Results 681-700 of 16,601 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. As the person concerned has failed to provide the requested accounts and earnings, it cannot be determined that her means are less than the statutory limit for Supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1816 and 1818 together. Tackling the epidemic of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a major priority for the Government. The Programme for Government includes a number of commitments in this regard. Establishing a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence is vital for safeguarding individuals and promoting a safer...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The accommodation needs of victims of domestic violence are met through a joined-up service delivery model provided by Tusla with the close involvement of the various housing authorities nationwide. In August 2020 my department agreed a protocol with Tusla to make Rent Supplement more accessible to victims of domestic violence. This protocol was initially introduced on a pilot basis in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Responsibilities (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm that I do not conduct any Government business using a personal email account.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: International Protection applicants are not eligible to apply for standard social welfare benefits or payments, including Child Benefit. Individuals applying for International Protection may be eligible to receive a Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA) from the Department of Social Protection, if they reside in, or are awaiting placement in, accommodation provided by the International Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision, as the available evidence in its totality did not demonstrate sufficiently that the appellant is likely to be permanently incapable of work. The person concerned will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (29 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: Pension Provisions (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: As the Deputy is aware, the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2025 was enacted on 21 July 2025. The provisions of the Act commenced from that date. I am very pleased that as a result of this landmark legislation that surviving qualified cohabitants can now access the Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension, the Bereaved Partner's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I understand that the Deputy is referring to Article 83 of S.I. 312 of 1996 (the ‘Social Welfare (Consolidated Contributions and Insurability) Regulations 1996’) which concerns the conditions relating to the payment of a modified rate of PRSI for certain categories of workers. Requests for insurability decision from a number of employees relating to the modified rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Application Forms (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: In order to ensure that the application process is efficient, accessible and easy to navigate, my department provides multiple channels for customers to access the various Social Welfare application forms, including:Online - downloading forms from gov.ie or by using the department’s ‘Request Postal Application Forms’ webpage on gov.ie, with application forms posted...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at further and higher level. The Government has provided almost €30 million for the scheme in 2025. Under the Back to Education Allowance a qualified person can take up a full-time course of study leading to a recognised...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Services Card (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Public Services Cards can be renewed by using the online MyWelfare renewal service, or by attending an in-person appointment at an Intreo or PSC Centre. Customers with a verified MyGovId account who wish to renew online need to provide a photograph which must meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. The online service provides guidelines on the requirements for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 70 private transport operators. The objective of the Free Travel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department’s current debt management system is designed to send an automatic yearly statement on the anniversary of each individual overpayment. With over 200,000 customers with overpayments, this approach ensures that statements are distributed consistently throughout the year and avoids a surge of letters being sent at the same time, for example in January for the previous year....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit scheme was introduced at the end of March this year. This social insurance-based income support has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people who have become fully unemployed since the commencement of the scheme on 31 March. The legislation underpinning the scheme provides that specific categories of atypical workers are not included under the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Carer’s Allowance is a means-tested payment for people living in Ireland who are looking after someone who needs support because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. The primary objective of the Carer’s Allowance payment is to provide an income support to carers whose earning capacity is substantially reduced as a consequence of their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department and its Agencies pay travel and subsistence expenses incurred wholly and exclusively for Departmental business. The table below outlines the travel and subsistence expenditure incurred by the Department and its Agencies analysed by each of the years requested. Total Travel and Subsistence 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 to date ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: A State pension non-contributory application was received from the person concerned on 4 March 2025. Following an investigation by a Social Welfare Inspector, a Deciding Officer disallowed the application as the person concerned failed to fully disclose their means. On 14 May 2025, the person was notified of the decision, and their right to request a review of the decision or to appeal the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: For the period in question my Department has published reserved contracts on two occasions. There is currently one contract in place which was published in accordance with Article 20 of DIRECTIVE 2014/24/EU on public procurement which reserves the tendering procedures for companies that promote the integration of disadvantaged persons. This gives organisations whose main aim is the social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1835 and 1836 together. Social Welfare Legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse/partner if applicable) applying to the relevant scheme. While properties other than a person’s principal residence are assessable for means purposes for DA, a person's home is not assessed as capital. From...