Results 13,921-13,940 of 15,109 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cybersecurity Policy (27 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to cyber security. Each stage of the project lifecycle from business case, funding approval, project initiation and service introduction through to the development and implementation of ICT systems and networks must pass through numerous steps to satisfy cyber security and information security policies....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Mar 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. An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 13 June 2024. As part of the decision process, the...

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

Dara Calleary: Invalidity Pension (IP) is payable to an insured person who satisfies certain Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions and who is permanently incapable of work due to an illness or incapacity and for no other reason. Claimants must have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions (class A, E, H or S) since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited...

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

Dara Calleary: My Department supports the development and refurbishment of community facilities across the country through a range of interventions, particularly the Community Centre Investment Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Community Recognition Fund and the LEADER programme. Since the Community Centre Investment Fund was established in 2022, over €109 million has been approved...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 427 together. My Department's ICT services are provided by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). The OICGO implements an extensive Information Security Management System (ISMS) comprising of security policies and controls aligned and certified to the industry security standard ISO 27001:2022 to address risks from cyber...

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

Dara Calleary: The most recent increase in the dog licence fee took effect over 13 years ago, on 1 January 2012. This was the first increase since 1998 and was in line with the increase in the consumer price index. Since January 2012, the dog licence fees have remained at €20 for the individual dog licence, €140 for the lifetime of dog licence and €400 for the general dog licence. The...

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

Dara Calleary: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports improving non-public rural roads and laneways that are not usually maintained by local authorities. Since its establishment in 2017, the government has provided almost €170 million to local authorities for LIS. In April 2024, €40 million in funding was announced for LIS across all local authorities to cover 2024/2025. My officials...

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

Dara Calleary: Administered by my Department, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects which can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. The focus of the RRDF is on rural towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000 people. To date, the RRDF has allocated €588 million for 243...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 and 438 together. Launched in 2022, the Town Centre First (TCF) Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. TCF supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland by setting out a framework to facilitate and resource the regeneration of Irish towns...

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

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Over €33 million has now been approved for in excess of 770 projects nationwide under the 2024 fund. However, given the very significant level of demand, not all applications were...

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

Dara Calleary: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which was introduced in 2016, has to date allocated over €177 million to almost 1,800 projects nationally. The scheme, which sees our local authorities work with community actors, primarily targets funding at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. Since 2016, almost €8 million in funding has been allocated to Cork...

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

Dara Calleary: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which was introduced in 2016, has to date allocated over €177 million to almost 1,800 projects nationally. The scheme, which sees our local authorities work with community actors, primarily targets funding at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. I was delighted to open the 2025 scheme for applications last week. The...

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

Dara Calleary: Our Rural Future was published in 2021 and, over its five-year lifespan, has provided significant investment and supports, strengthened local economies and improved the lives of many people in rural communities across Ireland. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to publish and implement a new Our Rural Future policy from 2026. The process of developing this successor...

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

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Earlier this month under the 2024 fund, I was delighted to announce over €26 million for 369 community centres under Category 2, which provides funding of up to €100,00. This...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Were this vote to succeed this evening and the Ceann Comhairle to lose the confidence of the House, a new Ceann Comhairle would have to be elected. We all have to ask ourselves, had anyone else sat in that Chair last Tuesday, would it have been different? It would not, because what happened was definitely orchestrated, organised and determined. The criticisms that are being made of the...

Support for Householders, Businesses and Farmers Affected by Storm Éowyn: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move: To delete all the words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "commends the rapid response by local authorities, Electricity Supply Board (ESB) Networks, Uisce Éireann, Community Welfare Officers, Department of Social Protection staff and others, following Storm Éowyn, and this response, supported by the Defence Forces, Government agencies, Civil...

Support for Householders, Businesses and Farmers Affected by Storm Éowyn: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: That is covered.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Disability Services (1 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a number of income supports for people with a disability who are of working age. These include Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension. Both Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are means tested social assistance schemes, while Invalidity Pension is a social insurance based scheme. These are part of the suite of working age payments. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fuel Poverty (1 Apr 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. While my Department's schemes are reviewed on an ongoing basis, any further decision to amend the qualifying criteria for Fuel Allowance, including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 Apr 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. According to the records of the Department, the person concerned applied for a HAS payment on 03/03/2025. I am pleased to advise you that the customer has been awarded...