Results 13,301-13,320 of 15,080 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned reached pension age on 11 March 2013. The State Pension (contributory) was awarded from this date plus an Increase for a qualified adult allowance in respect of their spouse. Where a qualified adult has weekly means of less than €100, the maximum rate of the Increase for Qualified Adult (IQA) allowance is payable. Where their weekly means are over...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Flexible Work Practices (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is supportive of blended working and was one of the first to introduce a blended working policy. This Policy, developed in line with the Blended Working Policy Framework for Civil Service Organizations, offers a varied attendance model, depending on the staff role and business needs. The ability to effectively meet the needs of each business area and ensuring...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: International Protection (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 145 together. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or from other personal and household resources. The statistical reporting for Additional Needs Payments was revised in 2022 and 2023, to extract more...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: International Protection (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them and be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment. The Department does not keep a record of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Wage Subsidy Scheme is a key disability employment support for employers. It aims to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities in the open labour market through a subsidy. To currently qualify for the scheme, the employee must be in employment for fewer than 12 months. This requirement aims to encourage employers to take on new employees with a disability. In August 2024, my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability whose income falls below certain limits and who are aged between 16 and are under 66. The Department periodically reviews claims in payment to ensure that there is a continued entitlement. In this case the means of the person concerned were reviewed in line with DA eligibility. On 27th February 2024,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The second iteration of the Community Recognition Fund is being delivered over three tranches so as allow flexibility at a local level to respond to new emerging priorities. Last August, €16.5 million was approved to deliver 185 community projects across the country under the first tranche of the 2024 fund. I expect to announce the successful projects under the second tranche...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: In June last year, a new round of funding was announced to support community groups to upgrade and refurbish the community facilities in their areas. The Community Centre Investment Fund 2024 will provide funding of between €10,000 and €100,000 towards capital costs for the refurbishment of existing community centres. Last November, in excess of €7.6 million was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: In general, the projects supported my Department are not undertaken or commissioned by the Department itself, but are delivered by entities including local authorities, local development companies and community groups. With regard to those projects which have been directly undertaken or commissioned by my Department over the period in question, none have had overspends of the scale indicated....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am advised that Pobal, which administers the Community Services Programme (CSP) on behalf of my Department, has been engaging directly with the named organisation relating to ongoing financial challenges. The organisation is registered to participate in the ESF+ Achieve Together Mentoring and Coaching Programme, which provides a 12-month tailored coaching, mentoring and supports...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Local Improvement Scheme supports works on non-public rural roads and laneways not usually maintained by local authorities. While my Department outlines the terms and conditions for the Scheme each year, it is administered locally by each local authority who select and prioritise roads for inclusion in the Scheme In advance of the Scheme opening each year, the terms and conditions of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rights of Way (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has a scheme in place to support landholders to maintain walking routes that traverse their land. The Walks Scheme was launched in 2008 and is implemented on behalf of my Department by designated Local Development Companies (LDCs) in association with Local Trail Management Organisations, Sport Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. The Walks Scheme provides funding to private...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Women’s Sheds. The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025 was announced in November 2024, with funding of €7 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country. Under the LEP, Women’s Sheds are eligible to apply directly to their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) for funding...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds. The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025 was announced in November 2024, with funding of €7 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country. Under the LEP, Men's Sheds are eligible to apply directly to their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) for funding under both capital and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (19 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is committed to embedding flexible working arrangements for its staff. My Department's Blended Working Policy was launched in July 2022 with a view to building a dynamic and versatile organisation, while sustaining high levels of performance, productivity and innovation. There is flexibility built into the current arrangement to ensure that business needs continue to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (20 Feb 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 choosing...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (20 Feb 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. All schools who wish to avail of funding are responsible for choosing their school meals supplier on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (20 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports to carers provided by the Department of Social Protection are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the contribution conditions. People in receipt of IP cannot undertake any paid employment. Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) is a scheme which extends the Illness Benefit and IP schemes to recognise and respond to the reality that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Feb 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 80 private transport operators. The objective of the Free Travel...