Results 1,721-1,740 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 127, 720 and 787 together. The Government discussion paper, "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents," put forward proposals to tackle obstacles to employment for lone parents and other low income families. These included proposals for the extension of the National Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents, focused provision of childcare and the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Question Nos. 97 and 125 together. Domiciliary Care Allowance is payable in respect of children who have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. The care and attention received must be given by another person, effectively full-time so that the child can deal with...

Written Answers — Job Facilitators: Job Facilitators (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Facilitators work with social welfare recipients to identify appropriate training or development programmes which will enhance the skills that the individual has and ultimately improve their employment chances, as well as help them to continue to develop personally. They work in close co-operation with other agencies and service providers including FÁS, VEC, other education and training...

Written Answers — Carer's Strategy: Carer's Strategy (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Government is acutely aware and appreciative of the contribution made by carers. It was for that reason, that when resources were available, we invested heavily in improving social welfare rates and services for all those who are reliant on the State for income support. Over the past decade, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance...

Written Answers — Affordable Energy: Affordable Energy (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Social and Family Affairs assists social welfare recipients with heating costs, both through their basic payments and through the fuel allowance scheme and the household benefits package of electricity and gas allowances. These schemes have been improved significantly in recent years. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has overarching...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Fraud: Social Welfare Fraud (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 128 together. Control savings are calculated by applying validated multipliers to the difference in the rate of payment before and after the control activity. Multipliers used in assessing control savings estimate the total future savings to the Department of a revocation or reduction resulting from a control action. The multiplier used is based on the...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Question Nos. 103, 769, 775, 780 and 785 together. In recognition of the devastation suffered by people in many areas of the country as a result of the flooding from November 2009 onwards, the Government set up a Humanitarian Assistance Scheme to provide income tested financial support to people who have suffered damages to their homes not covered by insurance. An initial...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 113 together. The mortgage interest supplement scheme provides support for people who have difficulty meeting their mortgage repayments and whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The scheme provides a short-term income "safety net" within the overall social welfare system to ensure that people do not suffer hardship due to loss of...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: It is proposed that legislation for the PRSI Job Incentive scheme will be brought before the Houses of Oireachtas in the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill in spring of this year.

Written Answers — Money Advice and Budgeting Service: Money Advice and Budgeting Service (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The money advisers throughout the country focus on providing assistance, advice and intense support to people who have financial difficulties. The money adviser works out a budget and negotiates on behalf of the client with all creditors, including financial institutions and sub-prime lenders, to secure better terms for the client in managing the repayment of their debts. Where required by...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The objective of the back to education allowance scheme is to equip people on social welfare payments with qualifications that will enable them to obtain employment in the labour market. The scheme covers courses of education from second level to Higher Diploma level in any discipline (level 8 in National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)) and to a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary and...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Department administers a number of social assistance schemes to meet the income support needs of certain people. The associated means tests are designed to reflect the particular circumstances of these individuals and their families as well as the different life cycle stages. Over the years, various developments in means testing have led to the system becoming complex and difficult for...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that during 2009 the average time taken to process all appeals (i.e. those decided summarily and by way of oral hearing) was 24 weeks. However, if allowance was made for the 25% most protracted cases, the average time fell to 15.8 weeks. This represents an increase of 2 weeks in the time taken to process appeals when compared to 2008, but...

Written Answers — Fuel Poverty: Fuel Poverty (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, which has overarching responsibility for the energy portfolio, has convened an inter-departmental /agency group on affordable energy, to coordinate government policy in this area. The group comprises officials of the departments of the Taoiseach, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Finance, Environment, Heritage and...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: As Deputies are aware, the Green Paper on Pensions outlined the challenges facing the Irish pensions system in the years ahead, including the sustainability of the system over the longer term in light of demographic change and the adequacy of contribution levels and benefits. The consultation process which followed publication of the Green Paper reflected the wide range of views and...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Department endeavours to process applications for refunds of PRSI as efficiently as possible. However, the volume of applications for refunds of PRSI has increased dramatically in recent years; some 23,400 applications were received in 2009 compared to 14,000 in 2008 and 9,000 in 2007. The increased volume of applications has inevitably given rise to a delay in processing refund...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Question No. 118 and 813 together. Every effort is made to process claims for social welfare payments as quickly as possible. Staff in the Department are aware of the concerns of claimants who find themselves in need of a payment. Delays can occur in the processing of claims where additional information is required or where all documentation is not to hand. On means-tested...

Written Answers — Public Service Identity Cards: Public Service Identity Cards (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Legislative provisions in relation to the introduction of the Public Service Card have been included in Section 263 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended by Section 32 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007). These specify that the Minister for Social and Family Affairs may issue a Public Service Card in the format that she deems fit, with the person's name, personal...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Family Income Supplement is designed to provide support for people with families who are on low earnings. This preserves the incentive for them to remain in employment in circumstances where they might only be marginally better off than if they were claiming other social welfare payments. FIS is a central element of a programme of reforms targeted specifically at addressing child...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Spouses who operate in a commercial partnership may be brought into the social insurance system, subject to meeting some of the general criteria outlined as follows: · There is a written partnership agreement · Each partner writes cheques on the business accounts in their own right · There is a joint business account · It is apparent to those doing business with the partnership that a...