Results 5,301-5,320 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Court Proceedings: Court Proceedings (16 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Preparation and presentation of papers to a court in respect of cases involving the State is a matter for the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. The position in relation to the case referred to by the Deputy is that the Department has made enquiries of that Office and it is my understanding that the book of appeal has been lodged and that a certificate of readiness will be lodged within a...
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (16 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 to 99, inclusive, together. Over the last two years my Department has coordinated the conduct of three reviews of the Combat Poverty Agency. These included a review of its research programme and a review of its programmes to facilitate the participation of the community and voluntary sector and people experiencing poverty in the policy-making process. The...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for jobseeker's benefit on 7 October 2008 and his claim is being examined currently. A decision will be made as soon as possible and he 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 regard to...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (16 Oct 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, a diet supplement may be paid where a special diet is prescribed for an individual as a result of a specified medical condition. Any person receiving a Social Welfare or Health Service Executive payment and who has been...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (16 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. One of the conditions for receipt of rent supplement is that the Executive must be satisfied that "the claimant is in need of accommodation and is unable to provide for it from his or her own resources". The...
- Written Answers — Icelandic Investments: Icelandic Investments (16 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Neither the Department nor the agencies under the aegis of the Department have invested any funds in Icelandic financial products.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State who are aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain disability-type welfare...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The claim for jobseeker's allowance by the person concerned was refused by a Deciding Officer on 26 August 2008 on the grounds that the person concerned left work voluntarily and was not available for full-time work. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal was opened on 2 October 2008 and that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The claim for Carer's Allowance by the person concerned was refused by a Deciding Officer on 1 August 2008 as, in the opinion of the Chief Medical Advisor, the care recipient was not so invalided or disabled as to need full-time care and attention. An appeal was opened on 18 September 2008. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in accordance with the statutory...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned made an application for disability allowance on 11th December 2007. In order to determine her eligibility she was examined by a Medical Assessor of the Department on 30th April 2008 who considered her to be medically unsuitable for disability allowance. She appealed this decision on 12 August 2008 and, in the context of this appeal, she was examined by a second Medical...
- Written Answers — Departmental Services: Departmental Services (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Department has a range of interpretation facilities available for non-English speaking customers. On-site interpreters are made available on request for medical reviews, appeal hearings or in any situation where there are particular difficulties communicating with an individual. Each social welfare local office has a facility in place whereby an interpretation service is provided using a...
- Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: There is no record of my Department, or the agencies under its aegis, having awarded a contract to the company in question, from 2000 to date.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: 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 greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended....
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The living alone increase is an additional payment of â¬7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and receiving payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The increase is intended as a contribution towards...
- Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: This new division can provide a stronger voice for those affected by poverty and social inclusion issues. I am conscious of the concerns about the need for independent scrutiny of public policy that have been expressed by some interest groups. I agree that independent critique is very important and this move is not intended to reduce the scope for such work. As the review report notes, the...
- Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: However, we have kept these expenditure control measures to an absolute minimum. I have confidence that, given the circumstances, we have done our best to protect those on social welfare who are most in need.
- Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I wish to share time with Deputy Brendan Smith. Social welfare has been prioritised in this budget because next year total funding for the Department of Social and Family Affairs will be â¬19.6 billion. This represents an increase of â¬2.6 billion or 15.5% over the Estimates allocation for 2008. More than 1.7 million people and their dependents will benefit from this expenditure,...
- Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Unfortunately, it has been necessary to take some steps to reduce expenditure but these have been kept to the absolute minimum and applied in a careful manner.
- Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: As Deputies will appreciate, there was no easy way to achieve the required savings. Consideration had to be given to a wide range of changes and very difficult decisions had to be made. Neither I nor the Government have taken these decisions lightly. In total, the new expenditure control measures contained in the social welfare budget will amount to net savingsââ
- Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)
Mary Hanafin: ââof â¬124.9 million next year when compensatory measures are taken into account. Of this, â¬72.7 million is accounted for by changes to the social insurance system. As Members know, Ireland's social welfare system is based on two quite different types of entitlement, a social insurance system for people who have paid sufficient PRSI contributions and a social assistance system for...