Results 1,041-1,060 of 1,371 for speaker:Máire Hoctor

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter...

Written Answers — Residential Care: Residential Care (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: In January 2007 the Minister for Health & Children published a new set of draft national standards for all nursing homes. The standards were developed by a working group chaired by DoHC and included the Health Service Executive, Social Service Inspectorate and the Irish Health Services Accreditation Board. As the Health Act, 2007 provides that the enhanced inspection function will be...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Subventions: Nursing Home Subventions (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The final details of the Bill are being addressed at present. The Minister proposes to publish the Bill as soon as possible, following Government approval. Details of the scheme have been in the public domain since the Minister announced it in December 2006 and there has been consultation and meetings with stakeholders arising from commitments under Towards 2016. The Department will be...

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter...

Written Answers — Nursing Home Subventions: Nursing Home Subventions (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The final details of the Bill are being addressed at present. The Minister proposes to publish the Bill as soon as possible, following Government approval. The Minister is very keen that the benefits are made available to those who have been waiting for the new Scheme as soon as possible and discussions are on-going with all parties in this respect.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not accept the amendment. An unacceptable number of children remain in consistent poverty and the Government remains focused on further substantially reducing child poverty. The level of commitment in this area was particularly prominent in the 2008 budget in which was announced a range of targeted measures and supports, costing more than €147 million in a full year, specifically to...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment. Responsibility for matters relating to paternity leave rests with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The question of social insurance funded payment for paternity leave would be contingent on an underlying entitlement to statutory parental leave. The introduction of paid parental leave or paternity leave would have significant cost...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept the amendment. The free travel scheme permits travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by a large number of private operators. Some 19 private transport operators are involved in the scheme, providing services to free travel pass-holders. It is open to private transport operators to apply to the Department for inclusion...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The fuel allowance is paid from the end of September to the end of April each year. It represents a contribution to a person's normal heating expenses. It was never intended to meet the costs in full. Improvements to the allowance in recent years include the easing of the means test and extending the duration of the payment from 26 to 29 weeks. Budget 2006 provided for an increase in the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: Fuel poverty is described as the inability to afford adequate warmth in a home or the inability to achieve adequate warmth because of the energy and efficiency of the home. The Green Paper on Energy Policy, published in October 2006, stated the Government's commitment to reducing fuel poverty. This issue will be further addressed as the current energy policy formulation process develops...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: A detailed review of the fuel allowance was carried out in 1998. A survey of recipients of the allowance on a customer panel showed that a majority, 58%, preferred weekly payment while only 8% would rather have two lump sum payments during the fuel season. As a result the Department kept the scheme as arranged. The Minister is open to reviewing this arrangement at a later stage.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: This is a matter for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Local authorities have the power necessary to operate the waiver schemes and most do so. The introduction of a national social welfare scheme to address the issue would not be feasible given the wide range of charging arrangements, regimes and cost structures that exist for waste management throughout the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment. There has been a range of reforms to the social welfare system over recent decades which make it easier for people, and women in particular, to qualify for contributory pensions. The Government has taken action to improve the position of those who do not qualify for a pension in their own right but are supported as qualified adults on the pensions...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The information reaches people through public campaigning and advertising. The Department has publicised the scheme consistently to maximise the uptake by qualified families. Following the significant improvements in the qualifying income limits in the 2006 budget the Department undertook a week long nationwide awareness campaign in March of that year to encourage increased take-up of the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment because it is inappropriate for inclusion in legislation. In particular, it is inappropriate for this Bill which only deals with budget increases. All other items which are appropriate for legislation will be dealt with in a separate Bill in the new year. The Department has increased significantly the volume of information exchange in recent years...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The qualified child increase, previously called the child dependant allowance, is paid to social welfare recipients in addition to a personal and, where appropriate, qualified adult increase. Unlike a wage, the level of qualified child increase varies according to the number of qualified children in a family. The result is an increased disincentive effect on larger families as their social...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not accept the amendment. The waiting days have been a feature of the illness benefit and jobseeker's payment schemes since their inception and are a feature of similar social security schemes in many countries. The application of a three-day waiting period avoids the disproportionately high administrative costs involved in processing large numbers of claims for a very short duration....

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance, known as the BSCFA scheme, provides payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive. The...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I thank Senator Prendergast. I do not propose to accept amendment No. 8. The rates of payment for carer's allowance and carer's benefit have been increased significantly in recent budgets. Since January 2007 the rate of carer's allowance and carer's benefit has been €200 per week for those aged under 66. The carer's allowance for those aged over 66 is currently €218 per week. As a...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2007)

Máire Hoctor: I do not propose to accept this amendment. One of the fundamental qualifying conditions for carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant is that the person is providing full-time care and attention to a person who needs such care. The number of hours a person may engage in employment, self-employment, training or education outside the home and still be considered to be...