Results 5,541-5,560 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned sent an e-mail to the Department expressing frustration at his inability to contact some of the Department's local offices recently. Difficulty in contacting these offices were due to the fact that members of the Civil Public and Services Union in the Department were involved in industrial action and were not answering telephones. I am glad to say that this industrial...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The most recent analysis of the impact of long term demographic pressures on pension expenditure is given in the Green Paper on Pensions (October 2007). This analysis was based on population projections available at that time, which were from the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund (Mercer, June 2007) and the Department of Finance's long term pension expenditure model. Both...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: There are currently some 600,000 people availing of the Free Travel scheme at an annual cost of â¬66 million. There have been some 800 cases of suspected misuse of the free travel scheme reported to the Department by CIE in each of the past three years. While the monetary value of a free travel pass depends on usage and varies significantly from individual to individual the loss based on...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 362 to 413, inclusive, together. The information requested by the Deputy is not currently available in the Department. However, Tables A and B below show actual expenditure incurred and income received in the first four months of the year for Vote 38 and the Social Insurance Fund, respectively. Full expenditure data for the months of May and June is not yet...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Under current agreements, all permanent clerical posts in the Department's existing offices in Laois and Offaly must be filled, in the first instance, from a central transfer list under arrangements agreed at Civil Service General Council. The names of civil servants wishing to relocate to these locations are noted in order of their date of application. The Department recently established...
- Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. There are two MABS companies in County Louth located in Dundalk and in Drogheda. Together they employ 6 money advice staff. The MABS computer system (MABSIS) was implemented in 2005/6 and 2007 was the first year for which full year...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year. The North-Western area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned made an application for BSCFA...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: As a consequence of the increasing Live Register the staffing levels in Local Offices have been reviewed by the Management Services Unit of the Department and some additional posts have been allocated. To date an additional 31 posts have been allocated to some 15 offices and the necessary assignments are currently being made. In the past few years the Department has coped with increasing...
- Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Since May 2008 no travel by rail, bus or air has been undertaken by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs.
- Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The information requested is currently being compiled within the Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 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. The Executive has advised that the rent supplement claim for the person concerned is currently under consideration. On receipt of documentation to be supplied by her, a decision will be made on her claim.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The person concerned is currently in receipt of Disability Allowance at the weekly rate of â¬82.80 from 2 January 2008. In reviewing this case some matters have arisen which require further clarification. I will write again to the Deputy as soon as these matters have been clarified.
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: Yesterday I outlined to the House the actions that the Department of Social and Family Affairs will be taking this year as part of the Government's collective approach to controlling short-term expenditure in the interests of Ireland's future prosperity. The following measures will generate savings of nearly â¬30 million in 2008: increased control activities to keep fraud and abuse to a...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Jul 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 policy in relation to support for older people...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together. Under the current programme of decentralisation, 85 posts in the Department are to be relocated to Carrickmacross and in excess of 90 applications have been received to date to move there. The Office of Public Works is charged with securing accommodation in Carrickmacross for this Department. They have advised that they are still...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. This Department's role is to assist social welfare recipients with heating costs, both through their basic payments and through the household benefits package with fuel, electricity and gas allowances. These schemes have been improved significantly in recent years. The national fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The National Pensions Awareness Campaign has been run by the Pensions Board on behalf of the Department annually since 2003. A total of â¬1million has been provided to support the campaign in 2008. The campaign has been very successful in creating and maintaining a high level of awareness amongst the general public in relation to pensions issues. The allocation of resources for a campaign...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the needs of older people have been a priority for Government for many years and very significant improvements have been made in social welfare pensions. The rate of contributory pension has increased from â¬147.30 per week in 2002 to more than â¬223 per week in 2008 and the non-contributory pension has increased from â¬134.00 per week in 2002 to â¬212 per...
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 together. 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. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2008)
Mary Hanafin: The Green Paper on Pensions, published on 17 October 2007, sets out a comprehensive discussion on the issues relating to both social welfare and occupational pensions. The purpose of the Green Paper is not to recommend any particular approach, but rather to facilitate a debate on the issues and possible approaches to future policy. With regard to private and occupational pensions, the Green...