Results 2,281-2,300 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 81, 83, 98 and 103 together. Community Centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages around the country. This Government recognises the important role that these centres play in bringing people together and facilitating community services and events. As the Deputies are no doubt aware, the development and enhancement of Community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: A Public Participation Network (PPN) provides representation for the community sector in Local Authority policymaking structures, giving local volunteers a greater say in local government decisions which affect their own communities. Since their inception, the 31 PPNs have grown exponentially. There are now almost 21,000 PPN member organisations across the country representing the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 85 and 104 together. The CLÁR programme provides targeted investment funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that have experienced disadvantage and significant levels of de-population. It is a vital source of investment for our more remote areas and particularly our rural villages, and it has proven to be a very popular scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The emergence of the Men’s Sheds in recent years has been a very positive development for communities across Ireland. They provide a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment where people of all ages can share skills and work on meaningful projects and connect with their communities. Both Minister Humphreys and I regularly meet Men’s Sheds and we are very proud of the work...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: In July 2024, the second National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland, ‘Trading for Impact 2024 - 2027’, was launched. Building upon the foundation laid by the first Social Enterprise policy, it puts forward a vision designed to help cultivate and sustain strong, impactful social enterprises in Ireland. To support the delivery of this policy, there is a current budget in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. It is abundantly clear that our support for the Tidy Towns competition has delivered very tangible and visible benefits in towns and villages all over the country. I and my colleagues in Government are very conscious of the work undertaken by...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: After the publication of the Department's research on rural proofing last year, which is available online, it was decided to undertake a number of Rural Proofing Pilots across Government. This included the National Planning Framework review, the development of the new Sustainable Tourism Policy, the development of the new National Hubs Strategy, and the development of the new Social...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 101 together. I am delighted to confirm that I have secured a 9% increase in my Department’s funding under Budget 2025. This brings my Department’s allocation to €472 million, giving it additional resources to assist organisations in urban and rural areas, and community groups seeking to address social and economic inequality,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: With regard to the impacts and outcomes of investment by my Department, both the Revised Estimates Volume and the Public Service Performance Report provide high-level metrics with regard to the targets and outcomes for our most significant funding schemes. My Department’s Annual Report also provides an overview of the work of the Department each year, including funding commitments and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Last December, I launched the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP), with capital funding of €6 million to assist community groups across the country. The LEP is targeted to the specific challenges facing local community groups and delivers immediate, tangible supports where they are needed most. There was a particular focus on small capital works/improvements, and the purchase of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model, with an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager. My Department is acutely aware of the financial...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: 169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on plans for the construction of a new facility for a special school in Skerries (details supplied). [40762/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Eating Disorders (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: 289. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of the mental health budget that has been allocated to eating disorder services. [40764/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Eating Disorders (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: 290. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a timeline as to when the new eating disorder specialist team in Limerick will be developed. [40765/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (16 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) schemes deliver important locally based community services, while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those furthest removed from the labour market. The Deputy will be aware that CE scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: 280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 185 of 1 October 2024, the reason it appears a new route has not been considered in light of the fact that well over ten names of relevant students have been put forward to her Department already. [41048/24]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (15 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The Government committed €7.5 million to the North East Inner City (NEIC) Initiative for 2024. The NEIC Programme Implementation Board meet monthly to oversee implementation of the Mulvey Report and the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, including funding proposals and allocations. Final funding allocations for 2024 will be completed before the end of the year. The Programme Implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (15 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, with a budget of €52.4m in 2024, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: 357. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will introduce extra time in second level exams for dyslexic students; her views in the context of the State Examinations Commission stating that it could take over two years to conduct a review of this request; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42886/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (22 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Tús is a community work placement initiative which aims to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. The Department is very conscious of the need to support Tús and continues to meet regularly with representatives of these programmes. The focus of Tús is on jobseekers that are unemployed for twelve months or more, and the...