Results 1,081-1,100 of 14,528 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are a number of payments and pensions paid by my Department to people over State Pension Age. Currently, upon reaching age 66, a person may be entitled to either the State Pension (Contributory), the State Pension (Non-Contributory) or the Widow's, Widower's and Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension, depending on their contribution record, means and personal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Department of Social Protection provides State Pension payments through the State Pension (Contributory), which is a contributory based payment based on a person's social insurance record and the State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is means-tested social assistance payment. To receive either a contributory or social assistance payment a person must qualify for that payment in their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office 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. As of the 31st of January 2025, the current processing times for social welfare appeals is 19.4 weeks. The average processing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service and was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders across the country affected by Storm Éowyn. The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is to provide financial support to people whose homes are damaged and who are not able to meet costs for essential...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office 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. As of the 31st of January 2025, the current average processing times for social welfare appeals is 19.4 weeks. The time...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government acknowledges the crucial role that carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. Carer's allowance 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play in society and are fully committed to supporting carers in that role. As outlined in the Programme for Government, we are committed to building on previous improvements to make a difference in the lives of carers and those they care for. The Government has made a number of commitments, including to: Progressively...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I activated the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders across the country affected by Storm Éowyn. The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is to provide financial support to people whose homes are damaged and who are not able to meet costs for essential needs, household items and, in some instances, structural repair. The Humanitarian...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: This government is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people and recognise that they can face significant additional costs in their daily lives. As a result, Budget 2025 brought forward an extensive range of cost of living measures to support people with disabilities. These included: October 2024 cost of living bonus for people in receipt of a long term weekly social welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office 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. As of the 31st of January 2025, the average current processing times for social welfare appeals is 19.4 weeks. The time taken to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office 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. The average processing time for carer's allowance appeal in 2024 was 16.9 weeks. The average processing time for carer's allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The criteria for Fuel Allowance are in place to direct the limited resources available to my department in as targeted a manner as possible. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty. As part of Budget 2025, there were a number of changes to the eligibility for Fuel Allowance. Carer’s Allowance become a qualifying payment for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: To calculate the cost of extending Domiciliary Care Allowance to parents/guardians when their child turns 16 and 17, it is necessary to look at the number of children currently aged 14 and 15 whose parents/guardians currently receive the payment. In 2024, there were 5,539 children aged 15 and 5,693 children aged 14. The approximate cost of extending Domiciliary Care Allowance to these 14-...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The objective of the Free Travel Scheme is to ensure older people and people with disabilities remain active within their community by providing access to existing public and private transport routes. Generally, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments, mainly related to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: A newborn baby grant of €280 was announced in Budget 2025 to be paid to families of babies born on or after 1st December 2024. This grant is paid alongside but in addition to the first month’s Child Benefit payment of €140. So parents of newborns will receive a total first payment of €420. The Benefit is payable in respect of newborn babies from the month after...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Poverty (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 is the national strategy for poverty reduction and improved social inclusion. It includes the goal of reducing child poverty in Ireland and ensuring that all families have the opportunity to participate fully in society. The current rate of consistent poverty for children (aged 0-17) from the 2023 Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC) is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: St Michael’s House special school is eligible for the Hot School meals scheme. There has been no change in the funding available to the school. I understand from discussions between the school and my officials that the school has had difficulties in procuring a Hot School Meals supplier. My officials will contact the school again to offer advice on the different options available. I...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: A specific standard was set for School Meals under the Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals. These were based on the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Food Based Dietary Recommendations for healthy eating, which were developed by a technical working group led by: the Health and Wellbeing Programme of the Department of Health Safefood, and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment to a parent or guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires care and attention substantially over and above that usually needed by a child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time, so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (27 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office 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. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...