Results 1,061-1,080 of 14,252 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Legislative Measures (11 Feb 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. As the Deputy is aware, on 22nd January 2024, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the entitlement of an unmarried cohabitant to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Expenditure (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: IT external service provision is defined by the Department of Finance as where a person or organisation provides the services or the human/physical resources to meet the ICT needs of a Department. These requirements could include software development, network installation and management, infrastructure management, data centre hosting, managed services etc. Details as requested by the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Ministerial Responsibilities (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I wish to inform the Deputy that no Minister of State has been appointed to my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 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. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22nd...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body, under the aegis of my Department, that is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. In line with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, my Department undertook a Periodic Critical...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizens Information Services (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body, under the aegis of my Department, that is responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. In 2017 following lengthy and extensive analysis, and a detailed consultation period with all stakeholders, the Board...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The main income supports to carers provided by the Department of Social Protection are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €1.9 billion in 2025. The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 to 421, inclusive, together. Work programmes such as Tús and Community Employment (CE) are initiatives that enable the long-term unemployed to contribute to their communities whilst upskilling themselves for prospective future employment. One of the qualifying conditions to avail of the opportunities provided by Tús is that a person...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Public Service Obligation (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department currently has 5 separate contracts in place for subsidised transport services for Árainn Mhór and Oileán Thóraí. These contracts provide those island communities with a range of passenger and cargo ferry services along with a seasonal helicopter service (in conjunction with the HSE). It should be noted that these services are not operated as Public...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Community groups and volunteers throughout the country have played an important role in supporting families and vulnerable groups in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. This has complemented the Cross Government response by government departments, local authorities, utility companies and emergency services, in particular with regard to those areas impacted for a long period of time. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Responsibilities (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm it is my intention to publish the Ministerial brief on my Department's website in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Legislative Process (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My department enacted one piece of legislation in 2024, the Charities (Amendment) Act 2024, which was signed into law on the 10th July 2024. The details of the Act, with respect to the questions raised, are presented in tabular form below. Specify in which House of the Oireachtas the Bill was initiated The Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023 was initiated in Dáil...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Public Sector Pay (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The pay scale that applies to the Secretary General in the Department of Rural and Community Development is Secretary General Level III. These pay scales are set centrally in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Deliver and Reform, and are subject to pay increases in line with the Public Sector Pay Agreement 2024-2026.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Charities Regulatory Authority (the ‘Charities Regulator’) was established in October 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009. The Regulator is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with the mandate to promote good governance practice. The Charities Regulator is under the aegis of my department. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Recognition Fund (CRF) was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects. A further €50 million in funding under the Community Recognition Fund was announced last year. This second iteration of the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Development Companies (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Community groups and volunteers throughout the country have played an important role in supporting families and vulnerable groups, in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. This has complemented the Cross Government response by government departments, local authorities, utility companies and emergency services, in particular with regard to the areas impacted for a long period of time. In...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Town centre regeneration is a key focus of my Department and the funding schemes available within the Department are guided by the national Town Centre First policy which seeks to tackle vacancy and ensure our rural towns are vibrant and lived-in places. As the Deputy will be aware, the property referred to and known as Grant’s Hotel in Roscrea is a privately owned property and as...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services for my Department are provided by the Office of the Government Chief Information Office (OGCIO) and, therefore, there is limited use of external ICT services. On occasion, the Department procures external ICT services to supplement the managed desktop service and helpdesk provided by the OGCIO. This includes, for example, support to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ministerial Responsibilities (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I am currently in discussions regarding the delegation of functions to the Minister of State within my Department. A formal delegation of functions order will be drafted in the coming weeks. Once finalised and signed, the order will be made available on the Irish Statute Book.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of large scale capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. Funding is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies, who take the lead role in individual projects. Calls for applications to the RRDF are sought under two categories, Category 1 and...