Results 2,041-2,060 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has agreed, with effect from 1 May, to transfer the functions of the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs for the national drugs strategy to the Minister for Health and Children. As Deputies will be aware, the functions that were performed in the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs are in the process of being...

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I take the Deputy's point on the publication of the strategy. There has been a delay in placing emphasis on a national misuse strategy. Further meetings of the steering group are to be scheduled and the recommendations will be finalised as quickly as possible. The report will then be given to the Minister for Health and Children and proposals are likely to be put to the Government shortly...

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Sponsorship is one of the issues the steering group is examining. I do not have the report's final conclusions, but it is an expert group and we will have its report shortly, at which point we will be in a position to discuss the issue of sponsorship as raised by the Deputy.

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I accept the points made by both Deputies on the community aspects of dealing with drug addiction, which is critical. It is not the intention of the Department of Health and Children to undermine the wonderful work being done by people at local level. It will not take a medical model approach only to the treatment of drug addiction or to tackling the scourge of drug addiction in local...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 15 and 21 together. Axes 3 and 4, Leader, of the Rural Development Programme 2007-13 envisage funding of €427 million being made available for allocation to qualified projects up to the end of 2013, with expenditure under the programme potentially continuing for a further two years up to the end of 2015. In the current programming round, 36 local action...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I realise the seriousness of the issue and its importance, as well as the importance of the enterprises and the fact that funding would be available. It is an urgent issue that requires action. I have discussed the matter with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government who will deal with it shortly. It is not envisaged at this stage that the funding to the Department...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will certainly check whether the breakdown is available.

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: All right. The Deputy knows the answer. I will get the information and find out the up-to-date position. The point the Deputy makes on the breakdown of costs between administration and the actual projects is important. With regard to the transfer of functions, it is intended that the functions would be transferred to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. A...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Naughten, who has taken a particular interest in this issue and food enterprises. I agree with him. I saw a quotation recently stating if one asks any of the Leader partnership companies to name their flagship projects, many of them will identify food projects as among their big successes. This is an important issue and it is very unfortunate that it has become tied up in a...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Which organisation did the Deputy mention?

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not have details on that investigation but when I have I will certainly convey them to the Deputies.

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is good to see agreement on the importance of this issue. This is not surprising. We are in discussions with the Commission at present and it is taking a particular line. We must examine this and determine whether an agreement can be reached as soon as possible. I agree with the Deputy that there should be no delay because the consequences of a delay would be too serious. If agreement...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, with the reduced funding made available to my Department, the CLÁR programme, which was targeted at tackling infrastructure and services deficits in depopulated rural areas, has been wound down. From an out-turn of the order of €24m in 2008, the allocation for the programme for 2011 was reduced in last December's Budget to €0.5m. This will be used to meet...

Written Answers — Community and Voluntary Sector: Community and Voluntary Sector (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Dormant Accounts Acts provide for an annual transfer by credit institutions and insurance undertakings of monies in accounts determined to be dormant into the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF). Since its establishment in April 2003 to the end of February 2011, the transfers to the DAF have totalled some €589m, which includes interest earned of some €35m. Funds reclaimed in that period by...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the RAPID Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within designated RAPID areas nationally. It is a matter for individual Departments to report on the provision of funding and progress on delivery with regard to projects under their responsibility in the different RAPID areas. My...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 31 together. The Taskforce on Active Citizenship was established by Government in 2006 to review the evidence regarding trends in citizen participation across the main areas of civic, community, cultural, occupational and recreational life in Ireland. Following a consultation process, the Taskforce compiled a set of recommendations to enhance active...

Written Answers — Community and Voluntary Sector: Community and Voluntary Sector (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 25 together. The Scheme to Support National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector commenced in 2008 with the aim of providing multi-annual funding to national organisations which provide coalface services to disadvantaged target groups. The three-year contracts came to an end on 31 December 2010. On 16 December 2010, applications were...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Responsibility for coordinating policy on drugs is at present assigned to the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. As the Deputy may be aware, the Government has agreed, with effect from 1 May 2011, to transfer the functions of the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in relation to the National Drugs Strategy to the Minister for Health and Children.

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Each Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF) has an annual funding allocation from my Department for community-based drugs initiatives. From that allocation, each Task Force has the discretion to allocate funding to projects and initiatives based on the priorities it has identified for its respective area. Funding for these projects is channelled through a designated Department or State Agency. I am...

Written Answers — Community and Voluntary Sector: Community and Voluntary Sector (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The independence of the community voluntary sector has been a long principle underpinning the relationship between the State and the Community and Voluntary Sector. This was set out in the White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity, published in 2000, and re-affirmed under the Towards 2016 Partnership Agreement in 2006. To give effect to commitments under Towards 2016 to...