Results 221-240 of 15,792 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (9 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Pacáiste Tacaíochta Teaghlaigh is a language pack provided free of charge to families who currently raise their children through Irish or who wish to do so. Historically my Department distributed the packs directly to families who requested it. This initiative was then transferred to the organisation Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta in 2019. Following sanction of most...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 556 together. The Department has not incurred any Ministerial costs within these expenditure categories for the years 2015 to 2025 inclusive.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Advertising (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department administers over 100 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. We are committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them, and that they are notified of any scheme changes which may affect them. Public information and advertising campaigns are an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Details of the amounts spend on media training from 2015 to 2025 is set out below. Year Company Cost (excl VAT) No of Staff Staff Grades 2019 Carr Communications €550 2 1 Principal Officer & 1 Assistant Principal Officer 2025 Drury €1,260 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has not employed or engaged any external consultants for media consultancy from 2015 to 2025. The Department's Press Office deals with all media queries and public relations matters I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who are on Maternity Leave and who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contributions. Government has provided over €295 million for the scheme in 2025. Maternity Benefit is payable at the weekly rate of €289 and was increased by €15 from 1 January 2025. If a person has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that, as a result, they require that level of care. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 19 July 2024. It is a condition for receipt of CA...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The total number of Purchase Orders processed in 2023 was 3,147 with a value of €76,552,530.31. Of these, 2,650 purchase orders were not included in published reports.  The value of these purchase orders was €13,921,575.63. 497 were included in published reports as they exceeded the €20,000 threshold.  The value of these purchase orders was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. The number of children in Carlow and Kilkenny currently availing of the free school meals scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Where an individual is employed in an employment to which the modified rate applies (PRSI Class B/C/D), then any additional self-employment is categorised as “Excepted Self-Employment”. The relevant legislation governing this is paragraph 5 of Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Social Welfare Consolidated Act 2005. From 01 January 2013 to date, PRSI Class ‘K9’ applies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. The aim of introducing AE is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement savings. I recently announced the system, to be known by its brand name, 'My Future Fund', will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is a service of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is a service of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 568 and 584 together. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Services, was activated on Thursday 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is to provide financial support to people whose homes are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 includes a commitment for the Department of Social Protection to "Consider and prepare a report for Government on the potential application of the benchmarking approach to other welfare payments". In response to the recommendations from the Commission on Pensions, a series of reforms to the State Pension system were announced in September 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The estimated full-year cost of increasing each weekly social welfare scheme by €1 per week is €76.8 million, as set out in the table below. Payment Personal Qualified Adult Total €m €m €m Social Insurance Schemes ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The table below outlines the estimated annual cost of increasing the Child Support Payment by €1 for children under 12 and by €1 for children aged 12 and over. - Current Weekly Rate Proposed Weekly Rate Increase Annual Cost Child Support Payment Under 12 €50 €51 €1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The estimated annual cost of increasing Child Benefit by €1, from €140 to €141 per month, is €15.32 million. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2025, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The estimated annual cost of increasing the weekly fuel allowance rate by €1, from €33 to €34, is €11.6M. This costing is based on the number of Fuel Allowance recipients as at December 2024, and is based on the cost across a full 28 week fuel season. The costing is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the number of recipients.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The estimated cost of increasing the Living Alone Allowance by €1 is €13.1 million. This represents an increase in the weekly rate from €22 to €23. The above costing is on a full year basis and is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2025. It should be noted that this costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated...