Results 201-220 of 15,374 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly non-means tested payment to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability. The child must require care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age. As of May 2025, there were more than 59,000 families in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance in respect of almost 67,000 children....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit has replaced Jobseeker's Benefit for people who have become fully unemployed since 31 March 2025 and who meet the statutory conditions for the scheme. On 7 June 2025, some 11,900 Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit claims were awarded.The purpose of the Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is to provide a financial cushion when a person loses their employment. It...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government recognises the additional difficulties people with disabilities experience in securing and maintaining employment in the open labour market. This is a key issue in the development of the cross-government National Disability Strategy. In December 2023, the Department established the WorkAbility programme - it is co-financed with the EU Employment, Inclusion, Skills and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. The legislative basis for implementing the new system was enacted last July. To be known by the brand name, 'My Future Fund', I recently announced it will commence from 1st January 2026.Discussions between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: There have been significant improvements made in recent years to the Fuel Allowance Scheme. These improvements have resulted in many more households qualifying for the payment. In 2023, the enhanced Fuel Allowance measures for people aged 70 years and over were introduced. Disablement Benefit and Half-rate Carers Allowance payment was disregarded when assessing means for Fuel Allowance...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (19 Jun 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.As of the end of Quarter1 2025 the average processing time for Social Welfare Appeals is 20.9 weeks.The Chief Appeals Officer has put...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, is a whole of government strategy with a five-year timeframe which aims to reduce consistent poverty to 2% or less and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU. The Roadmap for Social Inclusion is an overarching statement of Government strategy, which acknowledges the range of sectoral plans already in place that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Matters relating to foster care and kinship care are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.This Government acknowledges the important role that carers, including foster carers, play and remains fully committed to supporting them. The State Pension (Contributory) system provides a range of measures to recognise caring periods outside of paid...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 178 together. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. The legislative basis for implementing the new system was enacted last July. I recently announced the system will commence from 1st January 2026. Implementation of AE is well underway with progress being made...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has no role in setting the rules for payment of contributions under occupational pension schemes or pension products or for contractual terms in respect of unpaid maternity leave. During a period of qualifying maternity absence, occupational pension schemes are required to ensure that a member: • continues in membership of the scheme, and • continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government is very aware of the key role that carers, including foster carers, play in Irish society and the challenges they face. We are fully committed to supporting all carers.The Department of Social Protection provides a comprehensive package of income supports.While foster care policy falls under the Minister for Department for Children, Disability and Equality, foster carers may...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The objective of Community Employment (CE) scheme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their local communities on a temporary fixed term basis.In addition to providing eligible people with valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment in the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Poverty (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 175 together. The Government welcomes the publication of the fourth Child Poverty Monitor by the Children’s Right Alliance.While the latest SILC 2024 data contained in the Child Poverty Monitor, which saw Child Poverty rise from 4.8% in SILC 2023 to 8.5% in SILC 2024, is very disappointing, it is important to recognise that they do not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: A newborn or adopted child grant of €280 was announced in Budget 2025 to be paid to families of babies born or children with a date of placement on or after 1st December 2024. This grant is paid in addition to their regular first month’s Child Benefit payment of €140. The newborn baby or adopted child grant is paid automatically with Child Benefit payments, there is no...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides State Pension payments through the State Pension (Contributory), which is a contributory based payment based on a person's social insurance record and the State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is means-tested social assistance payment. A State pension (contributory) recipient can claim an increase on their pension in respect of a qualified adult where the eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Data Protection (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department received a copy of the Data Protection Commission’s (DPC) final decision on the processing of biometric templates in connection with the SAFE registration process on 9th June 2025. The biometric template created by my Department, as part of the SAFE identity authentication process, is not stored on an individual’s PSC and is not shared with any other...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance is a means tested payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly non-means-tested payment of €360 to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability. The child must require care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age. Domiciliary Care Allowance stops being paid when a child reaches 16 years of age. This aligns with the age of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Offices (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The delivery of vital locally based Community Welfare Services to meet the challenges and the needs of citizens across the country is a priority for me and for my department. The Community Welfare Service (CWS) provides a flexible service to meet the different needs of clients, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation. It is a priority that this service is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Self-employed contributors pay class S PRSI at a rate of 4.1%. This is 11.15 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.25% made in respect of employed contributors. However, self-employed contributors do have access to over 90% of benefits available to employed contributors. The Programme for Government includes an action to explore the option of...