Results 5,841-5,860 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A Deciding Officer awarded the person concerned jobseeker's allowance at the weekly rate of €56.80 from 8 February 2008. A claim for a retrospective jobseeker's allowance payment for the period from December 2007 to February 2008 is currently being examined. A decision will be given as soon as possible and he will be notified of the outcome. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's activities require the engagement of a range of consultancy expertise. In the main consultancy expertise is sought to support the Department with a number of strategic multi-annual programmes aimed at enhancing the delivery of the services to the customer e.g. the Service Delivery Modernisation Programme (SDM) and to provide technical consultancies relating to the ongoing...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department administers around 50 schemes and makes payments to 1 million people each week. In order to deliver these services efficiently and effectively, a number of staff in the Department have been supplied with mobile phones for use in the course of their work. These phones are supplied for official use only and arrangements are in place to reimburse the department for any personal...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department delivers a front-line service through a network of 60 local offices and 65 branch offices countrywide. The 60 local offices are staffed by departmental staff. The 65 branch offices are run by private individuals who are employed under a contract for service by my department to administer social welfare services, with the exception of claims decisions, to members of the public in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department delivers a front-line service through a network of 60 local offices and 65 branch offices countrywide. The main services provided from these offices include jobseekers payments, one-parent family payment and a customer information service. The 60 local offices are staffed by departmental staff. The 65 branch offices are run by private individuals who are employed under a...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department and An Post are working on a solution to enable a person who collects their payment using a social services card to have an agent appointed if that becomes necessary. This solution will be rolled out from June 2008. In the meantime, if a person who normally collects his/her payment by card is unable to collect the payment for a short period, they can nominate a family member...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 335 and 337 together. The person concerned, who is a self-employed carpenter, applied for jobseeker's allowance on 18 April 2008. A Deciding Officer assessed his weekly means at €356.00 and awarded the allowance to him at the weekly rate of €69.10 from 22 April 2008. A first payment issued to him on 12 May 2008. The means assessment in this case is...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A Deciding Officer disallowed the jobseeker's allowance claim of the person concerned from 19 November 2007 on the grounds that his means were in excess of the maximum rate payable. He was assessed with weekly means of €442.00. This includes means of €48.10 from self-employment and €393.93 (rounded to €394.00) from spouse's income. He appealed this decision and the Appeals Officer,...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (20 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Details of the numbers of civil servants who worked in the constituency offices of the Minister and Minister of State in this Department for the period from 1997 to date are set out in the following table: Period No. of civil servants in Minister's Office No. of civil servants in Minister of State's Office January 1997 to June 1997 4 3 June 1997 to June 2002 5* — June 2002 to September...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (15 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 130 and 131 together. It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to State Boards. The following appointments were made to boards under the aegis of my Department since 26th February 2008 as follows: Mr. Michael Ryder (Dublin) IBEC nominee appointed to the Pensions Board; Mr. Dick Hickey (Co. Waterford), Ms. Brid Rocks (Co. Louth) and Ms. Muriel Walls (Co....

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (15 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Child benefit is a monthly payment, paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years. It continues to be paid in respect of children up to and including 18 years where they are in full-time education, or where they have a physical or mental disability. Prior to April of this year child benefit continued to be paid to the birth parent where a child was placed in foster care, regardless of...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (15 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (ESPHCA) is the Council of Ministers formation of direct relevance to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs. This Council formation covers a range of policy areas which are dealt with by a number of Irish Government Departments, including employment and labour law issues, which are the responsibility of the Department of...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (15 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied for a one-parent family payment on 3 April 2008. Her claim is currently with a Social Welfare Inspector for investigation of her circumstances. On completion of enquiries, a decision will be made as soon as possible and she will be notified of the outcome.

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (15 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Social and Family Affairs uses the services of the law officers of the State for its legal work and has not engaged any firms of solicitors or individual barristers on a contractual basis in the past 18 months.

Written Answers — Departmental Applications: Departmental Applications (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The staff and other resources available to the Department are regularly reviewed having regard to the workload arising and other competing demands. The available resources are then deployed to...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Funding Standard provided for in the Pensions Act 1990, measures the solvency of defined benefit pension schemes. Generally speaking, this requires that pension schemes have sufficient assets to discharge their liabilities in the event that the scheme is wound up. Schemes are required to carry out a full actuarial assessment of the funding position every three years and an interim...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 93 together. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward 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 provision of childcare; improved information services for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Child benefit is a monthly payment, paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years. It continues to be paid in respect of children up to and including 18 years where they are in full-time education, or where they have a physical or mental disability. Prior to April of this year child benefit continued to be paid to the birth parent where a child was placed in foster care, regardless...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment made to all persons providing full-time care, regardless of means or PRSI contribution record, but subject to certain statutory conditions. These conditions relate primarily to employment outside the home, the provision of full time care as set out in legislation, and the medically certified need for such care. The Grant is payable from the first...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Social Welfare Appeals Office, which was established in 1990, acts as an independent and separately managed office of my Department. The Office was set up in response to concerns about a perceived lack of independence and, also, in line with a commitment in the Programme for National Recovery. Prior to 1990, appeals were made to the Minister and the appeals process was administered by...