Results 1,941-1,960 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The demographic is starting to move through. We have seen an increase in the number of pupils in primary schools in recent years and last year was the first year when the large demographic numbers began to move through into second level, which creates jobs at that level as well. If one is a graduate and one participates in the graduate placement scheme one can get the higher rate for that....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Two years.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Official Report will show that, when I spoke about young people with a work record, I indicated it was those with sufficient contributions who would be able to qualify for jobseeker's benefit. On Senator Phelan's point about supplementary welfare allowance and emigration, we all know the number of graduates who take off to travel, in particular, in the year after they graduate.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: That is not the same as emigration.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The Senator has highlighted the fact that five people have gone to Dubai but its economy has collapsed. It is not fair to say these people-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Those graduates would qualify under the graduate placement scheme in the short time we hope they would be unemployed. This is not about keeping young people on the live register but about creating jobs. That is why, as part of the budget, we have the largest capital programme of any country in Europe, the retrofit programme, the employment stabilisation fund, investment in tourism and the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: We have the PRSI exemption for employers which we hope will encourage them to take on new graduates and young people who have been on the live register for a few months. That is a real stimulus and incentive for them. The live register is a huge churn in that not all of those on it were on it six months ago. There are opportunities, but, obviously, the better educated one is, the better...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: This section deals with supplementary welfare allowance and ensuring it is paid at the same rate. We do not want a situation where somebody will be on a lower rate from the Department and goes to the community welfare officer and ends up on a higher rate.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I never mentioned college.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: It is much broader.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Who had built up their entitlement.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: The way to equalise those who are 24 and 25 is for one of them to do the education and training; they will both be on the same payment if that happens. The way to equalise the two brothers in the Senator's example is for the second brother to do the education and training so that both of them will be on the same payment. It is very easy for them to be equalised. The group of people...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I indicated that we were satisfied that the legal provisions are being met. As I have already indicated, the brother in the Senator's example who loses his job before Christmas will be treated the very same as the brother who loses his job after Christmas if he does not participate in education or training.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I have answered all the Senator's questions at least twice.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: With 53 schemes in the Department I will not even pretend to know all the intricacies of each of them. I will be happy to speak to somebody about the individual cases raised here. All the section does is align a situation. At present, a self-employed person can make a claim and years later pay up the contributions, but the pension is paid from the date of the claim. What this states is...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: It is generally the other way around. Approximately 20% of State pension cases are where claims are made retrospectively. In the case raised by Senator McFadden, it would be governed by the four year rule.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: No, it does not. All it involves is that people have paid the contributions for the pension for which they are eligible. Whether it is a part pension or a full pension it is a matter of ensuring all the contributions are paid at the time the State pays them.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: This is one of those sections where 1 January has no good, bad or indifferent impact. There is no impact on when a person makes a claim, but when he or she makes the claim for the pension as a person who has previously been self-employed, then he or she pays up the money at that time. From that time, the money will be paid. As soon as such people bring in their claim, they will be told...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: I was asked the reason people pay PRSI and contribute to the social insurance fund. People largely do so to secure protection by way of the State pension and unemployment assistance, even if most of us do not envisage becoming unemployed. The attitude of most people is that they pay into the social insurance fund to obtain a pension when they retire. One of the side benefits of these...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Mary Hanafin: Senators Ross and Norris highlighted the importance of the examination. In Senator Norris's case, if he had not had that examination, the unfortunate finding of macular degeneration would not have been discovered. We have kept the examination so that such issues can be identified, including oral cancers which other speakers have mentioned. I have no doubt that if people think something is...