Results 41-60 of 17,171 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures. That is why the Programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people. Our Programme for Government commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the Make Work Pay initiative, a person is entitled to retain their entitlement to Free Travel for a period of 5 years after their entitlement to Disability Allowance ceases due to taking up employment. The entitlement of the person concerned to Free Travel was linked to their Disability Allowance payment. The 5 year extension of the Free Travel entitlement is now due to end and the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Nov 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...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Wage Subsidy Scheme is a key disability employment support provided by my Department. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to disabled people through a subsidy. The subsidy rate is based on how many employees the employer hires through the Wage Subsidy Scheme. There are currently three strands: Strand 1: The base subsidy rate is €6.30...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: As of October 2025, there are six companies availing of the Strand 3 grant. Between these companies, there are 11 Employment Assistance Officers in employment. From June 2019 until 2024, the expenditure on Strand 3 payments was €1,303,850. The grant is €30,000 per officer and companies can employ a maximum of five. This means a company could be availing of the top rate and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person, who normally resides in the State, cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. Such support will depend on the individual circumstances of any given case. An application can be made under the scheme for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Poverty (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: While I am aware of the support that ALONE provides to older people to allow them to age at home, my Department has no role in the funding position of the charity concerned. My Department does provide direct support towards energy costs to qualifying low-income households, through schemes such as the Fuel Allowance Scheme, the Household Benefits Package as wells as through Additional Needs...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of means testing in the social protection system. The purpose of the review of means testing is to look at the different means-tested schemes and to identify any issues in terms of the application of the respective means test. The outcome of the review will inform decisions regarding any potential changes to means testing....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: As announced In Budget 2025, the Hot School Meals Scheme was extended to all remaining primary schools meaning that approximately 3,200 schools and 550,000 children are eligible for hot school meals in the 2025 2026 academic school year. As such, all primary schools have access to the scheme should they wish to apply for it. Schools apply annually to my Department for the School Meals...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (19 Nov 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. The Nutritional Standards for School Meals have been in place since its inception and were developed by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cross-Border Co-operation (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: There is no such scheme in the Department of Social Protection, however, we believe Letterkenny Chamber runs a gift card scheme around this time each year to encourage shopping in the town.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is a weekly payment, which is not means-tested. The LAI is an increased additional payment made each week to:people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State pensions, and who are living alone;people who are less than 66 years of age, living alone and in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an income-tested weekly payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. WFP provides financial support for employees who have low earnings/income relative to their family size. The WFP rate payable is 60% of the difference between the average weekly family income and the relevant prescribed income limit. To...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Údarás na Gaeltachta (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Chríochnaigh an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú), 2024, Céim an Choiste sa Dáil in earrach na bliana seo. Táthar ag súil go gcuirfear tús le Céim na Tuarascála ina leith go luath..

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (19 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: As I understand it, the Deputy's question relates to Coláistí Gaeilge, or Irish language colleges in the context of my department's Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge or the Irish Language Learners Scheme. This scheme exists in order to foster language acquisition and enrichment opportunities in the Gaeltacht outside of the post-primary education system for learners of the...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Níl mórán le rá agam ag an tús, ach gabhaim buíochas leis an gcoiste as ucht freastal ar an teacht-chun-boird breise seo. Tuigim gur trathnóna déanach é agus go mbeimid anseo amárach. I thank the Cathaoirleach, the members and the clerk and his team for facilitating three sittings in a few...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (18 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy for his amendment but I will not be accepting it. I agree with him about giving children the best start in life. That is why we focused on the child support payment in particular in this budget and made record increases to it. I do have an issue - this is going to be a common theme for the evening - with reports in legislation. It is not something I agree with...