Results 641-660 of 14,252 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Last week I approved over €26 million for 369 community centres under Category 2 of the Community Centre Investment Fund 2024. Funding of up to €100,000 will be provided to each successful community centre to support vital refurbishment and enhancement works. The projects include building renovations, enhanced amenities, accessibility measures and energy upgrades to help build...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has a number of capital programmes designed to support community groups wishing to renovate facilities and public spaces which are available to the wider community. While the area referred to by the Deputy is not eligible under CLÁR, the project may be eligible under a future iteration of the Community Recognition Fund (CRF). The CRF has supported a number of renovation...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1964 to 1967, inclusive, together. There are four agencies under the remit of my Department; the Charities Regulator, the Western Development Commission (WDC), Water Safety Ireland (WSI) and Pobal. The role and functions of each of these bodies is set out in the relevant legislation, namely the Western Development Commission Act 1998, and the Water Safety...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Reviews (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: As with other schemes of my Department, the Community and Voluntary Pillar (C&V Pillar) funding scheme is kept under continuous review. Notwithstanding this, over the last twelve months officials at my Department have engaged with members of the C&V pillar, both as a group and bilaterally, regarding the need to consider options for the future of the scheme. Department officials will...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The main purpose of the Dormant Accounts Acts is to reunite account holders with their funds. Unclaimed funds are transferred to the Dormant Accounts Fund, which is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency. The beneficial owner has a right to reclaim their money at any time. Legislation governing Dormant Accounts established an administrative framework within which Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Last week I was delighted to announce over €26 million in funding for 369 community centres under Category 2 of the Community Centre Investment Fund 2024. Funding of up to €100,000 will be provided to each successful community centre to support vital refurbishment and enhancement works. The projects include building renovations, enhanced amenities, accessibility measures and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: Supports for public realm improvements and walkways are available from my Department, in collaboration with local authorities, through a range of different investment schemes. The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, water-based recreation sites and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, water-based recreation sites and mountain trails. The 2024/2025 ORIS scheme is currently open. The deadline for applications under measure 1 and the Project Development Measure (PDM) has now passed. Applications...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: On Tuesday 11th March 2025, I was delighted to announce over €26 million for 369 community centres under Category 2 of the Community Centre Investment Fund 2024. Funding of up to €100,000 will be provided to each successful community centre to support vital refurbishment and enhancement works. The projects include building renovations, enhanced amenities, accessibility measures...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (19 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department follows the current advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as set out in Cyber Security Guidance on Generative AI for Public Sector Bodies published on 1 June 2023. Artificial Intelligence tools are not widely used in my Department and no funding was allocated or expended in 2024 on artificial intelligence systems. However, my Department’s Press Office...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rental Sector (6 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: The number of people availing of Rent Supplement has reduced significantly. The Housing Accommodation Payment scheme and the Rental Accommodation scheme, administered by the local authorities, are now by far the largest schemes providing rental supports. Accordingly, the issue of a review in the rent limits used across all three schemes is a matter for the Minister of Housing, Local...

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

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and the habitual residency conditions. Social Welfare Legislation provides that the means test takes account of the...

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

Dara Calleary: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. I can confirm that CA has been in payment to the person concerned for their first care recipient since 30 September...

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

Dara Calleary: On receipt of an application for State Pension (contributory), entitlement to the standard State Pension (contributory) is examined first. Under current eligibility conditions, a person must have 520 full-rate paid contributions to qualify for standard state pension (contributory). According to the records of my Department, the first person concerned has a total of 320 full-rate...

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

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and the habitual residency conditions. The person concerned has been in receipt of DA since 18 November 2020 and had been...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Statutory Instruments (6 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: I will shortly be bringing Regulations to extend the timeframe for a further two years where the rental income from the 'Rent a room' scheme will be disregarded for means-tested schemes in my Department. This allows that up to €14,000 rent per annum will be ignored from the means test of social assistance schemes and Supplementary Welfare Allowance. Tenants cannot be direct family...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (6 Mar 2025)

Dara Calleary: A specific standard was set for School Meals under the Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals. A technical Nutrition Sub Group comprised of Dietitians from the following organisations was involved in developing these standards: The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland,The HSE,Safefood, andThe Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The...

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

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 and 316 together. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders across the country affected by Storm Éowyn, and had previously been activated in November 2024 to assist householders affected by Storm Bert.Since Storm...

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

Dara Calleary: The Department manages Intreo Centres nationwide and delivers a wide range of services to customers. SAR Group provided the department with security services from 2022 until 30 September 2024. In 2024, following a competitive procurement process, the department awarded Synergy Security Solutions Ltd. with a contract for the provision of security services for an initial two-year period....

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

Dara Calleary: Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is made over the winter season - from September to April - at the weekly rate of €33 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum instalments - one in September and one in January. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per...