Results 5,121-5,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 184 together. A number of families and representative groups expressed concerns about the impact of the changes to the DA scheme announced in Budget 2009. Having reflected on these concerns the Government, on my recommendation, agreed that the existing arrangements, whereby DA is paid to 16 and 17 year olds, will continue pending completion of a full...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Christmas Bonus is paid to all recipients of long-term social welfare payments. The payment will be made this year, at an estimated cost of €201 million and will benefit some 1.3 million persons comprising 940,000 recipients and 400,000 dependents. The focus of the bonus has always been on persons who rely on the social welfare system for financial support over the long term. These...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together. The current rate of Child Benefit is €166 for the 1st and 2nd child and €203 for the 3rd and subsequent children. Twins are paid at one and a half times the normal rate and other multiple births at twice the normal rate. In the example referred to, assuming the children are the only eligible children in the family, the current rate...

Written Answers — Price Increases: Price Increases (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department and the agencies operating under the aegis of the Department, with the exception of the Pensions Board, do not impose any charges for their services, nor do they raise taxes. The only products they produce are publications. The Citizens Information Board increased the price of the Directory of National Voluntary Organisations and other State Agencies, from €10 to €12,...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Deserted Wife's Benefit scheme was an insurance based scheme for women whose marriage had broken down. In 1992 an earnings limit was brought in for the scheme so that resources would be effectively targeted to those deserted wives who required an additional supplement to their income until they were able to support themselves. The deserted wife's benefit (DWB) scheme was closed to new...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A child benefit claim was received from the person concerned in November 2007; however during subsequent processing the claim file was inadvertently misplaced. The person concerned has been contacted and the position has been explained to her and she will submit a new application form. When this is returned to the Child Benefit office the case will be prioritised and payment will be made as...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (30 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The main causes of absenteeism in the Department in 2007 relate to illnesses caused by respiratory related conditions, stress, back injury and pain, depression and surgery. In 2007, the average number of working days lost to sick leave per employee was 14.74. This figure includes those employees who were absent for periods of six months or more due to long term illnesses. 23% of total...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school meals programme gives funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes. The first is the long-standing statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by the Department of Social & Family Affairs. The second is the School Meals Local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Child benefit may be paid in respect of a qualified child who must be under the age of 16 years and ordinarily resident in the State. The vast majority of children satisfy the qualifying conditions. The benefit is paid to the qualified person with whom the child normally resides. Since May 2004, the qualified person must satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition. The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The average time to award a claim for carer's allowance is currently just over 14 weeks. Entitlement to carer's allowance is based on an applicant satisfying medical, means and residency conditions. In determining entitlement to the allowance there are, in certain cases, unavoidable time lags involved in making the necessary investigations and enquiries to enable accurate decisions to be...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for jobseekers benefit on 9 September 2008 and received payment at the maximum weekly rate of €197.80 until 8 October 2008 when he signed off the unemployment register to return to full-time education. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers are statutorily...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance which is currently paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under age 66. With effect from January 2009, as part of the Budget 2009 measures, the minimum age for receipt of Disability Allowance has been raised to 18 years of age for new claimants. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is in receipt of farm assist at €19.10 per week, which is the appropriate rate in his case. A Deciding Officer determined that he has weekly means of €310.00, derived from income from a holding, self-employment as an agricultural contractor and leasing of land. The means decision was subsequently upheld by an Appeals Officer on 28 July 2008. An Appeals Officers...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In assessing means for social assistance purposes, including disability allowance, account is taken of any cash income the person may have, together with the value of capital and property (except the home). In general, capital acquired as a consequence of a compensation award is assessed in the same manner as capital derived from other sources e.g. through saving or by way of inheritance....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA) is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Apart from a number of excluded categories, anyone in the State who satisfies a means test, has applied for any other benefit or allowance to which they may be entitled, has registered for work with FÁS, if they are of working...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for jobseekers allowance on 11 Feb 2008. Until a decision was given on his claim in April, 2008, he received supplementary welfare allowance based on a nil means assessment. In April, 2008, a Deciding Officer assessed his means at €194.00 per week, giving him a jobseekers allowance entitlement of €183.10 per week. The amount of supplementary welfare...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The rates applicable to State Pension (Contributory), State Pension Transition and Widow/er's Contributory Pension from January 2009 are outlined in the table. The maximum personal rate of State Pension (Non-Contributory) will increase to €219.00 from January 2009 and this rate will be payable to people with means of less than €30.00 per week. State Pension (Non-Contributory) reduces by...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned was in receipt of Carer's Allowance in respect of her mother. Following investigation it came to the Department's attention that the care recipient was in full time nursing care from 17 May 2006. A carer may continue to be regarded as providing full-time care and attention while the care recipient is undergoing medical treatment in a hospital or other institution for a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The claims for jobseekers allowance by the persons concerned were refused by a Deciding Officer on the 29 July 2008 on the grounds that they did not satisfy the habitual residence conditions. An appeal was opened on 17 September and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with the statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the documentation in the case...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (29 Oct 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 369 together. There is a range of education and employment supports available to people in receipt of welfare payments. These initiatives include the back to work allowance and the back to education allowance and are designed to assist and facilitate people on social welfare payments to return to the active labour force. The back to education...