Results 13,861-13,880 of 15,109 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS), administered by my department through the Community Welfare Service (CWS), was activated on 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. Humanitarian assistance is available in three stages. Stage 1 of the HAS is available to people while they are directly impacted by the storm. It targets people who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Increase for Qualified Adult (IQA) allowance is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test income limit. Where a qualified adult has weekly means of up to €100, the maximum rate of IQA is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (26 Mar 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. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the person concerned applied for Carer’s Benefit on 27th November...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: 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 other personal and household resources. The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Civil Registration Act 2004 allows for the registration of a stillborn child and the production of a certificate from the Register of Stillbirths. The definition of a stillborn child was most recently amended by The Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Act 2024. The criteria for stillbirths is based on recommendations received from the Department of Health and the HSE. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's Data Protection Officer (DPO) and senior officials of his team meet with officials from the Data Protection Commission (DPC) twice a year. The last such meeting took place on November 5, 2024. The DPO also attended the Supporting DPO Success conference, which was hosted by the DPC in Croke Park on November 29, 2024. This conference was aimed at supporting DPOs and their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs) and certain supplements to assist with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Asylum Seekers (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: On 4th March 2022, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the implementing decision regarding the Temporary Protection Directive. This means that people arriving from Ukraine under the Temporary Directive can move through the EU as EU citizens. It also means that, subject to their accommodation arrangements, they have been granted the status to avail of all income supports and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Weather Events (26 Mar 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 affected across the country 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Welfare Services (26 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department received a funding proposal in 2023 from Dublin Northwest Partnership (DNP), outlining the importance of the Fingal Centre as a community hub and facility for service delivery, and advising the centre was experiencing a financial shortfall. DNP are a Local Development Company who deliver our Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programme (SICAP) in the area and...

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 Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (27 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Recognition Fund was introduced to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities for the entire community. This is both to recognise the efforts of communities across the country in welcoming new arrivals and to ensure that there is sufficient infrastructure in place to respond to the needs of these communities. The scheme is delivered through local...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (27 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The 2023-2027 LEADER Programme supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. The Tipperary Local Action Group, for which North Tipperary Development Company is an implementing partner, has an allocation of €7.8 million for the period 2023-2027. The funding is allocated to the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Urban Development (27 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 124 together. My Department is responsible for a range of initiatives tackling deprivation and revitalising communities in both rural and urban areas. Key programmes include the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Empowering Communities Programme and providing funding for the Dublin North East Inner City initiative. My...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Weather Events (27 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Storm Éowyn was an unprecedented event which brought significant challenges to many communities, in particular in rural areas. The Government has been working to ensure that we take on board the lessons learned, in anticipation of similar weather events in the future. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, those impacted were able to access basic services through local community...