Results 3,481-3,500 of 16,746 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Disablement benefit is one of the benefits payable under the occupational injuries benefit scheme to an insured person who suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease that was sustained on or after 1 May 1967. In 2010, an agreement was reached by my Department with the National Coal Miners Group Committee that a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Inspections (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Pre Covid, individuals residing on an island and in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance were required to certify continuing eligibility for the payment by completing postal dockets once a month and certifying in person by invitation from their local Intreo Centre. Following Covid all those in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance have been afforded the opportunity to engage with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. The Department of Social Protection does not own any empty buildings or undeveloped sites. Matters relating to the property portfolio for my department are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works (OPW). With the exception of my department's headquarters, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Dublin, which is held by the Minister on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Weather Events (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my Department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated on 23 January 2025 to assist householders across the country affected by Storm Éowyn. My Department provides assistance to households in the event of severe weather under Stage 1 of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. This includes emergency support payments...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Telephone Support Allowance is a weekly payment of €2.50 for people on certain social welfare payments who are also getting both the Living Alone Increase and the Fuel Allowance. The primary objective of the Telephone Support Allowance is to allow the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, access to personal alarms or phones...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Inspections (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are currently 36 Medical Assessors working in my Department. The numbers in situ at the end of December 2023, 2024 and at the end of January 2025 are outlined below in tabular form and include both the Chief Medical Officer and the Deputy Chief Medical Assessor. Year People Posts End Dec 23 35.00 32.60 End...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Appeals (18 Feb 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 Office has advised me that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The main income supports to Carers provided by the Department of Social Protection are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.9 billion in 2025. There have been a number of significant improvements made to the means test for Carer's Allowance in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is currently examining the potential future use of AI technologies and has engaged with IT consultancy companies, who hold existing contracts with the Department. The companies involved are Accenture, Bearing Point, Deloitte, Ernest Young and Gartner. No additional costs have arisen in relation to AI consultancy with these companies. My officials have also actively...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Inspections (18 Feb 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. As previously outlined, assessments of medical eligibility for DA are based on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Eligibility (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned reached pension age on 24 January 2025. An application for State Pension (contributory) was received on 06 November 2024. On receipt of an application for State Pension (contributory), entitlement to the standard State Pension (contributory) is examined first. Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions to qualify for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I believe it is important for dog owners to be aware of their responsibilities - not just to the general public but also to their dogs. In 2024, a major national awareness campaign was launched by the Department of Rural and Community Development to alert dog owners of their responsibilities and to raise awareness of the dangers that can be posed to people and to livestock by uncontrolled...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Since its establishment in 2017, my Department has not received funding support for projects of any kind from the United States of America International Development programme. There are four agencies under my Department’s remit: the Western Development Commission, Pobal, Irish Water Safety, and the Charities Regulator. They are all independent legal entities responsible for managing...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Harbours and Piers (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure on the Aran Islands, including on Inis Oírr. There are regular meetings between officials from my department and Galway County Council to discuss and monitor the pier development on the islands. The last meeting was held on Tuesday 11 February, and the next meeting is scheduled...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am committed to supporting progress on gender equality in the Department of Rural and Community Development and to fair and equal treatment of all our staff and stakeholders. My Department completed a Gender Pay Gap report in 2024 which outlines how we will continue to review the gender balance in the Department. In particular, we will monitor the gender balance at middle management and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, water-based recreation sites and mountain trails. Since the launch of the scheme, funding of over €129 million has been approved for more than 1,770 projects nationwide. Under the ORIS 2024/2025 scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The 2023-2027 LEADER Programme supports a broad range of private enterprises and community groups who improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. The Programme is delivered by a network of Local Action Groups (LAGs) selected to implement Local Development Strategies for their respective geographical areas. In line with the LEADER Operating Rules, when evaluating...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 877 and 881 together. I can confirm that there are no empty buildings or undeveloped sites within my Department's portfolio. My Department currently occupies office space at Trinity Point, Dublin 2, and Government Buildings, Ballina, Co. Mayo. Both are in the ownership of the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Budgets (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme for the purchase by a registered community based-organisation of a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Artificial Intelligence (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is guided in respect of the use of Artificial Intelligence by advices from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as set out in “Cyber Security Guidance on Generative AI for Public Sector Bodies” published on 1 June 2023. I can confirm that Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Co-Pilot are not currently in use in my...