Results 81-100 of 16,865 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has an Enterprise Agreement in place with the company in question since 2024. As part of the Department’s commitment to emerging technology, it is trialling various technologies in a newly established Innovation Hub.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: After the birth of a child, the medical personnel involved record the sex of the child. The child's sex will be recorded as either "Male" or "Female" on the birth notification form. If it is felt that there is not sufficient medical evidence to make a determination of "Male" or "Female", "undetermined" is recorded. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Birth Certificates (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: After the birth of a child, the medical personnel involved record the sex of the child. If it is considered that there is not sufficient medical evidence to determine the sex of the child, "undetermined" is recorded. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (4 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. There was a total of 112 schools affected by the withdrawal of two suppliers under common ownership and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Section 10(1) of the Pensions Act 1990 sets out that the functions of the Pensions Authority include advising me on all matters in relation to pensions generally. The Pensions Authority informed the Department that it intended, from 30 September 2025, to commence a consultation seeking views on the regulation of Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) investments. In its consultation,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an appeal was received for the person concerned on 28th October 2025 and has now been finalised. An Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The available evidence failed to establish that the person concerned is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The current average processing time for appeals up to end of Quarter 3 2025 is 21.2 weeks. The average processing time for appeals processed in 2024 was 23.5 weeks. The breakdown of processing times for each individual scheme for 2024 can be found in the 2024 Social Welfare Appeals Office Annual Report which is available on the Social Welfare Appeals Office website...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: This claim has been reviewed by Officials from my Department, however the decision to disallow still stands as the customer has no paid PRSI in 2022-2024 and 33 paid PRSI in 2025. To qualify for Maternity Benefit starting in 2025 a PAYE customer must satisfy one of the following PRSI contribution conditions: (a) At least 39 paid PRSI contributions in the 12-month period before the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. In order to qualify for WFP, an applicant must have a qualified child and be engaged in full-time paid employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight. To qualify for Working Family Payment a person must be in employment working a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1228 and 1229 together. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs) who are resident in a State provided Designated Accommodation Centre where meals and utilities are provided are disqualified from entitlement to social assistance payments, including Carers Allowance. Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who do not reside in Designated Accommodation Centres are entitled to social welfare benefits, including...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs) who are resident in a State provided Designated Accommodation Centre where meals and utilities are provided are disqualified from entitlement to social assistance payments such as Jobseekers Allowance, Disability Allowance and Carers Allowance. Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who do not reside in Designated Accommodation Centres are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs) who are resident in State provided Designated Accommodation Centre where meals and utilities are provided are disqualified from entitlement to social assistance payments such as Jobseekers Allowance, Disability Allowance and Carers Allowance. BoTPs who reside in Designated Accommodation Centres continue to have an entitlement to Child Benefit and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1233 and 1234 together. The introduction of a pensions auto-enrolment system is a Programme for Government commitment, and one of my key priorities. The aim of introducing an AE system is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland, and to help provide for better retirement incomes for workers. The new system - to be known as My Future...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 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 18 September 2025 and will receive their first payment to their nominated bank account on 13 November 2025....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income and personal or household resources. This is an overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: Tá forbairt Ionaid Oideachais agus Óige in Indreabhán ar cheann de na tosaíochtaí straitéiseacha atá ag an Roinn faoin bPlean Forbartha Náisiúnta, i gcomhar le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta. Is éard atá beartaithe sa togra áis nua-aimseartha, ilfheidhmeach a thógáil in áit an fhoirgnimh ina bhfuil Coláiste...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department supports a wide range of measures and initiatives aimed at supporting non-governmental organisations in promoting the active use of Irish in the community, both in the linguistic heartlands of the Gaeltacht and in Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks. The Language Planning Process lies at the heart of this work. The Language Planning Process provides...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Schemes (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was launched in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designated to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since its launch, almost €184 million has been allocated to over 1,800 projects nationally. The Scheme, which sees local authorities work with communities throughout the country, primarily targets funding at rural...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Road Network (4 Nov 2025)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm that my Department has not received any correspondence on the matter identified. I would note that the agency referred to is under the aegis of the Department of Transport, and that transport policy and road safety policy are matters for the Minister for Transport. My Department has no role with regard to these matters.