Results 41-60 of 15,366 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I have no difficulty with reviews. I have committed that I will keep the committee informed but to put it in primary legislation in this instance, in the instance of a working scheme such as this, is unnecessary at this point. I will keep the committee informed and engaged with it about the implementation of this Bill. It is a Bill I myself intend to keep a close watch on and I know that...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 30: In page 3, line 6, after "1997" to insert "; to amend the Family Courts Act 2024".

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 26 In page 20, after line 17, to insert the following: “Attendance at, and participation in, questioning of detained person by relevant officers during interview by member of An Garda Síochána 20. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 250B: “250C. (1)Where a member of An Garda...

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

Dara Calleary: My Department is aware of the sensitivities involved in conducting reviews of means-tested payments, particularly where older people and those living with disabilities are concerned. The Department has a commitment to an annual level of control reviews and operates an ongoing continuous schedule of control and review activity for scheme recipients. The primary purpose of these reviews is to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 126 and 127 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 comfort...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: 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 comfort and security regarding their retirement savings. I recently...

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

Dara Calleary: Within the social welfare system, there are a number of supports for people who suffer a bereavement. In particular, there is an arrangement known as the six-weeks payment after death which allows for certain payments to continue to be made after a person dies. If a person is in receipt of a primary social welfare payment which includes a child support payment and, tragically, that child...

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

Dara Calleary: In administering over 140 schemes and services, the staff of my Department interact daily with a wide and diverse group of customers. This includes families, people in employment, unemployed people, people with illnesses and disabilities, carers, older people and employers. I believe it is crucial that my officials act with empathy and courtesy at all times. My Department is acutely aware...

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

Dara Calleary: The person concerned reached pension age on 15 April 2025. As the records held by my department did not match the employment history provided by the person concerned on their pension application, their case has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector to examine the matter further. An interview will be scheduled with the person concerned to progress the review. In the meantime, I have...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: A person’s PRSI contribution record is of vital importance for determining current and future entitlement to Social Welfare Benefits, these records are maintained by the Client Eligibility Section of my department. If an individual believes any information on their PRSI contribution record is incorrect or incomplete, they must report this matter to the Client Eligibility Section who...

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

Dara Calleary: My Department’s officials have estimated that approximately 3,800 individuals approaching the State Pension Age of 66 years within the remainder of 2025 do not have the required social insurance contribution record to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory). The figure for all of those attaining State Pension Age in 2025 is just over 8,000. The data my Department holds...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: An Teanga Gaeilge (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Tacaíonn Údarás na Gaeltachta leis an earnáil luathbhlianta sa Ghaeltacht trí dheontas reáchtála a sholáthar do Chomhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta (CNNG) a chuireann ar a gcumas tacú le bunú, forbairt agus reáchtáil seirbhísí luathoideachais trí Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Tá breis agus 135 seirbhís...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The CLÁR programme is one of a number of supports available to communities for the development of recreational facilities such as playgrounds. Measure 1 of the CLÁR programme is administered by the local authorities who review applications received locally and can select up to 15 projects for onward submission to my Department for consideration for funding each year. I understand...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Coláistí Samhraidh (25 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Ní bheidh figiuirí ar fáil go dtí deireadh na bliana maidir le líon na scoláirí a d'fhreastal ar choláistí samhraidh i 2025.

Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025: Instruction to Committee (24 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I move: That it be an instruction to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development on the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025, that pursuant to Standing Order 194, the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing provisions of the Bill to provide that: — Invalidity Pension is a pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Uniforms (24 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. The rates of payment for the 2025 scheme are €160 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €285 for children...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (24 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The marriage bar was a legal requirement for women in the Irish civil service and some areas of the public service to retire from employment after marriage. While the legislation applied only to the civil and public sector, a similar policy was adopted by other sectors, such as the banking sector. The marriage bar for civil servants was removed from legislation in 1973. The impact of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (24 Jun 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. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of any appeal by the person concerned having been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Inquiries (24 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: My department received an application for Illness Benefit from the person concerned on the 15th May 2025. Unfortunately, the person concerned did not qualify for payment of Illness Benefit as she did not satisfy the PRSI conditions. In order to qualify for Illness Benefit, you must meet conditions related to age and social insurance (PRSI) contributions. You must have at least 104...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Gender Recognition (24 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Gender Recognition Act 2015 and its current provisions are the responsibility of the Department of Social Protection. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.