We are working through all the recommendations and the review with a view to implementing them. One of the key recommendations was to ensure we can keep the minimum required hours and the subsidy under more regular review than was done previously. This is something we are absolutely going to make sure happens. We are also working with our colleagues in Intreo to ensure services and employment opportunities are availa…
TDs / Dara Calleary
Dara Calleary
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the GaeltachtMinister for Social Protection
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
0
questions asked
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them
234,885
words spoken in the chamber
234,882 as a minister, 3 as a TD
406
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
Members of the Government answer parliamentary questions rather than ask them, so this page lists none of theirs.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 896 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Contributions |
|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 42 |
| March 2025 | 66 |
| April 2025 | 12 |
| May 2025 | 140 |
| June 2025 | 43 |
| July 2025 | 32 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 46 |
| October 2025 | 40 |
| November 2025 | 42 |
| December 2025 | 42 |
| January 2026 | 43 |
| February 2026 | 74 |
| March 2026 | 31 |
| April 2026 | 45 |
| May 2026 | 46 |
| June 2026 | 40 |
| July 2026 | 37 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 45 |
| October 2026 | 30 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 735 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Mayo 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Rural and Community Development 23 January 2025 to 1 June 2025
- office Minister for Social Protection 23 January 2025 to 1 June 2025
- office Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht 2 June 2025 to now
- office Minister for Social Protection 2 June 2025 to now
Aontaím leis an Teachta go gcaithfimid an obair ag chur dínn agus an focal a chur amach. We did that this year through the summer after we relaunched the wage subsidy. We promoted it considerably and used targeted promotion to employers to encourage them to take on persons with disabilities and look at the opportunities that would bring to their businesses. In relation to the partial capacity scheme and the wage subs…
My Department provides a number of supports for small-scale farmers in the circumstances outlined by Deputy Roche. Farm assist is the statutory income support specifically for farmers on low incomes. A person can qualify for farm assist if he or she is aged from 18 to 66, engaged in farming and meets the other statutory scheme conditions of the scheme. The farm assist scheme is similar to the jobseeker's allowance in…
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 jobseekers.
In relation to t…
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 full-time education or have a di…
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 the Deputy in relation to it.
I completely agree.
I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"notes that:
— reducing child poverty and ensuring every child has the best start in life are key priorities for this Government and will be a core focus of Budget 2026;
— the Government has prioritised the reduction of child poverty through the establishment of the dedicated Child Poverty and Well-Being Programme Offic…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Thank you for your patience. The Government has prioritised the introduction of the automatic enrolment retirement savings fund, which will be known by its brand name, My Future Fund. It is one of our key reform commitments to support workers and has been a key priority for me personally as Minister for Social Protection.
The scheme is necessary to address the pension co…
I thank the Ceann Comhairle, the Business Committee and the Chief Whip, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for giving us the opportunity to discuss auto-enrolment today. There are specific worries I will engage with Deputies on over the coming days, to answer queries.
I welcome the support for the overall concept of a pensions auto-enrolment system. The aim of introducing auto-enrolment is to once and for all sol…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Heneghan. Is mór an chaill é do TG4 go bhfuil sé anseo sa Dáil. Tá muid ag iarraidh go mbeidh airgead breise ann, ach caithfear a rá freisin go bhfuil an méid airgid is mó riamh i stair an Stáit á chaitheamh ar chúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta. Tá muid ag iarraidh seasamh le daoine a bhfuil suim acu sa Ghaeltacht agus leo siúd a labhraíonn an Ghaeilge nó a bhfuil cónaí orthu sa Ghaelta…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Tabharfar aitheantas faoi Acht na Gaeltachta, 2012 do líonraí Gaeilge ach pleananna teanga a bheith aontaithe leis na pobail sna líonraí éagsúla i gcomhréir leis na critéir pleanála teanga fhorordaithe. Tá Foras na Gaeilge freagrach faoi Acht na Gaeltachta as tacaíocht a thabhairt d'eagraíochtaí maidir le hullmhú agus cur i bhfeidhm pleananna teanga sna líonraí Gaeilge. Tá trí líonra…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta agus tréaslaím go mór leis an obair atá ar siúl i gCill Dara faoi láthair agus le blianta anuas. Tá mé buíoch dó, dá athair agus don ghrúpa atá ag obair leo, as an obair sin. Mar is eol dó, bunaíodh Cill Dara le Gaeilge i 2014 agus tá mo Roinn ag cur maoiniú ar fáil ó 2021 chun oifigeach fheidhmiúchán a fhostú agus chun na costais a bhaineann le plean oibre an duine sin a chlúdach. I …
