Results 361-380 of 14,473 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is an equal opportunities employer and is fully committed to supporting the health and safety needs of all employees, including employees with disabilities. Section 47(1) (a) of the Disability Act 2005 requires public bodies to take all reasonable measures to promote and support the employment of persons with disabilities. To assist the Department in fulfilling its obligations...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports improving rural roads and laneways not usually maintained by local authorities. Since its establishment in 2017, almost €170 million has been provided by the Government to local authorities for LIS. Over €40 million in national funding was announced in April 2024 for the 2024 and 2025 Schemes. Under the terms of the Scheme, eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: I would like to recognise the valuable work being done at Dunhill Ecopark, providing space and facilities for 35 businesses, including social enterprises, to operate while also providing a number of services to the local community. The National Social Enterprise Policy Trading for Impact aims to cultivate and sustain strong and impactful social enterprises in Ireland to enrich the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: TVRS is delivered by local authorities who work with community organisations to identify and develop suitable projects and submit applications for funding in respect of initiatives in their areas. The scheme, which sees our local authorities work with community actors, primarily targets funding at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. On 19 March last I was...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Control of Dogs (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Please see Table below, showing the number of XL Bully Certificates of Exemption granted nationally and by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council since the introduction of the XL Bully type dog ban. Number of Certificates of Exemption Granted – Nationally 990 Number of Certificates of Exemption Granted – Dún Laoghaire Rathdown...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects. To further support communities, a further €50 million in funding was announced under the Community Recognition Fund in March...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides funding to Men's Sheds and Women’s (Sister) Sheds under various funding supports, including: The €7 million Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025 which allowed Men's Sheds and Women’s Sheds to apply for running costs as well as small capital works for the purchase of equipment for their facilities. LEP 2025 has recently closed for applications.The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: In April 2024, €40 million in funding was announced for LIS across all local authorities to cover 2024/2025. While the Department provides funding for LIS, the scheme is administered by local authorities responsible for selecting and prioritising roads. Applications are received directly by local authorities, who engage with scheme beneficiaries. A number of factors are considered...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which was introduced in 2016, has to date allocated over €177 million to almost 1,800 projects nationally. The scheme, which sees our local authorities work with community actors, primarily targets funding at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. Since 2016, over €9.5 million in funding has been allocated to Cork City...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. In early 2024, funding of €30 million was approved for the construction of 12 new community centres covering nine counties. County Cork had one successful project under this fund....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: In 2023, the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) was replaced by the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP). The LEP 2025 was launched last November with €7 million available to assist thousands of community groups across the country by providing capital and current supports. The LEP is targeted to the specific challenges facing local community groups and delivers immediate, tangible...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Authorities (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department works extensively with Local Authorities across Ireland through a wide array of programmes and initiatives, primarily through the Local Community Development Committees hosted within each Local Authority. The most significant intervention in terms of integration and inclusivity supports is the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Over €33 million has now been approved for in excess of 770 projects nationwide under the Community Centre Investment Fund 2024. However, given the very significant level of demand, not all applications were successful. The facility referenced by the Deputy submitted an application under category 2 of the 2024 fund seeking support of €45,000 for enhancement works on their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (10 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes. Invalidity Pension is a weekly payment to people who are regarded as being permanently incapable of work because of a long-term illness or...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (10 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in 2020 in response to the unprecedented disruption caused to the Irish labour market on foot of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Some 880,000 people received at least one payment under the scheme. In total, some 30 million individual payments issued under the scheme. The Department is undertaking a number of reviews aimed at identifying cases...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (10 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Treatment Benefit is a PRSI-based scheme which provides free dental and optical services, along with assistance towards the provision of audiological appliances and hair replacement products, to people who satisfy certain qualifying conditions, and to their dependent spouses/partners. The Department is committed to an annual review of the Treatment Benefit Optical scheme. The Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (10 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16,17 and 18 if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. Child Benefit becomes payable in respect of newborn babies in the month after their birth. As part of Budget 2025, a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (10 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 and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. From July 2025, the weekly income disregard for Carer's Allowance will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or partner. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (10 Apr 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Homemakers Disregard Scheme was introduced in April 1994 for use in the Yearly Average (YA) calculation of the State Pension (Contributory). This allowed an applicant to apply under the Homemaker's Scheme for those years out of the workforce since April 1994 spent caring for children under age 12 or other dependent relatives to be disregarded in the calculation under the Yearly Average...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (10 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. Funding under the programme is solely for food. My Department has engaged with a number of schools...