Results 901-920 of 15,365 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Grant Payments (8 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance is a means-tested payment for people with a disability who are aged between 16 and 66. In order to be eligible, the disability must be expected to last for at least one year. The allowance is also subject to a means test, a medical assessment and a habitual residency requirement. Support for artistic work in general is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Arts,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Pay (8 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Irish civil service has a common pay and grading system with pay levels determined centrally. The table below details the number of officers earning more than €100,000 per year from employment with my department and with The Pensions Authority and the Citizens Information Board. Number of Officers earning more than €100,000 per year ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Road Projects (8 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 457, 458 and 459 together. 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, almost €170 million has been provided by the Government to local authorities under the Scheme. In April 2024,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Projects (8 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's ICT managed service is provided by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). On occasion, when necessary, external ICT contracts are used to deliver projects for which the scale or expertise required is not available within the Department. My Department and agencies follow all necessary requirements with regard to such projects, including obtaining...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Burial Grounds (8 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has responsibility for policy and legislation in relation to local authority burial grounds while the actual operation of burial grounds is the responsibility of the local authority concerned. Under the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Acts, 1878 to 2001, local authorities are deemed to be burial boards for their respective functional areas. Acting in their capacity as...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (8 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The development and enhancement of community centres and facilities across the country is a priority for me and this Government. For the information of the Deputy, full details of range of the supports available within my Department, including those for community centres, can be accessed at In relation to the funding of community centres in particular, an integrated approach across a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Public Sector Staff (8 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Each year my Department provides salary information in its Appropriation Account which is submitted to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (OCAG) and published following audit. Our 2024 account remains subject to audit and will be published along with other Departments accounts once that process is complete. The table below provides the information requested for my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned reached pension age on 10 March 2014. They are currently in receipt of an increase for a qualified adult on their spouse’s state pension (contributory) at the maximum weekly rate. This is equivalent to just under 90% of the maximum personal rate of state pension (contributory). An application for state pension (contributory) was received in September 2013 for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The median time taken for decision reviews of Carer's Allowance claims carried out under the appeals process for 1 January - 31 March 2025 was 4.9 weeks. Note that this does not include decision reviews carried out outside the appeals process, as statistics for these are not maintained by the DSP. This is measured from the time the appeal is registered to when the decision is made by the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office 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: Ministerial Responsibilities (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: A Minister of State has not been appointed to the Department of Social Protection.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a Disablement Pension in respect of a workplace accident dated 4 July 1981. On 2 July 2018, an application for Disablement Benefit in respect of pneumoconiosis was received from the person concerned. On 24 October 2018, the person concerned was requested to submit up to date medical evidence in support of their application. This evidence was...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The new 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. The new...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office 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 Schemes (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 provided for changes to the social welfare means test to exclude child maintenance payments from assessment in all means-tested payments that my Department provides. This was one of the recommendations of the Report of the Child Maintenance Review Group in relation to the social welfare system. This change to the social...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 May 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. Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse /civil partner / cohabitant, property (except their own...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Cycling Facilities (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Details supplied: Cycle to Work applications processed by year 2020-2024. Year Applications 2020 210 2021 237 2022 150 2023 111 2024 138 Total 846 The information requested is set out in the table...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the social security arrangements between Ireland and the United Kingdom, the respective authorities exchange social insurance record details for pension entitlement assessment purposes. State pension (contributory) applications are examined to establish entitlement based on a person’s Irish contribution record. If a person does not qualify for a pension or qualifies for a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 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 judgment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (7 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet expenses that an eligible person cannot pay from their weekly income. The ANP scheme is demand led and administered by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in the Community Welfare Service (CWS), taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the...