Dara Calleary
Mayo · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Agriculture is the backbone. We have all been in the Mansion House today, or everyone has said they were anyway. Energy security is key and crucial. Everybody wants energy security but nobody wants wind energy. We have to strike a balance and get a real discussion, but food security is most important.”
“While we have gaps there, we are addressing them. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has announced the minor injury units, which will take the pressure off major hospitals and ensure services are available.”
“Recent figures from the CSO show that there is a 5.8% increase in the number of people living in rural areas between 2016 and 2022. In areas classified as highly rural and remote, the increase was 6.4%.”
“Enterprise Ireland is investing in Irish-owned, Irish-founded companies. Similarly, 59% of IDA investments were located outside the Dublin region. We will continue to work, looking at the progress we can make through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and, as Senator O'Loughlin said, through supporting our local enterprise offices.”
“That is something we do daily and they are used where is necessary. The plan will be supported by ambitious, clear, practical and measurable actions. I have spoken to some of the funding programmes available within my Department.”
“Táim tar éis cuairt a thabhairt ar gach ceantar Gaeltachta chun plé fairsing a dhéanamh leis na pobail sin chun a fháil amach uathu féin cén cineál tacaíochta ar féidir a chur ar fáil dóibh chun cabhrú leo. Táim chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair sin sa bhuiséad le teacht agus na buiséid eile.”
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“Lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht, beidh an maoiniú ar fáil do 13 baile seirbhíse Gaeltachta agus trí líonra Gaeilge a thagann faoi scáth Fhoras na Gaeilge. Tacaíonn an maoiniú seo le cur i bhfeidhm an mholta a rinneadh san athbhreithniú neamhspleách ar an bpróiseas pleanála teanga maidir le hacmhainní leordhóthanacha a bheith ar fáil do gach limistéar chun trealamh riachtanach oibre a cheannach. Aithnítear go mbeidh an ciste seo mar thacaíocht mhór do na hoifigigh pleanála teanga agus iad i mbun a gcuid oibre. Cuireann an Roinn cúnamh ar fáil faoin chlár tacaíochtaí pobal agus teanga do choistí agus eagraíochtaí pobalbhunaithe a fheidhmíonn trí Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Déantar tacaíocht a chur ar fáil d’eagraíochtaí Gaeltachta, ar nós Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, chun cláir oibre a chur ar bun.”
“I dteannta an mhaoinithe shuntasaigh atá á chur ar fáil ag mo Roinn don phróiseas pleanála teanga le blianta anuas, bhí ríméad orm a fhógairt ag tionól na n-oifigeach pleanála teanga i gCaisleán an Bharraigh inné go bhfuil ciste caipitil de €235,000 ceadaithe agam thar thréimhse cúig bliana d’earnáil na pleanála teanga go náisiúnta. San áireamh sa phacáiste seo, tá €155,000 ceadaithe d’Údarás na Gaeltachta agus €80,000 d’Fhoras na Gaeilge chun trealamh riachtanach oibre a sholáthar do na hoifigigh pleanála teanga a bhíonn ag feidhmiú sna réigiúin éagsúla. Mar a dúirt mé cheana, laistigh den Ghaeltacht bainfidh 26 LPT agus trí bhaile seirbhíse Gaeltachta faoi scáth Údarás na Gaeltachta leas as an gciste seo.”
“Tá maoiniú leanúnach ceadaithe ag mo Roinn do Chomhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta agus beidh clár nua trí bliana le haontú leis an eagraíocht seo sna seachtainí amach romhainn chun tacú leis na seirbhísí chúram leanaí agus luathoideachais sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. Tá maoiniú, ar luach €1.24 milliún é, ceadaithe d’Ealaín na Gaeltachta don bhliain reatha chun a chlár oibre a riar ar fud na Gaeltachta chomh maith. Beidh beagnach €500,000 á chur ar fáil ag mo Roinn do Mhuintearas chun cur ar a chumas tús a chur leis an bpróiseas oiliúna agus earcaíochta mar réamhullmhúchán don mhórphlean atá ag an eagraíocht do sholáthar seirbhísí óige. Beidh sé ag gníomhú i ngach LPT de réir mar atá dara timthriall na bpleananna teanga á fhaomhadh.”
