Results 5,681-5,700 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Social Welfare Benefits. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The question always arises as to whether it is better to put the money into one scheme, like giving an extra week's fuel allowance payments, or to apply it to general rates across the board. All these issues need to be considered in the context of the budget, bearing in mind that there are particular pressures because of the price of fuel, which we recognise.

Social Welfare Benefits. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I already indicated to the Deputy that I have had discussions with the various Ministers about drawing together all the different initiatives taking place.

Social Welfare Benefits. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I do not know what "formalised" means. If it means setting up a body with a full secretariat and involves costs just to bring people together, I would not favour that.

Social Welfare Benefits. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The correct approach is to co-ordinate the various ongoing activities between our different Departments — the payments from my Department, energy efficiency in homes through the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and housing standards through the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government — along with Sustainable Energy Ireland and other bodies.

Social Welfare Benefits. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The strategy is to ensure that people do not suffer as a result of fuel poverty.

Social Welfare Benefits. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I assure the Deputy it is being addressed rather than just being discussed.

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 89 together. The consultation period on the pensions Green Paper was completed and the time for making submissions closed on 31 May 2008. Overall, the response to the request for submissions on the Green Paper and attendance at the regional seminars held by the Department earlier in the year has been extremely positive. The consultation period closed...

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As I said in my initial reply, it is intended to have the framework by the end of this year. Other countries, including the UK, gave a three or four-year lead-in period for the implementation of their strategy. Obviously that needs to be considered now because of the various elements involved. It will not be easy to come up with a framework because there are very divergent views in that...

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The strategy will have to be agreed between my Department and the Department of Finance and will then have to go before Government so all I can commit to is a framework going before the Government at the end of this year. As to whether any changes will be brought about in the budget, it is unlikely because that would have to be prepared by November. We are talking about a long-term view, so...

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Everybody would accept we are in a changing economic situation.

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: We are not necessarily talking about the pensions of today but the Pensions Board is advising people through its awareness campaigns to ensure they make provision for their pensions, and this is working successfully. We have seen an increase in the last number of years in the number of people making some extra private provision. It is not as high as we would like it to be. Obviously we...

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: All the submissions are on the web and are available to all members of the public. I intend to publish the report I am expecting over the next couple of weeks so that people can see the diverse range of views out there. Listening to other countries and reading the submissions, there are those who would like an SSIA approach, a mandatory approach or a soft mandatory approach. We have the...

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I do not accept that there is any uncertainty out there on people taking out provision for themselves.

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: There is no uncertainty. People know this is a long-term view and are being advised on their personal circumstances. It is interesting to examine the pensions coverage when one sees that of people between the ages of 20 and 24 years of age, only 27% have made provisions. Our campaigns have particularly targeted them to ensure they take out pensions. They are not sitting by waiting to see...

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It will have implications for social welfare, tax, employers and employees. I suspect it will need a lead-in time.

Pension Provisions. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: They will have to wait until we produce the framework.

Social Welfare Code. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, SWA, provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support, in the form of a weekly or monthly payment, to eligible people living in private rented...

Social Welfare Code. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I would be interested to hear exactly what changes Deputy Durkan anticipates. I know that more people are under pressure for their rent and mortgages than in the past, but it is important that the 5,000 people gaining the mortgage interest supplement receive it only to supplement the interest rather than the capital because these people will be left with a good capital asset. I am not sure...

Social Welfare Code. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The fact the numbers have increased even within this year shows that the scheme is responding to the need out there. Between January and May of this year alone, more than 3,300 additional people received rent supplement and in the same period more than 900 additional people received mortgage supplement.

Social Welfare Code. (25 Jun 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I know that. It is obviously directly related to the increase in the live register. However, it does show that those schemes are there for people to avail of and benefit from.