Results 301-320 of 16,601 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act recommended in its report extending legal gender recognition to non-binary people, while also recognising the complexity of the issue and acknowledging that a comprehensive impact analysis may be required. In June 2025 the Government launched the National LGBTIQ+Inclusion Strategy II (2024-2028). As part of this strategy my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: As Minister for Social Protection, I am committed to making the case for a fair budget that protects the people most in need in our society - particularly families on low incomes and those people, including pensioners and carers who are dependent on social welfare payments. Budget 2025 was, for the third year in a row contained the largest social welfare package in the history of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The individual concerned was receiving support under the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) by way of a payment to the employer. The ESS offered financial support to employers to cover a disabled employee’s productivity shortfall. The employer paid 100% of the gross wage, then claimed between 20%-50% back, depending on the employee’s productivity shortfall. It was never intended...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) is a provision under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme and is available to lone parents who have a youngest child aged 7 to 13 years (inclusive). Payment is made by Electronic Information Transfer (EIT) at a Post Office nominated by the person in receipt of the payment. This is in line with the payment method available for the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means-tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is made over the winter season from September to April at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum instalments, one in September and one in January. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department does not have a costing available for the Deputy's proposal. Developing such a costing to a reasonable degree of accuracy would require a significant effort to collate the relevant data, much of which is not readily available. Accordingly, and given other service priorities, it is not possible to provide an accurate costing within the deadline for a Parliamentary Question. ...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm that an application has been submitted by Kerry County Council under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in respect of the project referenced by the Deputy. The Scheme is heavily subscribed, and funding will be allocated based on a project's suitability against scheme criteria, the geographical spread of projects, the quality of the proposed projects, and the available budget....

Auto-Enrolment: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Ceann Comhairle, the Business Committee and the Chief Whip, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for giving us the opportunity to discuss auto-enrolment today. There are specific worries I will engage with Deputies on over the coming days, to answer queries. I welcome the support for the overall concept of a pensions auto-enrolment system. The aim of introducing...

Auto-Enrolment: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Thank you for your patience. The Government has prioritised the introduction of the automatic enrolment retirement savings fund, which will be known by its brand name, My Future Fund. It is one of our key reform commitments to support workers and has been a key priority for me personally as Minister for Social Protection. The scheme is...

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — reducing child poverty and ensuring every child has the best start in life are key priorities for this Government and will be a core focus of Budget 2026; — the Government has prioritised the reduction of child poverty through the establishment of the...

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: I completely agree.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The delivery of crucial and locally based community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of people across the country is a priority for me and for my Department. The Community Welfare Service (CWS) continues to provide a flexible service to meet the different needs of people, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation. It is important that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (24 Sep 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. Under the School Meals Programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (24 Sep 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. Under the School Meals Programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (24 Sep 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 budget allocation for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 years are shown below. Year ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the Fuel Allowance to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year and I will continue, as part of the budget planning process, to consider if improvements can be made to ensure that these benefits continue to target vulnerable groups....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The introduction of a pensions auto-enrolment (AE) system is a Programme for Government commitment, and one of my key priorities as Minister for Social Protection. The aim of introducing an AE system is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland, and to help provide for better retirement incomes for workers. The new system will be called 'My Future Fund' and it will launch...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) encourages employers to employ disabled staff. It offers employers financial support to employ people with a disability through a subsidy. The work offered must be for a minimum of 15 hours per week and the subsidy is available up to 39 hours per week. The number of employers and employee availing of the WSS at the 31st December in each of the years 2020-2024,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Wage Subsidy Scheme is a key disability employment support provided by my Department. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to disabled people through a subsidy. Last year, my Department published a review of the Wage Subsidy Scheme following a public consultation. The review made six recommendations, including to reduce the minimum required...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (24 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) commenced in 2021. The key objectives of the programme are to:keep jobseekers close to the labour market.provide jobseekers who have never had a job with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and training to assist them to gain employment.provide jobseekers who wish to change careers with the opportunity to gain quality work experience...