“Idir an infheistíocht seo, tionchar an phlean gníomhaíochta agus tionchar na gcaighdeán teanga, a bheidh le seoladh i mbliana, cuirfear borradh faoin bpróiseas pleanála teanga sa tréimhse amach romhainn. Cuireann mo Roinn maoiniú ar fáil do cheithre eagraíocht ar leith a bhíonn ag feidhmiú sa Ghaeltacht: Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta, Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta, Muintearas agus Ealaín na Gaeltachta. Tá €5.4 milliún ceadaithe do Thuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta thar trí bliana chun cur ar chumas na heagraíochta breis foirne a earcú chun a cuid seirbhísí a leathnú agus a bhuanú ar fud na Gaeltachta.”
“Is údar áthais é go bhfuil na 26 limistéar pleanála teanga, LPT, ar fad ceadaithe faoin bpróiseas, chomh maith le trí líonra Gaeilge agus deich mbaile seirbhíse Gaeltachta. Tá oifigeach pleanála teanga fostaithe i nach mór gach LPT agus iad ar fad ag oibriú go díograiseach ag feidhmiú pleananna ar an talamh. Foilsíodh an t-athbhreithniú ar na pleananna teanga le déanaí ina bhfuil roinnt moltaí, cuid acu a bhaineann le feabhas a chur ar sheirbhísí poiblí sa Ghaeltacht. Léiríonn sé seo an tábhacht leis an gcéad plean gníomhaíochta um sheirbhísí poiblí Gaeilge a luaigh mé níos luaithe. Tar éis dom an t-ardú is mó riamh a fháil d’earnáil na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta i mbuiséad 2026, beidh €3 milliún breise á infheistiú sa phróiseas pleanála teanga i mbliana.”
“Tá maoiniú suntasach ceadaithe ag mo Roinn do thionscadail éagsúla i réimsí éagsúla den earnáil dhigiteach. Bíonn na hionaid ADAPT agus Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath ag forbairt áiseanna aistriúcháin agus acmhainní nuálaíochta teanga. Cuireann ABAIR, togra de chuid Choláiste na Tríonóide, córas teicneolaíochta aitheanta cainte ar fáil do phobal na Gaeilge. Tá an eagraíocht Kinia ag cur oiliúint agus áiseanna ar fáil d’oideachasóirí a bhíonn ag cur cúrsaí teicneolaíochta cruthaithí ar fáil do dhaoine óga. Tá Údarás na Gaeltachta i mbun oibre sa réimse seo freisin, ag breathnú go háirithe ar thionscnamh nuálach chun cumais Ghaeilge a chomhtháthú i dteicneolaíochtaí na hintleachta saorga.”
“As an líon sin, bhain os cionn 900 foghlaimeoir leas as an scéim scoláireachta, DEIS Gaeltachta, atá á mhaoiniú ag mo Roinn ó 2019. Ag aithint ról tábhachtach na dteaghlach aitheanta a chuireann lóistín ar fáil don scéim, mhéadaigh mé an fóirdheontas aon-oíche a chuirtear ar fáil do na teaghlaigh céanna go €14.50 in aghaidh an scoláire in aghaidh na hoíche in 2025. Is é seo an méadú aonair is mó ar an deontas le breis is cúig bliana. Seoladh scéim chaipitil ghearrthéarmaigh in 2025 chomh maith chun tacú le teaghlaigh sheanbhunaithe le costais uasghrádaithe leapacha buinc agus tochtanna. Bhí luach suas le €2,000, nó 80% de na costais, ar an deontas seo. Bhain breis is 250 teaghlach leas as. Tá tábhacht nach beag ag baint le hinfheistíocht sa réimse digiteach d’fhorbairt na Gaeilge agus pobal a labhartha.”
“Tá comhordaitheoir tiomnaithe tithe folmha Gaeltachta ceaptha le déanaí, i gcomhpháirtíocht le húdaráis áitiúla agus maoinithe ag Údarás na Gaeltachta, chun cabhrú le pobail aghaidh a thabhairt ar shaincheisteanna folúntais agus chun rochtain ar dheontais éagsúla de chuid an Stáit a éascú. Tá mé ag cur an-bhéim ar chúrsaí tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht. Beidh mé ag oibriú go dian leis an Aire tithíochta, an Teachta Browne, agus leis an gcoiste Gaeilge chun an fhadhb seo a réiteach. Tá mé ag súil le chomhpháirtíocht ina thaobh sin. Is í scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge an scéim is sine atá á riaradh ag an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta. D'fhreastail níos mó ná 29,000 foghlaimeoir ar chúrsaí a bhí aitheanta faoin scéim anuraidh, an líon is airde ó 2019.”
