Results 13,401-13,420 of 15,083 for speaker:Dara Calleary

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

Dara Calleary: There are, currently, no reciprocal arrangements in place to minimise impacts on social security entitlements of redress payments made under the Northern Ireland’s Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry to persons resident in Republic of Ireland and similarly in respect of redress payments made under comparable schemes in the Republic of Ireland to persons resident in Northern Ireland....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (25 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension is only available to a surviving partner who was party to a marriage or civil partnership. As the Deputy is aware, on 22nd January 2024, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the entitlement of an unmarried cohabitant to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 595 and 596 together. Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly allowance payable to a parent or guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability that requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the level of care and attention normally required by a child of the same age, and where the level of...

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

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance is a payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a...

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

Dara Calleary: The Department cannot collate the information concerned in the format outlined by the Deputy. The Department collates statistics on the overall numbers of applications received / awarded / disallowed in a particular period and calculates average processing times for each scheme. While it is possible to track the journey of an individual application on the Department’s systems, it...

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

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service, 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: Fuel Poverty (25 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. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a person aged under 66 must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including being in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test and the household composition criteria. This ensures that the Fuel...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Responsibilities (25 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: In my first week as Minister, I received a comprehensive Ministerial brief on the many areas for which I am responsible in the Department of Social Protection. A copy of this document is available to view on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/cbb45e-ministers-brief/. A Minister of State has not been appointed to the Department of Social Protection.

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

Dara Calleary: The number of training support grants paid by the Department in 2024 was 5,214. The number of training support grants paid by the Department for each county in 2024 are shown in the following table. Carlow 57 Cavan 14 Clare 296 Cork 240 Donegal 409 Dublin ...

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

Dara Calleary: The number of recipients of jobseeker's payments in January 2025, broken down by payment type and county, are shown in the following table. Jobseeker's Allowance Jobseeker's Benefit Short-Time Work Support Jobseeker's Benefit (Self Employed) Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds Jobseeker's Transition Payment Carlow ...

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

Dara Calleary: Referrals to the JobPath service ceased in June 2022. The service providers continued to engage with all existing clients during the “run-off” phase of the contract which lasted for two years. The service ceased to operate completely in June 2024. JobPaths’s expenditure in 2024 was related to job sustainment fees. The total amount paid to Seetec and Turas Nua in...

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

Dara Calleary: Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit is a new social insurance income support which will replace the Jobseeker’s Benefit scheme for people who become fully unemployed from 31st March 2025. Government has provided almost €160 million for the scheme in 2025. Pay-related benefit means that a person's rate of payment will be linked to their previous earnings, subject to...

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

Dara Calleary: In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals Scheme will be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025, meaning that approximately 3,200 schools and 550,000 children will be eligible for hot school meals in 2025. My Department have contacted the remaining primary schools who have not yet joined the Hot School Meals scheme asking them to submit expressions of interest...

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

Dara Calleary: The Household Benefits Package comprises of an Electricity or Gas allowance, and a Free Television Licence. Only one Household Benefits Package is payable per household. The payment is made on a monthly basis. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment, or who satisfy a means test. The...

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

Dara Calleary: Awaiting reply from Department

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

Dara Calleary: The Working Family Payment is a tax-free payment which provides an income top-up for employees, with children and with low earnings. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families. As at the end of January, there were some 47,000 households in receipt of the Working Family Payment, in respect of some 98,000...

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

Dara Calleary: Bonus payments, such as the Christmas bonus, can be paid by the Department of Social Protection. For example, the Christmas bonus, announced as part of Budget 2025, provided a 100% increase in the weekly rate of payment for over 1.38 million eligible recipients, including pensioners. The bonus is payable to long-term recipients of Social Protection schemes, including those in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (25 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. A review of CSP funding rate categorisations will be undertaken by Pobal on behalf of my Department later this year, with any revisions to take effect from January 2026. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (25 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. Local authorities, through the Dog Warden service, have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts including enforcement. In July 2024, it was announced that funding of €2 million would be available to local...