Results 121-140 of 14,252 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Services (CWS) was activated on Thursday 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn. The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) is operated in 3 stages. Stage 1 of the scheme is to address hardship in the immediate aftermath of a severe weather event...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (1 May 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. Detailed information on the number of claims awarded, rejected and withdrawn across the Department is currently being finalised...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (1 May 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: Poverty Impact Assessment (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 284 together. This Government recognises the additional costs associated with having a disability and is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people. That is why we have priortised the development of a new National Disability Strategy; a cross-governmental strategy that will have a focus on improving access to services and bringing down...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Application Forms (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I wish to advise that the Jobseekers application for the person concerned has been received and has been referred to the Social Welfare Inspector for examination. The Social Welfare Inspector has advised that they are progressing the examination of this matter and as soon as a completed report is received the Deciding Office will progress the application. If the Person concerned is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pensions Reform (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The marriage bar was a legal requirement for women in the Irish civil service and some areas of the public service to retire from employment after marriage. While the legislation applied only to the civil and public sector, a similar policy was adopted by other sectors, such as the banking sector. The marriage bar for civil servants was removed from legislation in 1973. Civil and public...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Reviews (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: Given the nature of the details supplied I would, in the first instance, direct the person to their local enterprise office, which provides advice and support to people starting or growing a business. The network of offices, under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is in place to provide the type of advice sought. My Department operates a number of schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The LEADER Programme supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland, who have responsibility for the selection and approval of projects. The LEADER programme is a multi-annual programme, with the current programme...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The current LEADER Programme runs to 2027 and is now up and running across the country. It supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland which facilitates a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The current LEADER Programme runs to 2027 and is now up and running across the country. It supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups across rural Ireland. The monitoring framework for the LEADER programme is underpinned by the themes and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The LEADER Programme supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups across rural Ireland, facilitating a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. The LEADER programme is a multi-annual programme, with the current programme...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Department strives to ensure that programmes under its remit are operating effectively and efficiently, which includes the undertaking of independent evaluations. In 2021, the Department sought an independent review of LEADER delivery models for the 2014-2020 LEADER Programme. The overall aim of the review exercise was to gauge the effectiveness of the 2014-2020 LEADER programme and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The current LEADER Programme runs to 2027 and is now up and running across the country. It supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland, facilitating a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion programme, which aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies to help those in the greatest need. SICAP aims to address high and persistent levels of deprivation through targeted and innovative, locally-led approaches. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies to help those in the greatest need. SICAP has 2 programme goals. Goal one is supporting communities, which involves supporting local community groups...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion programme, which aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. It is national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 to 398, inclusive, together. The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports improving rural roads and laneways that are not usually maintained by local authorities. Since its establishment in 2017, the government has provided almost €170 million to local authorities for LIS. While the Department provides funding for LIS, the scheme is administered...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (1 May 2025)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 to 402, inclusive, together. Our Rural Future was published in 2021 and, over its five-year lifespan, has provided significant investment and supports, strengthened local economies and improved the lives of many people in rural communities across Ireland. My Department’s Rural Development Investment Programme continues support the objectives of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 Apr 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,...