“Ar ábhar gaolmhar, tá figiúirí ar fáil go poiblí ó fhoinsí, lena n-airítear an Phríomh-Oifig Staidrimh agus an Roinn tithíochta, a léiríonn go bhfuil an treocht ó thaobh líon na dtithe sna contaetha Gaeltachta a fhaigheann cead pleanála, idir ráithí 2024 agus 2025, ag dul sa treo ceart in chuile chontae seachas ceann amháin. Tá an-éileamh chomh maith ar an deontas athchóirithe do réadmhaoin fholamh sna contaetha Gaeltachta le blianta beaga anuas. Ceadaíodh 302 iarratas maidir leis an deontas athchóirithe do réadmhaoin fholamh le linn 2024 agus 2025 i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Dáileadh beagnach €13 milliún idir na seacht gcontae Gaeltachta i ráithe 4 de 2025 faoin scéim seo. Ó thús na scéime go deireadh 2025, tá os cionn €73 milliún i ndeontais eisithe faoin deontas athchóirithe do réadmhaoin sna contaetha Gaeltachta.”
“Tá punann suntasach réadmhaoine ar fud na Gaeltachta á mbainistiú ag Údarás na Gaeltachta agus tá bonneagar fuíolluisce ar láithreacha éagsúla mar chuid de sin. De réir phlean tithíochta an Rialtais, Tithe a Sheachadadh, Pobail a Thógáil 2025-2030: Plean Gníomhaíochta don Soláthar Tithíochta agus chun Dul i nGleic leis Easpa Dídine, tá deis ann go bhféadfaidh Údarás na Gaeltachta comhoibriú le húdaráis ábhartha chun leas a bhaint as an mbonneagar atá ann cheana féin chun freastal ar riachtanais thithíochta i bpobail Ghaeltachta. Tá sé ráite ag Údarás na Gaeltachta go bhfuil plé ar bun leis na húdaráis áitiúla ina bhfuil deis oibriú le hUisce Éireann chun tairbhe a bhaint as an mbonneagar reatha sin.”
“Is é príomhchuspóir Údarás na Gaeltachta a chinntiú go mairfidh an Ghaeilge mar phríomhtheanga an phobail i gceantair Ghaeltachta agus go gcaomhnófar í do na glúnta atá le teacht. Is fiú nótáil go mbaineann saincheisteanna tithíochta leis an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta. Tá obair thábhachtach ar bun ag Údarás na Gaeltachta chun fostaíocht a chur ar fáil do phobail na nGaeltachta agus ní bheadh sé cuí béim agus fócas na heagraíochta ar chomhlíonadh an róil sin a laghdú ná a athrú. Dá bhrí sin, beidh ról tánaisteach ag an údarás maidir le tacú le soláthar tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht, i dteannta róil na Roinne Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta agus na n-údarás áitiúil.”
“Bhí 9,716 duine fostaithe i gcliaintchomhlachtaí an údaráis, agus bhí díolacháin ar luach os cionn €1 billiún sa Ghaeltacht anuraidh don dara bliain as a chéile. Tá roinnt tograí móra caipitil idir lámha ag an údarás i gcomhar le mo Roinn sa réimse oideachais agus turasóireachta agus i dtéarmaí bonneagar a leathnú agus inrochtaineacht a mhéadú i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Luafainn mar shampla forbairt an ionad oideachais agus óige in Indreabhán, agus an líonra Gteiceanna atá ar fáil anois fud fad na Gaeltachta. Tá fáil ar mheascán oiriúnach de thithe cuí ríthábhachtach chun inbhuanaitheacht phobail Ghaeltachta agus oileánacha rathúla a chinntiú. Tá freagracht ag Údarás na Gaeltachta as forbairt eacnamaíoch, teangeolaíoch, sóisialta agus cultúrtha laistigh den 26 limistéir pleanála teanga.”
“Tríd an obair seo, tá mé muiníneach go gcuirfear le heispéireas Gaeilge an chustaiméara, ag cur ar chumas lucht labhartha na Gaeilge í a úsáid i ngach gné dá saol, go háirithe ina bplé leis an Stát. Agus muid ag caint ar an nGaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht, ní bheadh sé cuí gan aitheantas a thabhairt do ról Údarás na Gaeltachta. Níl aon cheist ach go bhfuil obair thábhachtach déanta agus idir lámha ag an údarás le cúnamh mo Roinne ar mhaithe le saol phobal na Gaeltachta a fheabhsú, ar mhaithe leis an nGaeltacht a chosaint agus a fhorbairt, agus ar mhaithe leis an teanga a thabhairt slán don chéad ghlúin eile. Is ábhar sásaimh é gur éirigh leis an údarás 681 post nua a chruthú i gceantair Ghaeltachta in 2025.”
“Beidh tionchar suntasach ag na caighdeáin teanga ar stádas agus úsáid na Gaeilge sa tseirbhís phoiblí agus ar na seirbhísí Gaeilge a bheidh ar fáil don phobal. Beidh treoirlínte le foilsiú agam go luath chomh maith chun tacú le comhlachtaí poiblí ó thaobh chur i bhfeidhm gnéithe den Acht a bhaineann le cúrsaí teicneolaíochta agus digitiú na seirbhíse poiblí sna blianta amach romhainn. Chomh maith leis na treoirlínte, bunaíodh grúpa oibre teicniúil faoin bplean náisiúnta anuraidh. Beidh ról lárnach ag an ngrúpa seo i neadú na Gaeilge sa réimse digiteach, lena n-áirítear úsáid na Gaeilge ar fhoirmeacha oifigiúla agus taifead cruinn a dhéanamh ar ainmneacha, sloinnte, teidil agus seoltaí Gaeilge.”
“Leagtar amach na bearta ar leith sa chéad phlean gníomhaíochta nach mór tabhairt fúthu chun cuspóirí straitéise ardleibhéil an phlean náisiúnta a bhaint amach, agus díríonn sé ar fhorbairt na struchtúr tacaíochta a bhfuil gá leo le go mbeidh rath orainn amach anseo, le béim ar bhearta iomadúla nua agus éagsúla a thriail. Tá sé seo tábhachtach, go háirithe i dtaca le príomhchuspóir earcaíochta an Achta go mbeidh 20% d’earcaigh chuig comhlachtaí poiblí inniúil i nGaeilge faoi dheireadh 2030. I dtaca le ceann de mhórspriocanna eile an Achta, tá ullmhúchán cuimsitheach déanta i leith dréachtchaighdeáin teanga a fhorbairt, agus reáchtálfar próiseas comhairliúcháin maidir leis na dréachtchaighdeáin seo go luath.”
“Thit freagracht fhoriomlán as ullmhú an phlean náisiúnta agus an phlean gníomhaíochta araon ar an gCoiste Comhairleach um Sheirbhísí Gaeilge, a bunaíodh faoin Acht agus ar a bhfuil ionadaíocht ardleibhéil ag réimse leathan eagraíochtaí ó fud fad na seirbhíse poiblí. Tugadh faoi chomhairliúchán agus rannpháirtíocht chuimsitheach ar fud an Rialtais agus lasmuigh de i leith an phlean gníomhaíochta seo. Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le mo chomhghleacaithe as rannpháirtíocht a n-oifigeach sa phróiseas seo, in éineacht le comhlachtaí poiblí faoina gcoimirce.”
“Inniu, tá mé ag cur béime ar an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an teanga a neadú sna seirbhísí poiblí, go háirithe san aistriú i dtreo seirbhís phoiblí dhátheangach. Baineadh cloch mhíle shuntasach amach i mí Eanáir na bliana seo nuair a foilsíodh an chéad phlean gníomhaíochta faoin bPlean Náisiúnta um Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2024-2030. Tagann foilsiú agus cur i bhfeidhm an phlean gníomhaíochta le gealltanais sa chlár Rialtais maidir le cur i bhfeidhm Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, in éineacht le gealltanas i straitéis athnuachana na Státseirbhíse 2030 chun an plean náisiúnta a chur i bhfeidhm.”
