Results 721-740 of 14,528 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies to help those in the greatest need. It targets and supports those who are disadvantaged in Irish society and less likely to use mainstream services. SICAP...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 and 276 together. The main purpose of the Dormant Accounts Acts is to reunite account holders with their funds. Unclaimed funds are transferred to the Dormant Accounts Fund, which is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency. The beneficial owner has a right to reclaim their money at any time. Legislation governing Dormant Accounts...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: In July 2024 my department announced the Growing Social Enterprise Fund under the Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan. The purpose of the fund is to provide capital supports that assist social enterprises to achieve their social, environmental and economic objectives, and to improve their sustainability and impact. Under the fund, social enterprises will receive grants of between...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Since its establishment in 2017, the Department of Rural and Community Development has been responsible for providing support and funding to volunteer centres. In that time seven new centres have opened, bringing the total to 29 volunteer centres nationwide. Volunteer centres promote, develop, support and enable volunteering in their local areas. Volunteer centre services include...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Data Protection (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of all its data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018. My Department has a Data Protection Policy in place and a Data Protection Officer, as required by Article 37 of the GDPR. Any processing of personal data is performed in compliance with the principles...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Weather Events (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The budget allocation for my Department is agreed on an annual basis with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform as part of the Revised Estimates for Public Services process. The 2025 gross allocation for my Department, of €473.5 million, represents a 7% increase on the previous year’s allocation. This increased funding for 2025 will allow for additional...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Equal Opportunities Employment (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is working closely with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to develop the next National Disability Strategy and in particular on a pillar dedicated to improving employment for disabled people. We are joint leads for this pillar with colleagues from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. Through our nationwide network of Intreo centres and...

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

Dara Calleary: The Irish social welfare system operates on a principle of "one person, one payment". People typically receive the highest payment they qualify for. However, there are a limited number of exceptions. In 2007, the half-rate Carer’s Allowance was introduced. This allows individuals receiving certain payments such as the State Pension (Contributory) to also receive a half-rate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 Mar 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. My department has an oversight role in relation to the School Meals Programme and conducts regular...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the School Meals Programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My Department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school and it is the responsibility of each school board to administer the Programme in their school, including handling the procurement process. All schools who wish to avail of funding under the programme are responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Mar 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. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the carer cannot be engaged in employment/self-employment or training/study....

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

Dara Calleary: The Bereavement Grant, which was a once-off payment for funeral costs, was discontinued in January 2014. The number of bereavement grant claims in 2013 was 23,716 at a cost of €20.3 million. The number of Bereavement Grant claims paid in 2013 equated to 80% of registered deaths. If the same percentage was applied to the figures for 2023 - the most recent data that the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Official Engagements (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations provide a unique and special moment to connect with the 70 million people around the world of Irish descent and to showcase Irish culture and heritage. It is also an opportunity to celebrate Ireland’s international connections and partnerships, which enrich both Ireland and our partners overseas. This year 38 representatives of the...

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

Dara Calleary: Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme supporting 7,055 active recipients at the end of December 2024. The provisional expenditure for rent supplement paid by the Department of Social Protection at end of December 2024 was almost €57.4 million. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The 'Baby Loss Certificate' scheme was introduced by the UK government as part of a response to an independent review, published in 2023, into early pregnancy loss. The recommendation in relation a certificate of baby loss which the Deputy refers to is one of 73 recommendations made in the UK review. The report also recommends against establishing a formal system of registration as part of...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 489 to 498, inclusive, and 500 to 508, inclusive, together. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Services (CWS) was activated on Thursday 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) is operated in 3...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (25 Mar 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: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Expenditure in relation to the Department is contained within the Vote 37 Appropriation Account. A copy of the annual Appropriation Accounts can be found on the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s website as set out below. The 2024 Appropriation account has not been finalised. 2023 - Vote 37 - Social Protection 2022 - Vote 37 - Social Protection 2021 - Vote 37 -...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are two bodies under the aegis of my Department which meet the definition in the question - that is they have a quasi-judicial role. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is independent in its functions. If a person is dissatisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer regarding one of the Department's statutory schemes, they may submit an appeal to the Chief Appeals Officer. She...

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

Dara Calleary: In November 2023 my Department published a report on the inclusion of long COVID in the Occupational Injuries Benefit Regulations. This report concluded that COVID-19 does not satisfy the statutory criteria for recognition as an occupational illness or accident at work. Specifically, it found that presumptions about workplace transmission would not be sustainable as it is not possible to...