Results 1,001-1,020 of 14,252 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Staff (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am committed to supporting progress on gender equality in the Department of Rural and Community Development and to fair and equal treatment of all our staff and stakeholders. My Department completed a Gender Pay Gap report in 2024 which outlines how we will continue to review the gender balance in the Department. In particular, we will monitor the gender balance at middle management and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (18 Feb 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. Since the launch of the scheme, funding of over €129 million has been approved for more than 1,770 projects nationwide. Under the ORIS 2024/2025 scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The 2023-2027 LEADER Programme supports a broad range of private enterprises and community groups who improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. The Programme is delivered by a network of Local Action Groups (LAGs) selected to implement Local Development Strategies for their respective geographical areas. In line with the LEADER Operating Rules, when evaluating...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 877 and 881 together. I can confirm that there are no empty buildings or undeveloped sites within my Department's portfolio. My Department currently occupies office space at Trinity Point, Dublin 2, and Government Buildings, Ballina, Co. Mayo. Both are in the ownership of the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Budgets (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme for the purchase by a registered community based-organisation of a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Artificial Intelligence (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is guided in respect of the use of Artificial Intelligence by advices 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. I can confirm that Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Co-Pilot are not currently in use in my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Responsibilities (18 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: As I advised the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Question 733 of 11 February, it is my intention to publish my Department's Ministerial Briefing document in due course. It will be published on www.gov.ie/drcd.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. To qualify, the Carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (13 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Assessments for partial capacity benefit scheme are undertaken by my department’s medical assessors, who are experienced doctor’s with various sub-specialty qualifications, all hold full registration with the Irish medical council. Each application is assessed on its own merits and based on the submitted medical evidence, relevant medical and clinical factors are taken into...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 Feb 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. In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals Scheme will be extended to all remaining...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (13 Feb 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. Once claims are in payment, the Department periodically reviews them to ensure that there is continued entitlement. In...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: As you may be aware the UK and Ireland state pension systems each operate under their respective rules and requirements as set out in national legislation and the systems are coordinated through the EU-UK Trade & Cooperation agreement to ensure that:Irish citizens living in Ireland can still benefit from social insurance contributions made while working in the UK, and vice versaEU...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (13 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €400 million in 2025. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household. It is important to note that people who are resident in Ireland and in receipt...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (13 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an ANP to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. The ANP scheme is means tested and administered by Designated Persons (DPs) in the Community Welfare Service, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Weather Events (13 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: 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. The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is to provide financial support to people whose homes are damaged and who are not able to meet costs for essential...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Feb 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 Appeals (13 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department provides a suite of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions and means-tested social assistance schemes. The primary social assistance scheme for people who are blind or visually impaired is the Blind Pension, which is a means-tested payment payable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Feb 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. Correspondence was received from the person concerned on 14 January 2025 with...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (13 Feb 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: School Meals Programme (13 Feb 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. A specific standard was set for School Meals under the Nutritional Standards for School Meals and...