Results 281-300 of 14,473 for speaker:Dara Calleary

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 06 December 2024. As part of the decision process,...

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

Dara Calleary: The Department of Social Protection has no outstanding EU directives awaiting transposition. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

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

Dara Calleary: The Department of Social Protection does not directly rent any properties. All of the properties occupied by my department are owned or leased by the Office of Public Works (OPW), with the exception of the department's headquarters, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Store Street, Dublin 1, which is held by the Minister on behalf of the Social Insurance Fund. It is not possible to give the Deputy...

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

Dara Calleary: The Department of Social Protection outsource cleaning services as listed as follows. External company Service Value (Inc VAT at 13.5%) Duration Grosvenor Cleaning Services Cleaning €4,256,250 per year Initial 2-year contract. The Department has the option of 2 twelve-month extensions if required. ...

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

Dara Calleary: In 2024, following a competitive procurement process, the department awarded Synergy Security Solutions Ltd. with a contract for the provision of security services for an initial two-year period. There are options available, at the discretion of my Department, for two twelve-month contract extensions thereafter. The following table outlines the value of the contract for the initial two...

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...

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: School Meals Programme (29 Apr 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. My Department has engaged with a number of schools that have been unable to secure a hot meals...

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: State Pensions (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1459, 1463 and 1471 together. Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension (WCP) is a weekly payment to the widow, widower or surviving civil partner of a deceased person. The pension remains payable while the person remains widowed or a surviving civil partner and the payment is not means tested. As a result, a person can be in...

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

Dara Calleary: Budget 2025 was, for the second year in a row, the largest social protection budget in the history of the state. It supported individuals and families throughout society via a diverse range of supports including across the board increases to primary social protection weekly rates, targeted ongoing measures and once-off cost of living payments. These rate increases included a €12...

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

Dara Calleary: The new 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. 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 savings. The new...

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

Dara Calleary: All staff in my Department are surveyed anonymously each year. The table below sets out the percentage of those who completed the survey and who have disclosed that they have a disability in the last 10 years. Year Percentage with disability 2015 4.9 2016 5.1 2017 5.0 2018 ...

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. The Social Welfare Appeals system is underpinned by legislation which sets down the roles, powers and functions of the Social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (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 received an application for DA from the person concerned on 9 August...

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

Dara Calleary: The Government is very aware of the key role that family carers play in Irish society and the challenges they face. We are fully committed to supporting carers in that role. The Programme for Government has set out a timeline which commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (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. Credited contributions (credits) are social insurance contributions designed to protect the social insurance...

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 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. It is a condition for receipt of CA that the carer cannot be engaged in employment/self-employment or training/study....

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

Dara Calleary: The Temporary Protection Directive is a European Union law introduced in 2001. It was incorporated into Irish legislation through Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015. This Directive established a special procedure to address a "mass influx" of individuals requiring international protection. It was activated for the first time in March 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine...