Results 14,601-14,620 of 15,157 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Energy Usage (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is committed to meeting its obligations under the Climate Action Plan and Public Sector Climate Action Mandate. Central to this is the development of my Department’s annual Climate Action Roadmap, available on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development/ collections/drcd-climate-action-roadmap/. The Roadmap provides a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Broadband Infrastructure (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1274 and 1281 together. A key focus of Our Rural Future - the Government's Rural Development Policy 2021 to 2025 - is to optimise digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities, ensuring equality of access to digital services. A key commitment in the policy was the establishment of a network of 400 remote working hubs across...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department prepares expenditure profiles following the confirmation of annual budgets in the Revised Estimates, and submits these to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) in January of each year. Expenditure relative to profile is reported to DPENDR at the end of each month. Details of expenditure relative to these profiles are published monthly in the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department carefully manages its budget throughout the year to ensure allocated resources are put to best use. The Revised Estimate 2024 provided capital funding of €209 million, which was supplemented by a capital forward of €20 million. A supplementary estimate was brought forward in November 2024 and this provided an additional €10 million in capital funding for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Projects (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The last few years have seen a substantial growth in the level of capital funding that my Department provides to local authorities for the delivery of capital projects under our schemes. In addition, this government has ambitious plans for rural Ireland and this strong investment will continue, with over €170 million available to my Department for rural capital investment in 2025. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: As the Deputy will be aware, the development and implementation of national equality policies, including those relevant to rural areas, falls under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. That Department oversees a range of policies designed to address equality issues across all sectors and regions, including on LGBTI+, Traveller and Roma...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023- 2027, was published in November 2022. The strategy was developed in collaboration with Comhairle na Tuaithe and is a collaborative cross-Government, stakeholder-led strategy. Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors will ensure that there is a joined up and coordinated approach to deliver maximum impact from...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas which were selected based on an analysis of population decline. The Programme for Government makes a commitment to carry out a comprehensive review of the eligibility criteria of CLÁR within 6 months with a view to expanding the programme...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention, aiming to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. SICAP is a national programme delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided in excess of €109 million since its commencement in 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Over €45.8 million was approved for some 860 projects nationwide under CCIF 2022, with 184 unsuccessful applicants. In early 2024, funding of €30...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports 428 community-based organisations, with a budget of €55.4m in 2025, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP Programme provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The emergence of Men’s Sheds and Women's Sheds has been a very positive development for communities across Ireland. They provide a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment where people of all ages can share skills, work on meaningful projects and connect with their communities. I am fully committed to supporting Men's Sheds and Women's Sheds in the valuable work they do. My...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. A total of €100 million has now been allocated over two iterations to support these cities, towns and villages. The 2024 iteration of the fund is being delivered over three tranches so as to allow flexibility at a local...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. The group referenced by the Deputy submitted an application under category 2 of the 2024 fund and were awarded funding of €31,768.65 for enhancement works on their facility. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1288, 1289, 1291, 1292, 1293, 1294, 1296 and 1297 together. There are no non-governmental organisations which operate under the auspices of my Department, nor are there any functions within the Department relating to how such organisations are structured, how they operate geographically, or if they charge membership or participation fees. Rather my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (13 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are no non-governmental organisations which operate under the auspices of my Department. However, my Department does administer schemes intended to support organisations operating in the community and voluntary sector, including the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO), the Community Services Programme (CSP), the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP),...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (20 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government recognises the additional costs associated with having a disability and is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people. The Government has prioritised the development of a new National Disability Strategy, a cross-governmental strategy that will have a focus on improving access to services and bringing down these extra costs. That work is led by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (20 May 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. The Annual Report of the Chief Appeals Officer is published each year and includes the detailed information requested. The...

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

Dara Calleary: In November 2022 the European Commission made a non-binding recommendation on the recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease. The Commission did not make a recommendation in relation to Long COVID. Recognition as an occupational disease confers different entitlements in different Member States, with employers paying the compensation in some countries and social insurance systems...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Leave (20 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality has responsibility for family leaves, while my Department has responsibility for the associated benefits. Paternity Benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed parents who are on Paternity Leave from work and who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. It is paid for two weeks at €289 per week, the same rate as...