Results 521-540 of 15,374 for speaker:Dara Calleary

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

Dara Calleary: Maternity Benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed women who are on Maternity Leave from work and who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. It is currently paid at €289 per week for 26 weeks. Any changes to the rate of Maternity Benefit would need to be considered within an overall budgetary context. There are no specific supports from my department regarding...

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

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is a service 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 Rates (29 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. The main income supports for carers provided by my department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Spending on these payments in 2025 is expected to exceed €1.9 billion. Carer's Allowance is...

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

Dara Calleary: The person concerned reached pension age on 21 July 2014. Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for a rate of State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has a total of 470 full-rate...

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

Dara Calleary: The person concerned was awarded state pension (transition) based on a yearly average of 41 contributions. This gave entitlement to 98% of the maximum rate of pension from 14 September 2012. Following a review, it has been decided that the person concerned is entitled to the maximum rate of state pension (contributory) with effect from 30 March 2018. Any arrears due will issue on 6 June...

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

Dara Calleary: Farm Assist is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers. To qualify for Farm Assist, you must be a farmer in the State, aged between 18 and 66 and satisfy a means test. Farm income and income from off-farm employment is assessed as part of the means test. Any income from self-employment, either the claimants or their partners, will also be assessed. The person concerned applied for...

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

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is a service 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: Divorce Process (29 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Officials from the General Registers Office, which operates under the aegis of my Department, have engaged with the Department of Justice on this matter. A number of operational issues have been identified which need to be progressed prior to the commencement of this section of the Act. Engagement between officials will continue on these issues. I trust this clarifies the matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 May 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 Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (29 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Local Improvement Scheme is an important support for rural communities in improving non-public rural roads and laneways not usually maintained by local authorities. Since its establishment in 2017, the government has provided almost €170 million to local authorities under the scheme. In April 2024 over €40 million in LIS funding was confirmed for the years 2024/2025....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 May 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 Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I wish to advise the Deputy that this is a matter for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I wish to advise the Deputy that this is a matter for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a range of supports for individuals on maternity leave, primarily through Maternity Benefit. Maternity Benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed women who are on Maternity Leave from work and who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. It is currently paid at €289 per week for 26 weeks. Any changes to the rate of Maternity Benefit would need to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (28 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension is only available to a surviving partner who was party to a marriage or civil partnership. On 22nd January 2024, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the entitlement of an unmarried cohabitant to a Widower's Contributory Pension. The Supreme Court...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the single payment per person rule, people who qualify for multiple payments from my Department typically receive only the higher of the available options. However, as an exception to this rule, the half-rate Carer’s Allowance was introduced for people already receiving a social welfare payment. This arrangement allows people receiving certain welfare payments to retain their...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (28 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 292 together. 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. As clarified with the Deputy's office, I have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The requested statistics for 2020 - 2023 are shown below. Figures for 2024 are currently being compiled and will be published later this year. The 'Average Time to Award' is the average number of weeks between a claim being registered and the claim being awarded for successful claims. Note that after an appeal is submitted, there are two stages to an appeal. First, the appeal goes back to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (28 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 Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (28 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Administered by my Department, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects which can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. It forms part of my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme, and has allocated €588 million to 243 projects across Ireland to date. ...