“Tá athas orm, mar Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta, go bhfuil deis agam labhairt inniu i nDáil Éireann, agus muid ag cur tús le Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026. Beidh muid ag ceiliúradh ár dteanga dúchais, ár dtraidisiúin agus ár gcultúr le linn na féile, agus mholfainn do gach duine páirt a ghlacadh, is cuma cén leibhéal líofachta atá acu sa Ghaeilge. Is teanga bheo í an Ghaeilge. Tá sí beo de bharr go bhfuil pobal teanga againn sna ceantair Ghaeltachta a labhraíonn í go laethúil, mar a dhéanann daoine sna líonraí Gaeilge agus bailte seirbhís Gaeltachta agus in áiteanna eile ar fud na tíre agus ar fud an domhain. Is rud iontach é go bhfuilimid tar éis an ardú is mó i dtaobh na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta a aimsiú i mbuiséad na bliana 2026.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2026, copies of which have been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 4th February, 2026.”
“Certainly, I am happy to look at the information the Deputy has prepared. We will provide it to NAERSA. I stress NAERSA is independent in its operation and in its care of My Future Fund.”
“Certainly, I am happy to look at the Deputy's information. A realistic assessment of administration fees would have to be done over the lifetime of their participation in My Future Fund. Incomes will, hopefully, change and that incomes will increase over the lifetime of their fund. One of the great advantages of My Future Fund is that it is portable and that people can bring it with them to their next employment, as they change employment. Particularly in this labour market, we are all going to be working in many different jobs. People can bring My Future Fund with them and, as incomes change and employment terms and conditions change, that fee will still remain the same. The best way of looking at the impact of the administration fee is not on a particular time of your income but over the lifetime of your personal My Future Fund growing.”
“I want to make sure this is the best value possible and as accessible as possible so I am happy if the Deputy wants to share information with me on that.”
“Equally, we were able then to bring the prospect of the 700,000 plus workers, which we now know is 760,000, to bear in getting investment management fees, which were well under those applicable to an occupational pension scheme or to personal retirement savings accounts, PRSAs. On the age side, administration fees are higher in a lot of PRSAs than they are in My Future Fund. I am not totally aware of - and I am happy for the Deputy to send me information if he wishes - the progression of fees. Ultimately, all operational issues from My Future Fund are now going to be dealt with by National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, NAERSA. NAERSA has taken over operational responsibility, as we have launched.”
“The Deputy's assessment is an interesting one. In terms of getting this up and running, in the early stages we tried to bring as much clarity and understanding as possible in regard to the fee area. The feedback I have got in the past year in dealing with this is that a lot of people find administration fees and investment fees around pensions very confusing. It is one of the things that, certainly in my personal experience, would dissuade you from engaging with the pension provision. Therefore, we wanted the administration fee to be flat and to be accessible and understandable.”
“If a participant is not making contributions - for example, if they have opted out, suspended contributions, have joined an occupational pension scheme or are not currently receiving their pay - that administration fee will not be charged. As of 19 February, a total of €2,221,231 had been collected in administration fees. These fees are intended to cover the costs of NAERSA on an going basis.”
“We did this because the administration fee reflects the actual costs of administration, which do not vary with fund size, and will be the same for all participants regardless of their income or the size of their retirement fund. The standard pension industry practice is to charge a percentage fee based on the assets under management; the cost of this obviously increases significantly as a person's pension savings accumulate. In contrast, charging a flat fee will ultimately prove much better value for money for all the participants over the course of a standard retirement planning horizon. A fee equivalent to 55 cent per week will be charged each time contributions are paid to a participant's fund, up to a maximum of €28.60 per year.”
“As the Deputy knows, the programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the automatic enrolment, AE, retirement savings system. The aim of AE was to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income. The new system, known as My Future Fund, commenced on 1 January. The administration fee associated with My Future Fund was prescribed in regulations, following consultation with the CEO of the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, NAERSA, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The administration fee takes the form of a flat weekly fee rather than a commission based on a percentage of funds under management.”
“I am in full agreement with the Deputy. She has made a very strong case. That is why we will start that consultation and begin work on addressing all of the issues she correctly outlined. They all stand up, and we have an awful lot of work to do in this space. That is why we have that commitment to introduce pay-related benefit for parents, which would address many of the challenges the Deputy highlighted as well”
“I want to learn from the first year of operation of jobseeker's pay-related benefit and apply some of the lessons in that regard in order to inform how we design the consultation process in such a way that it will be both good and engaging.”
“The Deputy has definitely outlined a very strong and fair case. That is why we have the programme for Government commitment and why I will be launching the consultation on this in autumn. We are certainly an outlier among EU member states in paying a flat rate for all family leave benefits. That needs to be looked at. However, we provide one of the most generous durations of maternity leave in terms of 26 paid weeks and 16 unpaid weeks. On the figures, the weekly rate has gone from €245 in 2019 to €299 in 2026. In 2023, there were 76,935 recipients of parent's benefit. In 2025, there were 93,671. This is definitely something we will engage on in the context of the consultation. We have a lot of work to do. We absolutely know that.”
