Results 1,241-1,260 of 14,528 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 477 together. The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative providing part-time employment opportunities for farmers or fishers in receipt of certain social welfare payments, and underemployed in their primary occupation, within their local area in community and voluntary organisations. The scheme currently has sanction for 3,350...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I wish to advise the Deputy, that my predecessor was not in direct contact with her US counterpart in 2024. I hope this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Care Services (18 Feb 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. I can confirm that an application for CA was received from the person concerned on 30 January 2025. It is a condition...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Schemes (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: *Please Note - While the PQ refers to an Invalidity Pension Appeal - The Deputy has clarified that the PQ should refer to a Disability Allowance Appeal.* 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Care Services (18 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 appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 27th...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Care Services (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The key role of the Department of Social Protection is that of income support for people experiencing specific contingencies that limit their ability to earn an income. These contingencies include unemployment, illness/disability and caring responsibilities. These payments reflect the fact that, people experiencing these contingencies cannot earn, or can earn only a limited employment income....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Personal Public Service Numbers (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Verifying a persons identity through the SAFE (Standard Authentication Framework Environment) process is an integral part of accessing a social welfare payment or service. In general, if a person does not have a PPSN, the process involves attendance at an Intreo Centre, provision of evidence of identity and capture of the person’s photograph and signature for inclusion on their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Storm Éowyn was unprecedented in the disruption it caused to various services, including internet services, across the country. The Department is aware that some people who would have normally declared their eligibility for Jobseekers online were unable to do so in the days following the storm. The Department has worked hard to resolve these cases and ensure people are paid their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm that neither my Department, nor bodies under the aegis of my Department, have received any funding from the organisation referred to by the Deputy during the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an income-tested weekly payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. WFP provides financial support for employees who have low earnings/income relative to their family size. The WFP rate payable is 60% of the difference between the average weekly family income and the relevant prescribed income limit. To...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens Information Services (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: As you will be aware, the Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body under the aegis of my Department, with responsibility for the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy on a wide range of public and social services. CIB funds and supports a number of companies to deliver on this remit, including eight regional companies of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens Information Services (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: As you will be aware, the Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body, under the aegis of my Department, that is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. While CIB provides some services directly, it also funds a number of companies to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Citizens Information Services (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body, under the aegis of my Department, that is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. While CIB provides some services directly, it also funds a number of companies to deliver services, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) is to prevent hardship by providing income tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and/or severe weather events and who are not able to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair. The scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) in my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Care Services (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness. The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention. The number of Carer's Allowance claims registered, awarded, disallowed and withdrawn in 2024 and in January 2025 are shown in the table below. Table 1: Carer's...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Payments (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department does not have any role in respect of public sector pension schemes. In general, occupational pension schemes for public sector employees are provided for under legislation relating to the relevant body and subject to the oversight of the relevant line Minister. From the details supplied in the parliamentary question, the Deputy may be referring to the Single Public Service...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Pension Provisions (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned reached pension age 66 on the 26 May 2022. Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions to qualify for standard state pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 490 full-rate...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The below table provides the gender breakdown of my department in respect of principal officers, assistant secretaries and secretaries general, respectively. These figures, as reported in January, 2025, are based on full-time equivalents (FTE). The figure for full-time equivalents takes account of staff that avail of work-share options. Gender breakdown Principal Officers,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a child, aged under 16 with a severe disability who requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months. The Department does not collate the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12...