Results 461-480 of 14,252 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The delivery of crucial and locally based community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of people across the country is a priority for me and for my Department. The Community Welfare Service (CWS) continues to provide a flexible service to meet the different needs of people, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation. It is important that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Expenditure in relation to the Department is contained within the Vote 37 Appropriation Account. A copy of the annual Appropriation Accounts can be found on the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s website as set out below. The 2024 Appropriation account has not been finalised. 2023 - Vote 37 - Social Protection 2022 - Vote 37 - Social Protection 2021 - Vote 37 -...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are two bodies under the aegis of my Department which meet the definition in the question - that is they have a quasi-judicial role. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is independent in its functions. If a person is dissatisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer regarding one of the Department's statutory schemes, they may submit an appeal to the Chief Appeals Officer. She...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: In November 2023 my Department published a report on the inclusion of long COVID in the Occupational Injuries Benefit Regulations. This report concluded that COVID-19 does not satisfy the statutory criteria for recognition as an occupational illness or accident at work. Specifically, it found that presumptions about workplace transmission would not be sustainable as it is not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: According to the records of my department, the person concerned has not submitted an application for the contributory State Pension. An application for the non-contributory State Pension was received on 4 April 2023 and awarded from 7 April 2023. There are no further arrears due in this case. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under Section 248 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, where a person who is in receipt of a benefit dies and (i) he or she was receiving an increase in respect of a qualified adult, or (ii) his or her spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is in receipt of a benefit in his or her own right, payment of the deceased person's benefit shall continue to be made for 6 weeks after...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is a new social insurance income support which replaces the current Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people who become fully unemployed from 31 March 2025 and who satisfy the conditions for the scheme. Pay-related benefit means that a person's rate of payment will be linked to their previous earnings, subject to maximum and minimum rates. Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. An application for IP was received from the person concerned on 28 August 2023. On 30 August 2023, the claim was refused on the grounds that the person concerned had...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Official Engagements (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I did not meet the CEO of Coca-Cola during my visit to Atlanta for the St. Patrick's Day events.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 517, 531 and 536 together. My Department provides a number of income supports for people with a disability who are of working age. These include Disability Allowance Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension. Both Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are means tested social assistance schemes, while Invalidity Pension is a social insurance based scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Mar 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 table below shows the number of disability allowance appeals on hand and the number that are under consideration for two,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Mar 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. The means test takes account of all income and assets of the applicant and their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS), administered by my department through the Community Welfare Service, 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 Schemes (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 522 together. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. In the context of the particular circumstances of Storm Éowyn, and as an exceptional measure, additional...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Mar 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 Schemes (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 539 together. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme Stage 1 is available to address essential needs in respect of shelter and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Media (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Between 1 January and 31 December 2024 all videos posted to my Department's social media channels included closed captions. This includes the JobsIreland social media channels as well as those of the Department of Social Protection. Three videos using Irish Sign Language (ISL) were developed in 2024, one promoting the Work and Access programme and two in relation to the ISL voucher scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Supports from this Department are not intended to cover circumstances where another Government Department or Agency has a primary responsibility. The Revenue Commissioners operate a tax relief scheme for vehicles purchased for use by people with disabilities. This scheme provides VRT and VAT relief, an exemption from road tax and a fuel grant to drivers and passengers with a disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 19th birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. It is paid in respect of almost 1.3 million children. Expenditure on the scheme is estimated at over €2.2 billion in 2025. It is important to note that,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Rates (25 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who are on Maternity Leave and who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contributions. Maternity rate has been increased in all four previous budgets, bringing Maternity benefit from €245 in 2021 to €289 in 2025, an increase of €54 in four years. Budget 2025 provided a €15...