Results 5,861-5,880 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: Where a person has social insurance contributions from another EEA country, or a country with which Ireland has a bi-lateral agreement, these can be used to qualify a person for a pension. The manner in which contributions from EEA countries are to be used is laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and the same general principles are applied in the reciprocal agreements Ireland has with a...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95, 104, 105 and 131 together. The Maternity Benefit scheme has been significantly improved, notably in the last few years, in terms of both the duration of the payment and the level at which it is paid. Budget 2006 provided for Maternity Benefit payments to be extended from 18 to 22 weeks. Following further extension of 4 weeks in Budget 2007 the period of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 100 and 101 together. The rent supplement scheme is administered on my behalf by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible tenants living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department currently operates a range of schemes for people with an illness or disability including the insurance based illness benefit scheme, the occupational injury benefit scheme for those who are unable to work because of an accident or illness suffered at work and the means-tested disability allowance scheme. Farm operators normally pay Class A social insurance contributions and...

Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 114 and 129 together. The development of a National Carers' Strategy is a key Government commitment in both the national partnership agreement "Towards 2016" and the Programme for Government. A working group, chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach, has begun work on developing the strategy. My Department provides the secretariat to the working group...

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

Mary Hanafin: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over and to people receiving certain disability or care payments. Following extension of the free travel scheme on an "all Island" basis proposals were put forward to extend the scheme to Irish born people living abroad and those receiving pensions from my Department. Officials of the Department have been...

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

Mary Hanafin: The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. It was introduced in the context of the Government's decision to open the Irish labour market to workers from the 10 new EU Member States, without the transitional limitations which were imposed at that time by most...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In 2004 the Citizens Information Board in preparation for forthcoming legislation commissioned research from Goodbody Economic Consultants on, Developing an Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities. The report which was launched in July 2004 proposed a three-stranded approach: 1. The establishment of a Personal Advocacy Service to be provided directly by the Citizens Information Board...

Written Answers — Personal Advocacy Service: Personal Advocacy Service (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The introduction of a personal advocacy service as provided for in the Citizens Information Act, 2007, is a priority for my Department. An organisational structure has been developed by the Citizens Information Board to meet the needs of the Personal Advocacy Service (PAS). Discussions between my Department, the Department of Finance and the Citizens Information Board are ongoing in relation...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 108, 110 and 111 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: The provision of adequate interpretation and document translation services is an important element in delivering a quality service to my Department's customers, particularly in the context of an increasing number of foreign nationals availing of social welfare services. In relation to social welfare appeals, I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that it arranges for the...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 120 together. Rent Supplement is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to eligible tenants living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Back to School clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but only to provide assistance towards these costs. A person may qualify for payment of an allowance if they are in...

Written Answers — Community Welfare Service: Community Welfare Service (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 117, 133 and 138 together. The decision to transfer certain functions from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to my Department follows on from recommendations made by the Commission on Financial Management and Control Systems in the Health Service. In its report, the Commission noted that over the years, the health system had been assigned responsibility...

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

Mary Hanafin: Rent supplement is administered on my behalf by the Health Service Executive as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Rent supplement is subject to a limit on the amount of rent that an applicant may incur. Rent limits are set at levels that enable the different eligible household types to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation, having regard to the different...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 132 together. The Department has recently received the One Family Strategy 2007 to 2009, and also the final report of their New Futures Project and found them both very worthwhile and informative. The Strategy document outlines the progress One Family aims to achieve by 2009 across the areas of client services, legal and policy change and attitudinal...

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

Mary Hanafin: Deciding Officers revise decisions when new evidence that affects entitlement comes to their attention. An overpayment arises where the revised decision is effective from a date in the past and may be due to mistakes having been made by the customer, a third party or by the department but may also be due to the customer making false or misleading statements or wilfully concealing material...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 174 together. In order to qualify for the maximum rate of the state pension (contributory), a person must, amongst other qualifying conditions, achieve a yearly average of at least 48 contributions paid or credited on his/her social insurance record over their working life. Reduced pensions are paid to those with yearly averages as low as 10...

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

Mary Hanafin: The setting of waste management charges and the introduction of waivers in respect of waste charges is, as has been stated in this House on many occasions, a matter for each local authority. Local authorities operate under the auspices of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme as part of the household benefits scheme...

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

Mary Hanafin: The reference in the Social Welfare Appeals Office Report 2007 relates to a number of cases where Child Benefit claims were submitted outside of the specified time frame for so doing. The small number of Child Benefit claims referred to were paid from the month after receipt of the claim as provided for by Social Welfare legislation. EU legislation provides that in certain circumstances such...