Results 41-60 of 16,907 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (12 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: We are having that impact. We are also looking at a pay-related approach in a number of other areas. The increases in PRSI that are contained in the PRSI roadmap are to address the future sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund, as well as pay-related benefit schemes. I remind the House that we are paying up to €450 per week to recipients under this scheme, which is...

Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (12 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." As colleagues know, Standing Order 174A provides that pre-legislative scrutiny is not required for a social welfare Bill which gives effect to budget measures. This Bill provides the legislative basis for the key social welfare budget measures. It also provides for some technical amendments to the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means-tested social assistance payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. My Department has over 90 schemes of which a significant number are means-tested schemes,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Nov 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. The person concerned has been awarded IP with effect from 21 August 2025 and will receive their first payment and all arrears due for the period 21 August 2025 to 5...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Carer's Benefit was awarded to the person concerned from 18 September 2025. As the person was not entitled to Carer's Benefit on the first Thursday in June 2025, there is no automatic entitlement to the 2025 CSG grant. However, my Department received an application for the stand-alone CSG from the person concerned on 13 October 2025. In their application, the person confirmed that...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Government is committed to ensuring access to the labour market and Intreo employment services for eligible applicants, including women who have left abusive relationships. Employment supports and access to the labour market are available to International Protection (IP) applicants and those granted protection (refugee status or subsidiary protection). In compliance with the EU Reception...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Staff in customer facing roles, including Intreo Office and Community Welfare Service teams, receive comprehensive training and guidance in customer service. In addition my Department has a dedicated Safeguarding Unit which acts on reports of alleged abuse of all social welfare recipients aged 18 and over. The Safeguarding Unit is promoted within my Department to ensure that all staff are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned applied for Carers Allowance on 7th March 2025. Their application was refused on 9th April 2025, on the grounds that the person concerned had not established that they are providing full time care and attention, within the meaning of social welfare legislation and as their assessed means exceed the limit to qualify for this payment. The person concerned submitted an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I first want to acknowledge the extremely difficult circumstances faced by families in this situation. The Civil Registration Act 2004 allows for the registration of a stillborn child and the production of a certificate from the Register of Stillbirths. The definition of a stillborn child was most recently amended by the Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Act 2024. The criteria...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Fraud (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The majority of people supported by my Department receive payments to which they are legitimately entitled. However, to protect the integrity of the system and target resources at those most in need, the Department has a broad ranging and comprehensive control strategy, the Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy, which aims to ensure that suspected fraud and non-compliance in our welfare system...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Paternity Leave (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Policy responsibility for paternity leave is the responsibility of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. My Department does not hold data in respect of paternity leave. In 2024, 27,729 claims were awarded for Paternity Benefit. There were 22,298 claims awarded to the end of September for Paternity Benefit in 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: As of 01 November 2025, 40,221 parents have been issued a new baby grant since it was introduced in December 2024. The breakdown by county is as follows: County Recipients Carlow 461 Cavan 687 Clare 919 Cork 4,452 Donegal 1,260 Dublin ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Entitlement to a jobseeker payment is dependent on the recipient being available for, capable of and genuinely seeking work. This reflects the concept of ‘rights and responsibilities’ whereby people who are unemployed have the right to an income support from the State and a right to be supported in their efforts to secure employment, but also have a responsibility to seek...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Since Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit was introduced on 31 March 2025, there have been 49,617 recipients awarded a claim for Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit as of 01 November 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Development Projects (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Since becoming Minister, I have prioritised investment in community infrastructure to support our communities. The Community Centre Investment Fund was introduced to provide high quality, accessible, community spaces that are available to all groups in all communities in both rural and urban areas. Some €110 million has been allocated since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (6 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the upgrade of non-public rural roads and laneways that are usually not maintained by local authorities. Since its establishment in 2017, the Government has allocated nearly €184 million to LIS. While the Department provides funding, the scheme is run locally by local authorities, who are responsible for choosing and prioritising roads....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (5 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to provide income support for low income farmers. It replaced the former smallholder's unemployment assistance payment. In line with the then pre-existing arrangements for unemployment assistance (including smallholders), any income from self-employment was exempt from the class S social insurance charge applied to self-employed workers,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (5 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. The aim of introducing AE is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income. The new system - to be known as My Future Fund - will commence from 1 January 2026. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Nov 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. The person concerned has been awarded IP with effect from 21 August 2025 and will receive their first payment and all arrears due for the period 21 August 2025 to 5...