Results 14,761-14,780 of 15,157 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Island Communities (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that Our Living Islands - the national islands policy - is fully implemented to support sustainable development for island residents. Our Living Islands, which was launched in June 2023, is a ten-year policy backed up by rolling three-year action plans, with the first of these covering 2023 - 2026. The Action Plan has time-bound...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Isolation (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has a number of schemes in place to help address loneliness and social isolation in rural areas and communities across the country. The Local Enhancement Programme is providing €7 million in 2025 to assist thousands of community groups across the country. A huge variety of community groups, including social clubs, choirs and sports clubs are supported under the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Library Projects (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a strategic capital investment fund that is key to the delivery of Ireland's rural development policy, Our Rural Future 2021-2025. The RRDF provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. Funding is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: 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 to ensure they are vibrant, viable places to live, work,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I believe that the emergence of both Men’s and Women's Sheds has been a very positive development for communities across Ireland and I am fully committed to supporting them in the valuable work they do. My Department already provides funding for Men's and Women's Sheds under various funding streams, including: The €7 million Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025, the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports improving non-public rural roads and laneways 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. This figure includes...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The current LEADER programme runs to 2027 and is now up and running across the country. It supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland, facilitating a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention programme overseen by my Department. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need. SICAP supports individuals and community groups who face disadvantage,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Local Improvement Scheme is an important support for rural communities in improving non-public rural roads and laneways 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 local authorities to cover...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides funding to Women’s (Sister) Sheds under various funding supports, including: The €7 million Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025 which allowed Women’s Sheds to apply for running costs as well as small capital works for the purchase of equipment for their facilities. LEP 2025 has recently closed for applications. The Social Inclusion and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: A high level stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider policy and legislative matters currently under the remit of my Department, specifically the Dog Control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The stakeholder group meets on a quarterly basis and the minutes from the previous meetings are published and available on my Department's website www.gov.ie/drcd at the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The LEADER programme is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), through the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development. It is connected to Objective 8 of the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP). The budget for the CAP for the period 2021-2027 forms part of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), or the EU Budget for that period. The total amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Calafoirt agus Céanna (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Mar is eol don Teachta, is é Comhairle Contae na Gaillimhe atá freagrach as cothabháil agus forbairt na gcéanna ar na hOileáin Árann, Inis Meáin san áireamh. Tuigim gur thug mo Roinn cead do Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe i mí na Nollag 2024 dul ar aghaidh le ceapachán innealtóirí comhairleacha chun an Réamhchás...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I would like to acknowledge the valuable work of social enterprises, and the meaningful impact they have on the lives of people in our communities. They frequently work to support disadvantaged groups such as the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, the Traveller community, etc., or to address issues such as childcare, food poverty, social housing, or environmental matters. In...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Freedom of Information (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am fully cognisant of the statutory obligations that apply under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and I am satisfied that records relating to government or official departmental business are retained in line with the requirements of the Act.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is a service 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 an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (22 May 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 17 February 2025. It is a condition for receipt of CA...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is a new social insurance income support which has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people who are fully unemployed, who have become unemployed since 31 March 2025 and who meet the statutory conditions of the scheme. The legislation provides that those whose employment involves a recurring pattern of employment and unemployment reflecting the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Currently 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 Civil Partner’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: State pension (non-contributory) is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State pension (contributory) or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. Earnings from employment, self employment, occupational pensions, and foreign pensions are assessed as means....