Results 101-120 of 16,540 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public transport services and on private transport services operating the Free Travel scheme. There are over 1.1 million customers with direct eligibility for Free Travel. As part of Budget 2024, Free Travel was extended to people who are medically certified as unfit to drive. From 29th July 2024, the measure extended access to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16. You can also receive Child Benefit for children aged 16, 17 and 18 if they are in full-time education or full-time training, or have a disability and cannot support themselves. The scheme was expanded in May 2024 to include children up to the month of their 19th birthday who are in full-time education....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Over 80 allowance is an increase of €10 per week on the basic pension rate, which is automatically awarded to qualified pensioners on attaining 80 years of age. Those aged 80 or over in receipt of the Carer's Allowance will also receive the Over 80 allowance. Only one such allowance is payable in respect of each primary payment. At the end of August 2025, 203,469 people were in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (30 Sep 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. The status of the schools for the 2025/26 year stated by the deputy above are as follows: ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Domestic Violence (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The accommodation needs of victims of domestic violence are met through a joined-up service delivery model provided by Tusla with the close involvement of the various housing authorities nationwide. The Rent Supplement scheme is administered by my Department. Access to Rent Supplement can be provided on referral by Tusla or by prescribed Tusla-funded service providers. This provides...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 666 to 668, inclusive, together. The introduction of a pensions auto-enrolment (AE) system is a Programme for Government commitment, and one of my key priorities as Minister for Social Protection. 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....

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Social Enterprise Sector (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027, represents an ambitious step forward in the Government’s ongoing commitment to social enterprise. Building upon the foundation laid by its predecessor, it puts forward a vision designed to help cultivate and sustain strong, impactful social enterprises in Ireland. Minister Buttimer was in attendance for the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Information and Communications Technology (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's Information and Communications Technology Managed Desktop and Managed Hosting Service is provided by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation through the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). My Department's internet service and access to the Government Cloud is provided through Government...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (or the RRDF) is a major capital investment programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects which can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. To date, the RRDF has allocated €593 million for 243 projects across Ireland. A 4th Call for Category 2 applications was launched in October 2024....

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Development Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided approximately €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. I am committed to delivering further iterations of the scheme in the coming years in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Gaeltacht Policy (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The deputy will be aware that the Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill, 2024 passed Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann before the summer recess. The main purpose of this Bill is to reintroduce elections to the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. However, in order to support the provision of housing in Gaeltacht areas, the Bill contains a provision to allow an...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Údarás na Gaeltachta (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The deputy will be aware that the Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill, 2024 passed Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann before the summer recess. The main purpose of this Bill is to reintroduce elections to the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. However, in order to support the provision of housing in Gaeltacht areas, the Bill contains a provision to allow an...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Development Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department supports playgrounds and other community facilities that are not privately owned and are widely available for free for community use. This includes support through the CLÁR Programme, LEADER, the Local Enhancement Programme and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Measure 1 of the CLÁR programme provides funding for community recreation facilities and amenities,...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Budget 2026 (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Deputy should be aware that baseline funding from my Department for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht has more than doubled over the past five years. 2026 financial allocations for each Government department, including my own, will be agreed as part of the Estimates Process, negotiations in respect of which are currently underway. I can assure the Deputy that I will be doing my...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Community Development Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided approximately €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. I am committed to delivering further iterations of the scheme in the coming years in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: As I said in my main response, farm assist is a flexible payment as compared to, for instance, jobseeker's allowance, and there are better supports available to those on farm assist. That flexibility is built-in, as I said. Self-employed income, under jobseeker's allowance, is assessed at 100%. Under farm assist, that is 70%. Child disregards apply under farm assist which do not apply to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy for the question. As we discussed offline yesterday, it would be good to start a conversation in this space and it might be something that the social protection committee could look at. Child benefit is a monthly payment to families with children up to the age of 16. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 19th birthday where they are in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: Absolutely. It is definitely worth an engagement and an analysis. My Department would be more than happy to engage in a conversation around the international experience and the international data, but also engage with the organisations in this space for their expertise on that. Certainly, the Department officials will engage. I look forward to seeing that engagement and I will work with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: Absolutely, it is. Under the national human rights strategy for disabled people, one of our jobs is to lead a strategic focus network from within the Department. The network will include people with disabilities and their advocates. I have asked the officials to expedite the establishment of that group, and one of the areas we will be looking at is the cost of disability payment. I intend...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Schemes (25 Sep 2025)

Dara Calleary: The wage subsidy scheme is a key disability employment support provided by my Department. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to disabled people through a subsidy. As the Deputy knows, the employee must work at least 15 hours per week for the employer to qualify for the scheme. The subsidy is payable for a maximum of 39 hours per week. The base...