Results 14,301-14,320 of 15,117 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am very aware of the impact that prolonged unemployment can have on mental health, confidence and self-worth on people with disabilities and those with mental illness. My Department already offers a range of supports for people with disabilities. As such, the establishment of an independent employment support service is not being considered at this time. My Department's disability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Department of Social Protection provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to illness or disability. Entitlement to these supports is generally not contingent on the nature of the illness but on the extent to which a particular illness impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. Invalidity Pension is a social insurance scheme, and eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Apr 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 pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. My Department received an application for IP from the person concerned on 21 November 2024. Based on the information supplied, it was refused on the grounds that the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Apr 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. The ethos of the Hot School Meals Programme is that every child should have access to at least one hot...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Matters relating to taxation are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners and my colleague the Minister for Finance. Matters relating to sick leave and employment rights are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. Therefore, queries relating to those issues should be directed to the relevant Ministers. My Department provides a suite of income...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Marriages (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Section 51 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 sets out a number of substantive requirements for a marriage to be recognised in the State. One of these requirements is that a marriage must be solemnised by a registered solemniser. To be a registered solemniser in the State a person must be nominated for registration in the Register of Solemnisers. A solemniser must be either, a registrar...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Civil Marriages (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Section 51 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 sets out a number of substantive requirements for a marriage to be recognised in the State. One of these requirements is that a marriage must be solemnised by a registered solemniser. A solemniser must be either, a registrar employed by the Health Service Executive (for civil marriages) or be a member of a religious or a secular body in Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and habitual residency conditions. I confirm that the Department received an application for DA from the person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Supports from my Department are not generally intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department or Agency. Responsibility in relation to supports for housing adaptions and or repairs, for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for the accommodation needs of an older person, including any shortfalls in funding, is a matter for my colleague...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 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 December 2024. It is a condition for receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Nutritional Standards for School Meals were developed by a technical Nutrition Subgroups comprised of: Dieticians from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland; the HSE; Safefood; and The Food Safety Authority of Ireland. These standards are available to all schools, organisations and suppliers and are publicly available here: Nutritional Standards for School Meals. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Nutritional Standards for School Meals were developed by a technical Nutrition Subgroups comprised of: Dieticians from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland; the HSE; Safefood; and The Food Safety Authority of Ireland. These standards are available to all schools, organisations and suppliers and are publicly available here: Nutritional Standards for School Meals. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: People who turn 66 are still able to retire at that age and draw down their pension in exactly the same way as they always have. However, since January 2024, a person now has the option to defer drawing down their state pension (contributory), to any time up the age of 70. Where a person defers drawing down this pension, they can continue to pay PRSI and increase their contribution record,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1433 and 1434 together. The Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue full time courses at further and higher level. The focus of the scheme is to assist people to improve their qualifications, and as a result improve their access from social welfare to sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widow's, Widower's 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 Widower's Contributory Pension....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is a new social insurance income support, linked to previous earnings, which has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people whose first day of unemployment is on or after 31 March 2025. The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 sets out the legislative framework for the new scheme. The Commencement Order for the scheme provides that it...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Apr 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. Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse / civil partner / cohabitant, property (except their own...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1438 and 1469 together. In general, medical or health related benefits fall within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. However, my Department administers the treatment benefit scheme which provides dental, optical, and medical appliances benefits to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Apr 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 11 December 2024. As part of the decision process,...