Results 201-220 of 16,746 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (14 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit (JPRB) scheme was introduced at the end of March this year. This new social insurance-based income support has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people who have become fully unemployed since the commencement of the scheme on 31/03/2025 and who meet the statutory conditions for the scheme. The purpose of the JPRB is to provide a financial...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a range of employment supports for disabled people including those with an intellectual disability. My Department's Intreo service is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports in the State. Disabled people can access mainstream employment schemes such as Community Employment and Tús as well as referral to tailored supports such as...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (14 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 has introduced a series of important changes and new measures as part of the overall ecosystem that the Act seeks to develop towards a fully bilingual public service. One such measure relates to the correct recording and use by public bodies of names, addresses and titles in the Irish language, including the use of the síneadh fada...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Contracts (14 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department complies with obligations in place in relation to the publication of payments for goods and service over €20,000. Quarterly reports on such payments are published online in pdf format. The latest report, Q2 of 2025, is available at the following link, and the Q3 report will be published in October 2025 - www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development-...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Circulars (14 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are eight agencies under the remit of my Department: Pobal, Western Development Commission, Charities Regulatory Authority, Water Safety Ireland, Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeilge, and the Ulster-Scots Agency. These agencies are independent legal entities responsible for managing their own corporate affairs, including managing...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Reports (14 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The information on all studies, research and reports commissioned by my Department that were outsourced over the past 5 years is set out below. The costs provided are inclusive of VAT. I can confirm that none of these reports are currently submitted to me, and I can also confirm that none have previously been submitted to me and are yet to be released. 2021 Company ...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's Appropriation Account is produced in line with the annual guidance prepared by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The account is audited each year by the Comptroller and Auditor General, including with regard to compliance with the guidance on account preparation. As such, all information is provided in the account...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Development Projects (9 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senator Nelson Murray for raising this issue. Given that so many people in County Meath have roots in County Mayo, it is inevitable that there would be strong women there. It is important that the Senator has raised this matter today. The importance of high-quality accessible spaces for community groups is beyond doubt. As the Senator said, we have all witnessed the massive...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Development Projects (9 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senator Nelson Murray. I endorse everything she has said. Fundraising is important. It is very hard work, but it makes an important contribution, financially and otherwise. If a community buys into a project through fundraising, it will succeed. Speaking of fundraising, it would be wrong of me not to wish our colleague, Senator Costello, every success as she takes to the stage...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (9 Oct 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. Under the School Meals Programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: Matters relating to foster carers, previously foster parents, 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 already provides a range of measures to recognise caring...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria, this ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment is targeted at those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty, including those reliant on social protection...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (9 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a range of schemes to improve facilities such as playgrounds in communities nationwide. The CLÁR programme provides funding in designated areas for community recreation facilities and amenities, including playgrounds under measure 1 of the programme. I launched the CLÁR 2025 programme on 4 April last. I expect to announce the successful measure 1 project...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (9 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 364, 365 and 366 together. The RRDF fund is a major capital investment programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects which can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. To date, RRDF funding of €593 million has been allocated for 243 projects across Ireland, of which, over €17 million has been...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (9 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department implements a wide range of schemes and supports which are available to community organisations and other groups across the country.  While my Department does not have a specific funding scheme for operational facilities for the organisation you reference, there may be an avenue of support available under the LEADER programme or the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) operated...

Financial Resolutions 2025 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (8 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: It is obvious that the budget is getting the interest of all the parties of the House. I am proud to be able to serve in Cabinet and to present my first budget as Minister for Social Protection and for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. I will deal with each Department separately within my speaking allocation. In the Department of Social Protection, we have secured...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (8 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. The aim of introducing AE is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income. The new system - to be known as My Future Fund - will commence from 1st January 2026. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Oct 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 the habitual residency conditions. Following their application for DA, the person concerned was issued an information...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (8 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The evidence provided does not indicate that the person concerned was available for full time employment at the time the claim was made. The person concerned will be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies. My department provides assistance to eligible households in the immediate aftermath of emergency weather events under the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is to prevent hardship by providing financial support to people whose...