“In that context, I intend to issue a public consultation document on a pay-related approach to parents' benefit this autumn. That will help to inform decisions about other family and related benefits. I will invite the views of the public, employers, members of the House and stakeholders to support the process and to assist in the development of future proposals in this area. I look forward to working with the Deputy in that consultation and subsequent follow-on.”
“The programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce pay-related parent's benefit and explore other payments where a similar model could be applied. Parent's benefit provides nine weeks paid leave to each parent during the first two years of a child’s life or following adoption. This leave can be taken in blocks of a minimum of one week up to a maximum of nine weeks. A pay-related model that moves away from flat rates of payment would provide a stronger financial cushion to new parents, as the Deputy has said, while reflecting the contributory and solidarity principles of the social insurance system. A pay-related model was introduced on 31 March 2025 for jobseeker’s benefit. My Department will draw on the learnings and operational experience from that to inform options for parent's benefit and other family leave schemes.”
“Certainly, we will engage on that. There are also issues being brought to my attention around teachers who are job-sharing and that complicate the Deputy's scenario even more. Those who are working fewer than 18.5 hours may qualify for carer's allowance, which would be subject to the means test and to other eligibility requirements. If the Deputy wants to send me the details, we will engage with him around it. Any changes to the carer's benefit or to the qualifying conditions in terms of hours or means obviously has other knock-on issues, so I do not want to give the Deputy a commitment without fully analysing the details. We will drill down into those details and will work with the Deputy's office on that.”
“I am happy to engage with the Deputy around the specific instances. Subsequently, we can examine those in more detail. As I said, we have made substantial increases to the means assessment and that will continue from 1 July this year. We have also increased the carer's benefit rate by €51 over the past five years. Previously, this was done by the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, and I have continued that. The changes in the income limits from €625, which started from July, will continue to increase in 2026. On the specific issue of teachers' hours and what is regarded as a full working week, I am happy to engage in that to see if that can be resolved. I look forward to hearing more details in the Deputy's next supplementary.”
“Any proposal to amend the 18.5-hour limit would need to preserve that balance and would have to be considered in the broader budgetary and policy context.”
“There were 4,616 people in receipt of carer's benefit at the end of January 2026. Expenditure on the carer’s benefit scheme is estimated to exceed €76 million this year. To qualify for carer’s benefit, a person must meet the PRSI and other conditions of the scheme and have been in full-time employed for at least eight weeks in the previous 26 weeks. Another qualifying condition is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention of no less than 35 hours per week to a person in need of such care. The carer is allowed to work or engage in education and training for up to 18.5 hours a week. The 18.5-hour limit for carer's benefit reflects a careful balance between ensuring the care recipient receives full-time care but also enables carers to maintain a connection to employment, training, education or to other interests.”
“I thank the Deputy for this question. The Government acknowledges the very valuable role that family carers play and we are fully committed to supporting carers in that role. The commitment is recognised in the programme for Government and in budget changes for 2026 where the earnings limit for carer’s benefit will increase from €625 to €1,000 after tax from July, there will be a €10 increase in the weekly rate of carer’s benefit, and carer's benefit will be made available to the self-employed for the first time. As the Deputy said, carer's benefit is a payment made to ensure people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person in need of full-time care. It is payable for a period of up to two years for each care recipient and may be claimed in one go or over separate periods.”
“-----around secondary schools as well. My focus now is to bed down those nutritional standards and ensure we have good compliance with those standards so a scheme as important as this is doing what it is designed to do in terms of nutrition and supporting education.”
“As of now, we are focused on this programme. On where we came from in 2019, the then Minister, Regina Doherty MEP, followed by the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, drove it hard to get it into every primary school. We now have it open in most primary schools. There are some we are still working through. I want to bed it down and then start to fulfil the programme for Government commitment-----”
“Regarding Deputy Hayes's question first, the standards are available. They are published on gov.ie . I want to get a full understanding of that when I get the full report. I am not into naming and shaming. We will absolutely publish the full report and I look forward to discussing it not just at the social protection committee but also at the education committee. On Deputy O'Rourke's questions, the holiday meals school pilot this year was very important. We do that in partnership with the Department of education. I think something like 40,000 children have benefited from it and that was really important. It was particularly focused on what used to be known as the July provision and those who take part in that programme. I agree on that issue of the summer provision and that is something we will look at.”
