Results 5,941-5,960 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: This also illustrates that the rate of consistent poverty for older people in this country has reduced from 3.1% to 2.2% which means that the targets to be achieved by 2012 have already been met. This says a great deal about the Government's commitment in this regard.

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: There has been some discussion in regard to the over 80 age group. Obviously, I would like to work towards ensuring there is equality for women in social welfare services.

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 89 together. In 1992, my Department and An Post entered into a five-year contract for the delivery of payments. This contract was renewed in 1997 for a further three years to the end of 1999. The award of a further extension of the contract in 2000 became subject to complaints to the European Commission under competition and procurement law. On 13...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As Deputy Enright stated, my Department must comply with competition law, European regulations, services directives and so on and cannot do anything that goes against them. At the same time, however, everybody appreciates the value of the post office in terms of accessibility for recipients of social welfare payments. An Post currently plays a major role in regard to the provision of such...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am sure the Deputy appreciates fully that from the perspective of the Department of Social and Family Affairs any future contracting arrangements will have to be in the form of tender and must be transparent. It is significant to note that 46% of payments made to 1.8 million recipients every week are made through post offices.

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: People now have a wider choice and can have their payments made through the post office, bank, credit union or other recognised financial institution.

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It is interesting to note that people on long-term schemes use their books. Some 384,000 people and 272,000 child benefit customers are paid electronically while others such as job-seekers, one-parent families and early child care supplement recipients receive their payments through the post office. A significant number of people continue to choose to use post offices. I see it as...

Social Welfare Benefits. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am not yet aware what talks have taken place in this regard.

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the increase in the national live register in recent months and I am satisfied that the Department is monitoring the impact of this on local offices on an ongoing basis. At present a network of 40 facilitators work closely at local level with social welfare customers, including those on the live register, in order to determine training and development needs. They arrange,...

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is being a little bit dramatic. While he is right to state increases have taken place in certain offices, such as Clones, Portlaoise and Macroom, the overall live register saw a reduction on last month.

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: There is no crisis.

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It is not fair to say the employment situation has gone out of control, far from it as more jobs continue to be created than are lost each time. Having said that, these activation policies to engage with people coming on the live register are a major part of our policy. Facilitators interview them and work with them. During the first two months of this year 9,400 people were referred to...

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Of that figure, 4,270 were interviewed and not placed, 1,332 remained on the register and the rest, which is more than 3,000, came off the live register.

Live Register. (14 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It shows there is potential. When I entered the Department the first thing I saw was a big sign stating "Interviews for facilitators" on the same floor as the Minister's office. The Department will employ 30 more to actively engage with these people quickly to enable them to take up other options.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Schemes: Social Welfare Schemes (13 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a wide range of second chance education opportunities to facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force. The back to education allowance (BTEA) is one of these second chance education opportunities schemes. It is paid at a standard weekly rate...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State 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 age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Health Service Executive has advised that there is no record of an application for rent supplement from the person concerned. If she wishes to make an application for rent supplement she should contact the local community welfare officer so that her entitlement can be examined.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned was paid jobseeker's allowance for the maximum two-week holiday period while he was in the United Kingdom. However, he remained outside the state for a further period and sustained a loss of 8 days jobseeker's allowance from 22 April to 30 April 2008 inclusive. He contacted his local Social Welfare office on 1 May 2008 and is in receipt of the allowance from that date.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (13 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It is a fundamental principle of the social insurance system that those qualifying for benefits must satisfy a range of contribution and other conditions. In the case of contributory pensions, this involves commencing payment of contributions 10 years before pension age, payment of a minimum number of contributions at an appropriate rate and reaching a minimum average annual contribution...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (13 May 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department currently operates the occupational injuries scheme which provides entitlement to benefit for persons suffering from certain prescribed diseases which are listed in the legislation and where that person has contracted that disease in the course of their employment. Where a person has contracted one of the diseases listed in the legislation, benefits are payable if they were...