Results 1,061-1,080 of 16,746 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Carer’s Benefit is a payment available to insured people who may need to leave work or reduce their hours to care for a person or people in need of full-time care. It can be paid for a period of two years (104 weeks) for each person being cared for and may be claimed over separate periods up to a total of two years (104 weeks). Carer’s Benefit is a payment available to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The State Pension (Non-contributory) (SPNC) is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Irish Language (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is committed to the provision of services in Irish, in accordance with the Official Languages Acts, and through our Irish Language Scheme and our Customer Charter and Action Plan 2023-2026. As of 10th July 2025 we have just under 300 staff from a range of business areas who are willing to provide a service through Irish to our customers. My Department is committed to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: An increase for qualified adult (IQA) is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test income limit. Where a qualified adult has weekly means of less than €100, the maximum rate of IQA is payable....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds is a payment for people aged between 65 and 66 years who are retired, that is they have ceased all employment or self-employment. The person concerned applied for Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds(BP65) on the 17/01/2025. As the person concerned continues to pay self-employed PRSI on rental income it was considered that they have not ceased self-employment...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (15 Jul 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 person concerned applied for Domiciliary Care Allowance on 20th September 2022. Their application was refused on 19th...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance is my Department's primary disability related social assistance scheme. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement. The means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property – other than the family home – and capital. Applying a means-test ensures that the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: State pension (non-contributory) is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State pension (contributory) or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. Earnings from employment, self employment, occupational pensions, and foreign pensions are assessed as means. The...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Jul 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 the person concerned is in receipt of half rate CA in respect of the care of their daughter since...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned is currently in receipt of a reduced rate contributory state pension. This is based on a record of 719 full rate contributions which gives entitlement to 65% of the maximum rate. A an increase in respect of a qualified adult was also in payment in respect of his late spouse. Following the death of their spouse, my Department contacted the person concerned to advise...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Disability Allowance is my Department's primary disability related social assistance scheme.  The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement.  The means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, as well as the value of capital and property, other than the family home. Applying a means-test ensures...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: There are a number of national strategies that my Department is responsible for:The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 builds on the work of its predecessors with the aim to reduce consistent poverty to 2% or less and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU'.  Most of the commitments have been achieved.Pathways to Work 2021-2025 is the national...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The delivery of vital locally based Community Welfare Services to meet the challenges and the needs of citizens across the country is a priority for me and for my Department.  The Community Welfare Service (CWS) provides a flexible service to meet the different needs of people, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation.  It is a priority that this...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Department’s gross allocation for 2025 is €575.05 million, with an additional €2.2 million available from capital carried forward from 2024, giving a total available allocation of €577.25 million for 2025. Of that amount the capital budget is €260.25 million and current budget is €317 million. It should be noted that the figures for 2025 include a...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has staff based across 5 locations; Trinity Point, 10-11 South Leinster Street, Dublin 2; Government Buildings, Ballina, County Mayo; Na Forbacha, County Galway; Na Doirí Beaga, County Donegal, and Joyce House, Lombard Street Dublin 2. My Department occupies these offices on a tenancy basis and does not own any of the CCTV equipment in operation at these locations. I...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Policies (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: As the Deputy will note, the current administration is approaching it’s first six-months in existence following on from the 2024 General Election, subsequent Government formation negotiations and agreement of a new Programme for Government (PfG) – Securing Ireland’s future. Securing Ireland’s Future contains many commitments across all Government...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced disadvantage and significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. The closing date for receipt of applications under CLÁR 2025 has now passed for all measures. My officials have begun assessing...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: Our Rural Future 2021-2025 is the Government’s national rural development policy. It has provided vital investment and supports, strengthened local economies, and improved the lives of many people in rural communities across Ireland. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to publish and implement a new Our Rural Future policy from 2026. The process of developing...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is well placed to contribute to any discussions on the implementation of Programme for Government commitments, particularly as they relate to rural and urban communities. Indeed, my Department already funds a number of programmes that work on an ongoing basis to support and empower sustainable, inclusive and empowered communities, both rural and urban. These include but are not...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1052 and 1053 together. Our Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by the end of 2025. There are currently 387 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform. Details of...