“I want to try to get as much in as possible so that we do not add to the distress of children by making what we think might be good decisions but which add to it. I will come back later to the point raised by Deputy O'Reilly around portion size.”
“By funding and appointing a dietician rather than listening to all sorts of opinions, we will obtain an informed opinion. The dietician’s first job was to look at a paper-based exercise and look at the menus. They are now getting out to schools with colleagues from the Department of social protection. They are also developing an auditing tool to allow the process to be more efficient and will allow us to get the nutritional standards. With all that information I will engage. I am happy enough that we are on the right path but there can be unintended consequences. On high salt and sugar content, we have had substantial feedback from parents whose children will only eat that for a range of reasons.”
“As we previously discussed, school meal suppliers were instructed to remove food that is high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt from September 2025. My Department has seconded a CORU-registered dietician for the school meals programme who is under the clinical supervision of the Department of Health. One of her first tasks was an in-depth review of school meal supplier menus and their compliance with the nutritional standards. That review is ongoing, and I hope to have s full report before the beginning of the summer. I am very focused on the school meals programme, that it offers the best nutrition. I absolutely agree with the Deputy on its importance. I reiterate that for many children it may be their only hot meal of the day.”
“I thank the school communities around the country that have made this happen in their schools. I recognise the extra pressure it puts on them. The schools procurement unit under the Department of education provides guidance to schools for all procurements including the school meals programme. Clear nutritional standards have been in place for the school meals programme since its inception. A specific standard was set for school meals under the nutritional standards for school meals and nutritional standards for hot school meals. A technical nutrition subgroup comprising dietitians from the following organisations was involved in developing these standards: the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland; the HSE; Safefood; and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. These standards are publicly available on the gov.ie website.”
“We had a very extensive discussion on this earlier. I commend the education committee on the work it has done in respect of this matter. That work has been very considered and well thought out, and I look forward to the committee's report. As the Deputy said, the objective is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of their education. The programme is an important component to encourage school attendance, extra educational achievement and participation in school. Under the school meals programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My Department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school and it is the responsibility of each school board to administer the programme in their school, including handling the procurement process.”
“We want to get as good a range of experience from around the country. With the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach’s forbearance, I will put a plug in for this event. It is important in relation to this issue and also many others in my Department as well.”
“We have spoken extensively about the process this morning. I hope people engage with it. The Deputy is right that there are additional supports available through the community welfare system. Separately, I will be hosting a briefing next Wednesday in the audio visual room with community welfare officers to outline the supports available from our section. They will also be available in the coffee dock in Leinster House 2000 to meet Deputies who cannot make it to the audiovisual room. There has been a lot of feedback from Deputies on the community welfare system, its availability and what is involved. I would appreciate it if Deputies, Senators or members of their teams could engage with that process on the day so we can get that feedback on a structured basis. All of us will have feedback.”
“As I stated yesterday, we will be inviting the Deputy, as Chair of the committee on social protection, and the Chair of the disability committee to the forum on 30 May. I will also be inviting spokespersons from the other parties to attend. It is important that what happens on that day will not constitute a box-ticking exercise. We are open to ideas on what form the day should take in order to make it an effective use of people’s time.”
“I want the consultation to be as broad as possible. As I outlined to Deputy Hayes earlier, we met the disability consultative forum in my Department yesterday around the consultation. We are open to further suggestions as to how to make it more accessible and to make people engage with it more. There is a guidance document to provoke discussion. We are open to people’s ideas in relation to this matter. We had some good feedback yesterday on what it should look like and on administration issues and assessment. We want to ensure that we have a proposal that is ready and that is shared as much as it can be. That is why we have the process. We will also have the consultative forum.”
“The summit will provide a space for key stakeholders, such as disabled persons organisations and officials from across government, among others, to input into the design of a new cost-of-disability payment. It will provide a space for key stakeholders to identify ways that Departments and Government agencies can make changes to lower the cost of disability in the future. This whole-of-government approach is important - as we discussed earlier with Deputies Roche and Hayes - particularly as we know that addressing these costs is not simply a matter of providing income supports; we must also improve the delivery of and access to key services. Other supports continue to be available from and provided by my Department.”