Results 261-280 of 15,792 for speaker:Dara Calleary

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

Dara Calleary: The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme supports people in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment to develop a business while allowing them to retain a reducing proportion of their payment over two years. The Government has...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 and 600 together. Fish Assist is a form of Jobseekers Allowance. A self-employed fisherman or woman on a low income may apply for Fish Assist which, in itself, is not a separate scheme but falls under the jobseeker's allowance (JA) scheme. To enable the accurate enumeration of recipients of Fish Assist, the Department uses a unique administrative code...

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

Dara Calleary: The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment made to full-time carers who satisfy certain conditions. I can confirm that my Department received an application for CSG from the person concerned on 28 May 2025. I can confirm that the person has been awarded the CSG payment for the year 2025. Payment of €2,000 will issue to the person's nominated bank account on 10...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Schemes (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Seniors Alert Scheme helps older people to remain in their communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms, enabling them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase, by a registered community-based organisation, of a personal alarm or pendant. Since the scheme was launched in...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 929 and 930 together. Since my Department’s establishment in July 2017 it has incurred the type of expenditure referred to by the Deputy on only 3 occasions. Each of these were events that were broadcast live. The services were procured on a once-off basis each time. There has been no other expenditure relating to the areas highlighted by the Deputy....

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Advertising (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The majority of advertising campaigns undertaken by my Department relate to public consultation processes and notifications to the public. These usually involve public information notices in print media. These are required to ensure awareness and engagement on the issues in question, and required expenditure is kept to a minimum. My Department has also undertaken some public awareness...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Since its establishment in 2017 no such training has been organised for anyone in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department was established in 2017. The information requested by the Deputy is in the table below. Year Name of Consultancy firm Nature of Contract Amount including VAT 2019 The Reputations Agency Marketing/Branding for the Big Hello/National Community Weekend 2019 €62,249 2020 DHR...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department includes all payments over €20,000 for goods, services and works procured and paid by the Department in the reports referred to by the Deputy. In 2023 there were a total of 820 payments for goods, services and works which were below the €20,000 threshold, with a total value of €715,379. The vast majority of the Department's voted expenditure is utilised...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Care (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department’s mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. A number of programmes and funding streams from my department support services and activities for older people with a proportion of these services delivered in community facilities all over Ireland. My Department's Social...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are a number of schemes within my Department for which funding may be available to support the type of project referred to within the Deputy’s correspondence i.e. improved access to a facility. The schemes include LEADER, the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) and the CLÁR Programme. The LEADER programme has for many years supported community facilities, and improved...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Funding of €15,000 was approved in June 2022 to enable Nascadh Uíbh Ráthaigh to prepare a language plan for the area of Uíbh Ráthaigh that lies outside the official Gaeltacht boundaries and outside of the Gaeltacht Service Town of Cahersiveen. Funding was approved to prepare a plan on an exceptional basis, taking into account the specific circumstances of the area....

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The LEADER Programme supports a broad range of private enterprises and community groups in delivering projects across rural Ireland. The Programme is delivered by a network of Local Action Groups (LAGs) selected to implement Local Development Strategies for their respective geographical areas. In line with the LEADER Operating Rules, when evaluating project applications the LAGs should...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Development Projects (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Community cafés are a vital part of many communities. I recognise the enormous benefit and impact that these social enterprises have in both urban and rural locations, offering training and employment opportunities, a place to volunteer and providing, in many cases, an important ‘hub’ where members of a community can meet and enjoy each other’s company. In...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Plean Forbartha Náisiúnta (8 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Cuireadh breis is €109 milliún ar fáil ón gCiste Infheistíochta Ionad Pobail (CIIP) ó 2022 i leith chun ionaid phobail atá ann cheana a fheabhsú agus a athchóiriú agus chun ionaid nua a thógáil. Go luath in 2024, ceadaíodh maoiniú os cionn €30 milliún ón gciste seo chun 12 ionad pobail nua a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (3 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Newly arrived applicants for Temporary Protection (TP) apply for TP at Citywest Convention Centre. Departmental records show that the person concerned withdrew her TP on 12/08/2024 and was subsequently granted TP in another EU state. The person presented at Citywest Convention Centre on 17/06/2025 and reapplied for TP which has now been granted. Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. The Department of Social Protection provides a range of income supports to carers, including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer’s Support Grant, with combined spending estimated at over €1.9...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (3 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Provisional expenditure in 2024 on Dental treatments under the Treatment Benefits scheme was €75.4 million and the 2025 Revised Estimate for Dental treatment as part of the Treatment Benefit scheme is €73.3 million.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (3 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together. 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. From July, the weekly income disregards for CA will increase...