attendance Management: Attendance Management (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In 2005 my Department introduced a comprehensive Attendance Management Policy which provides for the active management of absenteeism by, among other measures, highlighting the importance of good attendance to the Department in the delivery of its services and clearly setting out the duties and responsibilities of all staff and managers in this area. The objective of the Attendance...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I understand the information required by the Deputy is the total number of applications for Respite Care Grant received, by the end of October, for each of the years 2006 to 2008, together with the number allowed and the number refused. The information requested is detailed in tabular form as follows. Discrepancies between total applications received and those decided are due to the fact...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 445, 447 and 480 together. Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 472 together. The social welfare pension rights of those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties are protected by the homemaker's scheme which was introduced in and took effect from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As Deputies will be aware, the Government's decision to integrate the Combat Poverty Agency and the Office for Social Inclusion within my Department was informed by the findings of a review of the Combat Poverty Agency which was undertaken on foot of a Government Decision on the 6th of June 2007. As the Combat Poverty Agency is established under statute, legislative changes will be required...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: 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 Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents; focused...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Nov 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 person concerned applied for Jobseekers Allowance (JA) and supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) pending a decision on his JA application, in September 2008. He has been asked by both social welfare local office staff and the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: 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. Branch Offices are operated under a contract for service and decisions on claims taken in Branch Offices are made in its departmental parent Local...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The expenditure incurred by my Department on compensation and legal fees combined for 2007 and 2008 is set out below. The elements of these payments of relating solely to legal costs are not recorded separately. These payments are paid on foot of agreed settlements or by reference to a Court decision. Year Compensation and Legal Fees/Settlements € 2007 293,561 2008 (end Oct.)...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Nov 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The claim for jobseeker's benefit, by the person concerned, was refused by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 10th September 2008 on the grounds that he left work voluntarily and that he is not available for full-time employment. An appeal was opened on 2nd October 2008 and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with the statutory requirements, the...