Results 261-280 of 14,473 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Supports from my Department are not generally intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department or Agency. Responsibility in relation to supports for housing adaptions and or repairs, for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for the accommodation needs of an older person, including any shortfalls in funding, is a matter for my colleague...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 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 13 December 2024. It is a condition for receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Nutritional Standards for School Meals were developed by a technical Nutrition Subgroups comprised of: Dieticians from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland; the HSE; Safefood; and The Food Safety Authority of Ireland. These standards are available to all schools, organisations and suppliers and are publicly available here: Nutritional Standards for School Meals. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Nutritional Standards for School Meals were developed by a technical Nutrition Subgroups comprised of: Dieticians from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland; the HSE; Safefood; and The Food Safety Authority of Ireland. These standards are available to all schools, organisations and suppliers and are publicly available here: Nutritional Standards for School Meals. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: People who turn 66 are still able to retire at that age and draw down their pension in exactly the same way as they always have. However, since January 2024, a person now has the option to defer drawing down their state pension (contributory), to any time up the age of 70. Where a person defers drawing down this pension, they can continue to pay PRSI and increase their contribution record,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1433 and 1434 together. The Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue full time courses at further and higher level. The focus of the scheme is to assist people to improve their qualifications, and as a result improve their access from social welfare to sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widow's, Widower's 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 Widower's Contributory Pension....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is a new social insurance income support, linked to previous earnings, which has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people whose first day of unemployment is on or after 31 March 2025. The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 sets out the legislative framework for the new scheme. The Commencement Order for the scheme provides that it...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Apr 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. Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse / civil partner / cohabitant, property (except their own...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1438 and 1469 together. In general, medical or health related benefits fall within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. However, my Department administers the treatment benefit scheme which provides dental, optical, and medical appliances benefits to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Apr 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 11 December 2024. As part of the decision process,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Apr 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. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Self-employed people pay contributions to the Social Insurance Fund at a lower 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 2025 includes...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (29 Apr 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, means test and habitual residency conditions. My Department periodically reviews claims to ensure there is continued entitlement. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS), administered by my department through the Community Welfare Service (CWS), was activated on 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. Humanitarian assistance is available in three stages. Stage 1 of the HAS is available to people while they are directly impacted by the storm. It targets people who need...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The estimated additional yield that would be raised by increasing both the lower and higher employer PRSI rates, currently at 8.9% and 11.15% respectively, by 0.1 percentage points is €119 million. This estimate does not take into account any possible changes in employer or employee behaviour, arising from changing the rates of the employer PRSI contribution. I trust this clarifies...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS), administered by my department through the Community Welfare Service (CWS), was activated on 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. Humanitarian assistance is available in three stages. Stage 1 of the HAS is available to people while they are directly impacted by the storm. It targets people who need...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (29 Apr 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 condition. I can confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) funds and supports eight independent regional Citizen Information Service (CIS) companies, which in turn operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres. It is important to note that each CIS is a limited company governed by a voluntary Board of Directors, which make decisions independently on the delivery of services in their regions. North...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Information and Communications Technology (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My officials have confirmed that all IT systems used by my Department are capable of utilising the síneadh fada.