Results 21-40 of 16,540 for speaker:Dara Calleary
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: My department’s policy is to consider the more serious cases of social welfare fraud for prosecution. Cases suitable for prosecution are identified during investigations conducted primarily by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of my department and Gardai seconded to SIU. Defined and recognised practice standards, set by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) are applied in...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package and Living Alone Increase to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year and I will continue, as part of the budget planning process, to consider if improvements can be made to ensure that...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: The estimated cost of increasing the Living Alone Allowance by €4 is €52.2 million. This represents an increase in the weekly rate from €22 to €26. The above costing is on a full-year basis and is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2026. It should be noted that this costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated...
- Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: My Department has funded Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga in Gaeltacht Schools for many years. In recent years, the scheme has been extended to Gaelscoileanna in Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks outside of the Gaeltacht areas. There are approximately 120 Cúntóirí Teanga (Language Assistants) currently working in schools within and outside...
- Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: My Department has funded Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga in Gaeltacht Schools for many years. In recent years, the scheme has been extended to Gaelscoileanna in Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks outside of the Gaeltacht areas. The scheme has been extended for the current school year and work is currently underway on drafting a new 3 year agreement with the...
- Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Facilities (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: My Department implements a number of schemes which support the development of gyms and other community sporting facilities that are not privately owned and are widely available for community use. This includes support through the CLÁR Programme, LEADER, the Local Enhancement Programme and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Measure 1 of the CLÁR programme provides funding for...
- Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (7 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, there is not a scheme directly related to the issue raised by the Deputy, there may be an avenue of support available under the LEADER programme. The LEADER programme is part of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027...
- Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Development Projects (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: I acknowledge the importance of community centres such as the one referenced by the Deputy. My department's Community Centre Investment Fund provides funding for repairs, upgrades and enhancements of such community centres. The Community Centre Investment Fund has provided approximately €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and...
- Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Contracts (7 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: Over the past three years, my Department has utilised the services of two Australian companies for subscriptions relating to online graphic design and stock assets. The details for the period 2022 to date are set out in the table below. Service Provider/Purpose 2022 2023 2024 2025 to date Canva (subscription for online graphic design...
- Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Child Poverty (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an t-ábhar seo a chur liom. As she will know, the Taoiseach has made it clear that tackling child poverty and homelessness are key priorities for this Government. It is a focus for budget 2026. Our negotiations are ongoing and all will be made available next Tuesday at 1 p.m. Our programme for Government commitments in relation...
- Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Child Poverty (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: Ultimately, it is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It is also important to reflect on the fact that the Government, since we came to office, established the child poverty and well-being programme office in the Department of the Taoiseach and is at the heart of the Government, with cross-departmental responsibilities. The office is currently working on a...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: Under the remit of my Department there are a suite of income supports which include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes. Bereaved Partners (Contributory) Pension (BCP) is a weekly payment to the widow, widower, surviving civil partner or qualified cohabitant of a deceased person. The pension remains...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: My Department is acutely aware of the potential impacts of the projected demographic changes on social protection supports, particularly in relation to the funding of State pensions. My Department assesses all factors relating to the State pension system and its sustainability through Actuarial Reviews of the Social Insurance Fund - from which the State pension is paid. An Actuarial...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the average time to process an appeal at the end of Quarter 2 2025 was 21.9 weeks. The Chief Appeals Officer has put in place measures to help reduce the number of appeals on hand. 20 additional Appeals Officers were appointed in the period at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025. They are currently making appeal...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature and cannot be made available to those who are not in receipt of a primary payment. ...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: I understand the Deputy is referring to the PRSI class paid in respect of a particular individual. PRSI classification is a matter for Scope Section of my Department. Scope section has requested the locally based inspectorate to make the necessary enquiries in this case. Depending on the complexity of the case this can take a number of weeks. Once this information is received, the...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: I am advised by the Chief Appeals Officer that the Social Welfare Appeals Office does not collate data on appeals specifically relating to the Habitual Residence Condition, therefore the statistical information is not available. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (2 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. All special schools are classified as non DEIS and primary schools. As announced in Budget 2025 all...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: Fuel Allowance is payable to people who satisfy the scheme conditions and who either live alone or only with certain qualified people. Entitlement to fuel allowance is based on a review of all people residing in the household regardless of their relationship to the customer. A letter was issued to the person concerned on 04 September 2025, requesting a household composition form to be...
- Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (2 Oct 2025)
Dara Calleary: One of the conditions for receipt of the Living Alone Increase requires the applicant to be in receipt of a qualifying payment from my Department. As the person concerned is not currently in receipt of a qualifying payment from my Department, they are not entitled to the Living Alone Increase. In order to establish entitlement to the Fuel Allowance, it is necessary for the person...