Results 1-20 of 15,374 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: It is important to acknowledge this Bill came about as a result of Mr. Johnny O'Meara and his family in memory of his partner and their mum, Michelle Batey. I thank Mr. O'Meara and Deputy Alan Kelly who stood and worked with him along with other organisations throughout this process. I thank all Deputies for their contributions to this debate and look forward to bringing the Bill to the Seanad.

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank Deputies O'Reilly and Wall. I do not propose to accept amendments Nos. 7, 8 and 14. To accept them would remove the ability of any future Minister for Social Protection to make regulations to clarify the circumstances where a couple may be living apart for more than two years due to medical circumstances. This definition is linked to the regulation-making power inserted into...

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: If one part of the couple said something different to what had been signed up to, for whatever reason, there would have to be further investigations. I assure the Deputy that I would not want any intrusion into a relationship and the Department does not intend to intrude. If evidence was presented by a member of the couple that contradicted what the other member of the couple had said, that...

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Yes.

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Yes.

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am pretty sure. It is a standard provision in such legislation. I assure the Deputy that the Department is not going to stick its nose in where that is not necessary.

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank Deputy Wall for the amendment. Amendments Nos. 18 to 20, inclusive, are grouped together. I do not propose to accept these amendments, which are possibly irrelevant owing to other related amendments being ruled out of order. I wrote to Deputies Wall, Quaide, Coppinger and O'Reilly on this issue after Committee Stage. There are provisions in the Bill removing the eligibility of...

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: This is an area the Leas-Cheann Comhairle has also expressed an interest in. On Deputy O'Reilly's comment about the lady whose partner passed away while she was expecting, we have based the qualifications on the 2010 civil partnership Act and the issue from the Department of Justice. I am writing to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, to highlight this case and also on the points reflected in...

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputies for their remarks. I will speak to the amendments first and then speak to some of the queries that were raised, which were dealt with on Committee Stage. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2, and 21 to 23, inclusive, are grouped together. As I said during the Committee Stage debate, it is not appropriate to include commitments to producing reports in primary legislation,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Uniforms (26 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 276 together. This Government acknowledges the important role that carers, including foster carers, play and remains fully committed to supporting them. That is why I was really pleased to announce that Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance eligibility is being extended to include children for whom Foster Care Allowance is being paid. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Childcare Services (26 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of the child's disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and...

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

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Service is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. The Service is administered by the Chief Appeals Officer. The Chief Appeals Officer and her team of Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. As Minister I need to be conscious of the independence of the office, its functions and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (26 Jun 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. All primary schools will be eligible to apply for the Hot School Meals from September 2025. This...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (26 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government's 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 contains a commitment to examine the feasibility of introducing a voluntary code for bilingual labelling and packaging of all goods sold in Ireland, as a mechanism to develop the range of areas available in which people can choose Irish as a language of exchange. In this context, Foras na Gaeilge, through its ‘Gnó...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Common Agricultural Policy (26 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The current 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 total amount of funding allocated to LEADER for the period of 2021-2027 is €250 million, maintaining the level of funding of the previous...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis an roghchoiste as ucht an deis seo chun an Bille tábhachtach seo a phlé inniu. I thank members for attending today and for facilitating Committee Stage of the Bill. As Deputies know, in January of 2024, the Supreme Court overturned my Department's decision not to pay the widower's contributory pension to Mr. Johnny O'Meara....

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 11, to delete “Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension) Bill 2025” and substitute “Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2025”. I understand that amendments Nos. 1, 5, 6, and 23 to 25, inclusive, are grouped together. The first five amendments of this grouping...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, line 12, to delete “(other than section 18)” and substitute “(other than sections 18 and 21)”.