Results 1,821-1,840 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

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. All applicants - regardless of nationality - for the following payments are required to be habitually resident in the State: · Jobseeker's Allowance · State Pension (Non-Contributory for persons aged over 66) ·...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 809, 810 and 811 together. The questions seek statistical information on the work of the Social Welfare Appeals Office. I am advised by the Social welfare Appeals Officer that the statistics requested by the Deputy in respect of 2007, 2008 are available in the annual reports of that Office for the relevant years. The statistics in respect of 2009 are being...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department has not suspended the practice of providing a history of contribution entitlements to customers. On request, a customer will be provided with a copy of their full social insurance contribution history, together with the booklet 'Working It Out', to assist them in assessing their possible pension entitlement. This enables a customer to review their contribution history. Should...

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

Mary Hanafin: Participants on the back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme transfer from another social welfare payment. Annual statistics are collated by the department for the number of participants on the basis of the relevant academic year. Statistics are not collated centrally on the number of applications received or the number who are refused entry to the scheme and, consequently, remain on their...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 815 to 817, inclusive, and 818 together. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides for a weekly or monthly supplement to be paid in respect of rent or mortgage interest to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the community welfare service of the Health...

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

Mary Hanafin: In order to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), a minimum of 260 paid reckonable contributions is required, from either employment or self-employment. The person concerned applied for State Pension (Contributory) in 2002. Her claim was disallowed on 23 January 2002 on the grounds that she does not satisfy the contribution condition as she only has a total of 156 paid contributions...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department pays the CIE Group centrally in respect of transport services provided by the Group companies for pensioners and other groups eligible under the Free Travel scheme. The apportionment of payment between the three constituent companies, Bus Eireann, Bus Atha Cliath and Iarnród Eireann is a matter for the CIE Group to determine. Payments made to the CIE Group since 2000 are as...

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Changes to the treatment benefit scheme were announced in the 2010 budget. From 1 January 2010, treatments available under the scheme are limited to a free optical and dental examination together with the treatments previously available under the medical appliance scheme, namely hearing aids and contact lenses required for medical reasons. People who at 31 December 2009 were undergoing a...

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: This phenomenon came to light when applications were submitted in bulk and in alphabetical order. In some cases, all of the forms were signed with the same signature. That may have been erroneously done by receptionists. When departmental officials conducted cross-checks within the system, they found that some of the customers who were anticipating getting treatment in the future were...

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I mentioned in my reply that the bulk of the claims to which I refer came from eight dental practices. In fairness to the officials in the relevant section of the Department, they copped on very quickly to what was happening and started to contact the dentists in question. By the time they contacted the third dentist, the word had got out and he was expecting the telephone call. Two...

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: People have been making their contributions into a fund that is now in deficit.

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I know it is not.

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: When we made decisions in advance of last month's budget, we had to ascertain how best the fund could be protected. We do not intend to retain these changes on a permanent basis. My aim is that they will be in place for just one year. We have maintained the two most critical elements of this scheme. The examination can highlight basic difficulties in addition to a myriad of much more...

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The first sanction is that somebody can be reported to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. The use of people's information without their permission is quite a serious offence. The Department may consider the possibility of striking individual dentists from the panel, if it is felt they were deliberately trying to defraud the system. The relevant section of the Department is...

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: As this is just the third week of January, we are still in the process of taking a look at the names.

Social Welfare Inspections. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Jobseeker's allowance and farm assist are means tested payments. In each case, social welfare inspectors interview claimants and make the inquiries necessary to ascertain their means. Historically, self-employed people were assessed on their income in the 12 months prior to claiming, and decisions were made on that basis. This has proved an effective measure of means during periods of...

Social Welfare Inspections. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Genuine issues arise in respect of self-employed people seeking unemployment assistance. We took these issues on board in recognising that the income a person earned over the preceding 12 months could not reflect what he or she could earn during the following year. This is why new circulars were issued to inspectors. Bearing in mind some of the concerns raised by Deputy Crawford on...

Social Welfare Inspections. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Inspectors have already received three circulars and they have also been brought together in a workshop so that the details of the scheme could be explained and their fair implementation ensured. We will continue to keep the matter under review.

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Arising from the changes made in the Social Welfare Act 2010 the rates of payment for both jobseeker's allowance and farm assist payments were reduced. Accordingly, the farm assist payment of the person concerned was reduced in line with these provisions with effect from 1 January 2010. The person concerned applied for and was awarded farm assist with effect from 19 November 2008. In such...

Social Welfare Benefits. (19 Jan 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Difficulties arise where the wife is also working because her income is also taken into account. We accept that somebody might need farm assist but the household income must be considered. This is a social issue because in the past the man was the main breadwinner but the roles have now reversed and men are being refused social welfare assistance because their household income is being...