Tá an t-uafás oibre ar siúl i ngach cuid den tír. Tá 36 grúpa bainteach leis an nGaeilge i ngach cuid den oileán ag an bpointe seo, ní hamháin i gCill Dara. Tá naoi grúpa ann in áit a bhfuil líonra Gaeilge ann. Táimid ag obair le gach ceann de na grúpaí sin faoi chúrsaí airgeadais agus faoi chomhoibriú freisin. Tuigeann an tAire caiteachas phoiblí cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an scéim seo agus cé chomh tábhachtach atá…
Is í mo Roinn féin, thar ceann Rialtas na hÉireann, agus an Roinn Pobal ó Thuaidh thar ceann Fheidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann a chómhaoiníonn an Foras Teanga Thuaidh-Theas, ina gcumasctar Foras na Gaeilge agus Gníomhaireacht na hUltaise. Cuireann Rialtas na hÉireann 75% den bhuiséad Fhoras na Gaeilge ar fáil go bliantúil agus tagann an 25% eile ó Fheidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann de réir an chaiteachais a comhaontaí…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an mbeirt Teachta as sin. Tá sé an-tábhachtach dúinn teacht ar réiteach ach ní bheidh sé éasca. Nílim ag cur an mhilleáin ar aon duine go pearsanta. Tá na hoifigigh i mo Roinn ag obair go crua agus go dícheallach le hoifigigh na Roinne sa Tuaisceart. Tá siad fós ag déanamh na hoibre sin. Tá an obair sin ag leanúint ar aghaidh. Tá m'oifigigh ag rá go bhfuil siad ag leanúint ar aghaidh. Táimid ag …
Bíonn slite eile ann i gcónaí. Táim ag coimeád súil ghéar ar an bhfadhb seo agus tá mo chuid oifigeach ag obair go dian leis na hoifigigh sa Tuaisceart. Comhoibríonn na hoifigigh sin an-mhaith le chéile. Beimid ag coimeád súile air sin. Caithfimid airgead breise a fháil. Táim chun é sin a phlé leis an Aire caiteachais phoiblí, go háirithe i gcomhthéacs an chéad cháinaisnéis eile. Ag an bpointe seo, i lár mhí Iúil, tá…
I thank the Deputy for her question. Community centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages around the country. The Government recognises the very important role these centres play in bringing people together and facilitating community services and events.
Since its establishment in 2022, the community centres investment fund, CCIF, has provided some €110 million for the enhancement and refurb…
I agree with the Deputy. Where we can colocate community facilities, it is much better for everybody. It is a more cohesive community. I know the Minister, Deputy Foley, who has responsibility under the building blocks scheme, has also expressed an interest in working with the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer and myself on this.
To come back to Deputy McGreehan, as I said, over €80 million has been approved for th…
Tuigim go mór cé chomh tábhachtach is a bhí scéim na mbóithre áise le haghaidh mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht a cheiste fúithi. Mar a bhí luaite sa fhreagra i mí an Mhárta 2025, tá scéim na mbóithre áise curtha ar fionraí le roinnt blianta anuas. Faoin scéim sin, chuirtí airgead ar fáil do na húdaráis áitiúla ar mhaithe le hobair dheisiúcháin a dhéanamh ar bhóithre cáilithe faoi leit…
Tá obair bhunúsach déanta ag m’oifigigh sa Roinn. Tá muid ag scrúdú na meicníochta a bheidh muid in ann úsáid chun cuidiú leis na bóithre sin, go háirithe dóibh siúd a bhfuil cónaí orthu ar na bóithre sin nó a úsáideann iad le haghaidh obair feirmeoireachta. Mar a dúirt mé, tá an scéim feabhsaithe áitiúil ann agus tá mé ag cur béim ar an scéim sin chun airgead breise a fháil a thabharfaidh cuidiú breise do na húdarái…
Nuair a thiocfaidh Roinn na Gaeltachta go dtí an Roinn caiteachais phoiblí, is é sin an rud a bheidh muid ag déanamh. Is mian linn go mbeidh deiseanna breise ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus muintir na n-oileán. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh na deiseanna breise sin ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta amháin agus go mbeidh siad in ann iad a úsáid. Is é an rud is tábhachtaí ná go n-oibríonn muid amach scéim chun tacú…
Tacaíonn mo Roinn le raon tionscnamh chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn mar theanga oibre agus oifigiúil de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh agus chun a chinntiú go mbeidh soláthar leanúnach de dhaoine leis na cáilíochtaí agus scileanna cuí ar fáil do na seirbhísí teanga lena dtacaítear le húsáid na teanga in institiúidí éagsúla an Aontais Eorpaigh.
Airítear leis seo scéim intéirneachta a reáchtáil i gcomhpháirt leis an gCo…
Aontaím go mór leis an Teachta go bhfuil sár-iarracht ar bun, go háirithe le haghaidh na nGaeilgeoirí sa Bhruiséil. Is iontach a fheiceáil, in gach cathair san Eoraip, agus níos faide i gcéin, go bhfuil muintir na Gaeilge beo agus ag úsáid Gaeilge. Go háirithe sa Bhruiséil, tá dream iontach inti atá ag baint a lán úsáide as an nGaeilge. Eagraíonn siad Seachtain na Gaeilge gach Márta sa Bhruiséil agus oibríonn siad le…
Is é sin an rud is tábhachtaí faoin gceist seo. Tá dúshláin ann chun iarrthóirí a fháil a bhfuil na scileanna acu chun obair ar chaighdeán teanga an Aontais Eorpaigh. Tá an caighdeán sin tábhachtach. Tá oifigigh i mo Roinn i gcónaí ag obair leis na hinstitiúidí tríú leibhéil ionas go mbeidh na daoine agus na graduates leis na scileanna ann chun na scileanna sin a úsáid. Tá níos mó ná €1 milliún á chaitheamh ar an adv…