Results 481-500 of 15,374 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Legislative Process (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Charities (Amendment) Act, 2024 (the ‘Act’) was signed into law by the President on 10th July 2024. The Act seeks to improve the ability of the Charities Regulator to conduct its statutory functions, providing greater transparency, clarity, and fairness in terms of the regulation of charities, leading to greater public trust and confidence in the sector. The...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Údarás na Gaeltachta (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I understand from Údarás na Gaeltachta that Unit 2, Páirc Gnó Údarás na Gaeltachta, Acaill, Co. Mhaigh Eo is currently leased to Drioglann Acla Teo.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I can advise that my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure, the National Development Plan and Reform holds responsibility for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It has been confirmed to me that the allocation of funds for sectoral programmes under the EU Cohesion Policy, including the ERDF, is subject to a period of negotiations between the European Commission, the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Men's Sheds (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am very aware of the growing interest in Women's Sheds in Ireland, and of the great work they do in providing a space for women of all ages to come together on a regular basis in a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment. However, as Women’s Sheds do not currently operate under an overall national organisation, my Department is unable to provide funding to Women’s Sheds...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Men's Sheds (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am very aware of the growing interest in Women's Sheds in Ireland, and of the great work they do all over the country including Killarney. They provide a space for women of all ages to come together on a regular basis in a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment. However, as Women’s Sheds do not currently operate under an overall national organisation, my Department is unable...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Library Projects (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a capital investment fund that is key to the delivery of Ireland's rural development policy, Our Rural Future 2021-2025. RRDF provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages in rural areas across Ireland. Funding is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies, who take the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's CLÁR programme provides targeted funding for small scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. The programme is delivered across 3 separate measures. The application the Deputy refers would be expect to be relevant to measure 1, which funds community facilities and amenities. Applications under this measure are received via the local authorities, who are...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Men's Sheds (10 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am very aware of the growing interest in Women's Sheds in Ireland, and of the great work they do all over the country including in Carlow and Kilkenny. They provide a space for women of all ages to come together on a regular basis in a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment. However, as Women’s Sheds do not currently operate under an overall national organisation, my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (29 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 404, 405, 406 and 407 together. The 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (29 May 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. In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals Scheme will be extended to all remaining...

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

Dara Calleary: The estimated annual combined cost of increasing both the one parent family payment weekly rate and supplementary welfare allowance weekly rate by €1 is €3 million, with OPFP cost being €2.27 million and SWA cost being €0.73 million. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2025, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends...

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

Dara Calleary: The estimated full year cost of increasing the Carer's Allowance weekly rate by €12 and abolishing the means test, assuming an associated increase of an additional 25,605 eligible recipients, is €404.5 million. Below is a table outlining each component of this costing: Component Cost (€ million) Additional expenditure on existing...

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

Dara Calleary: Carer's Benefit is a non-means tested payment designed for insured people who may be required to leave the workforce, or reduce their working hours, to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. The Programme for Government commits to examining the introduction of a Pay Related Carer’s Benefit for individuals who have to give up work suddenly in order to provide...

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

Dara Calleary: The estimated annual cost of increasing Carer's Allowance by €1 per week is €3.95 million. This includes increases for those carers both under and over 66 years and also those on half-rate Carer's Allowance. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2025, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated...

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

Dara Calleary: The estimated annual cost of increasing the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance by €1 is €0.8 million. This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2025, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

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

Dara Calleary: The current Carer's Support Grant rate is €2,000 per year, following an increase of €150 announced in Budget 2025, payable in June 2025. The estimated annual cost of increasing the Carer's Support Grant to €2,250 per year is €38.4 million. The estimated annual cost of increasing the Carer's Support Grant to €2,500 per year is €76.8 million. ...

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

Dara Calleary: The estimated annual cost of increasing only jobseeker’s allowance by €1 is €7.3 million. It should be noted that these costings include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where relevant. This costing does not include any increase in respect of other schemes which are linked to the Jobseeker's Allowance rate, such...

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

Dara Calleary: In preparing this response, we have included costings for DSP's Pension programme schemes which include State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-Contributory) and Widows Contributory Pension. The estimated annual cost of increasing these schemes by €1 is €41.5 million. It should be noted that these costings include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for...

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

Dara Calleary: Most social welfare schemes pay an amount in addition to the personal rate in respect of an adult dependant, called an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA). The IQA rate is usually two thirds of the maximum personal rate for the relevant scheme. The Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic...

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

Dara Calleary: The total estimated cost of increasing the Child Support Payment (formerly known as the Increase for Qualified Child or IQC) for children under 12 years and for those aged 12 years and over by €1 in both cases is €15.45 million. This increases the weekly rates from €50 and €62 per week to €51 and €63 per week, respectively. This costing is based...