Results 521-540 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes (4 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I also place a major emphasis on the importance of CE schemes. I am aware of the CE recruitment challenges arising from the current restrictions, which has had an impact on the ability of some CE schemes to recruit new participants. Community employment is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (4 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: On clarification with the Deputy's office, the question refers to participants over 55 who had already moved from Community Employment (CE) to jobseekers allowance in 2020 in line with the 2017 rule changes. The Deputy may be aware that Minister Humphreys and I held an online meeting on Wednesday, 27th January with representatives from the CE sponsoring authorities. The representatives...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 213. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to when limited visits by family members to nursing homes in which all residents have been vaccinated against Covid-19 can resume; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12292/21]

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I welcome the Senator's call for ambition on this subject. While I will touch on the glass issue in a moment, in an initial statement I am happy to update Members on progress on this matter this morning. Members will be aware that plans for the introduction of a deposit return scheme, DRS, for plastic bottles and aluminium cans were announced in last year’s programme for Government....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: On the variable charge, I would suggest that there will be an opening for that point to be made in the consultation process that will be coming up. On glass, many of the submissions received in the first round of public consultation on the introduction of the DRS called for glass to be included. The DRS facilitates a high rate of recyclability because the material collected in it is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Architects Register (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 386. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to implement an architectural technologists’ register including the process to approve committees and boards for the proposed shadow register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12857/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 504. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure that fifth year students can be facilitated to catch up on class time lost due to school closures in 2021 and any associated gaps in the coverage of their curriculum in advance of leaving certificate 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12856/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Food Poverty (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I can confirm to the Deputy that I have read the report in full. The report in question, ‘Hungry bellies are not equal to full bellies: exploring inequality and deprivation in Ireland’, published by Unite Ireland, considers recent commentary on income inequality, as well as exploring the difference between income inequality and economic inequality. It notes recent research on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors who are employed by CE schemes. CE sponsoring authorities are the legal...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: At a meeting held on 27/01/2021 with representatives from the CE sponsors, a range of issues causing concern was outlined. Following this meeting, my colleague Minister Humphreys and I announced a number of changes to CE, on Tuesday 2nd March, which substantially address the concerns raised. Amongst the issues raised were the implications of a 2017 rule change that affected CE participants...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Enhancement Programme (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Enhancement Programme provides small capital grants to community organisations to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas. Under the programme, funding is allocated to each local authority area and administered by the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) in each area. The 2021 Community Enhancement Programme has not yet been launched and will be announced in due...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: My Department has been allocated €341 million in the 2021 Revised Estimates, this ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities seeking funding and other supports for important local activities and projects. The Department of Rural and Community Development community grants and funding programmes include: - The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, or...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (10 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. Along with other broader Government initiatives, my Department has introduced a suite of programmes to support community and voluntary organisations weather the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Roadmap to Social Inclusion: Discussion (23 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Denis Naughten, the Chair of this joint committee, and the committee members for the invitation to appear before the committee and provide an update on the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion. I have responsibility for policy areas in two Departments which are complementary - social inclusion and community development. It is safe to say that one cannot exist...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Roadmap to Social Inclusion: Discussion (23 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator. He makes a fair point. There are many supports available. There are a couple of points I would make in response, particularly in the context of the past 12 months. Intreo offices have remained open. They are open at least three mornings a week in most communities. That is the first thing I would say to a person who ask me what they are entitled to, apart from asking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Roadmap to Social Inclusion: Discussion (23 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Deputy made a good opening point regarding the delay in getting the roadmap back on the agenda as a result of the election situation and then Covid. I was eager to get the group together as quickly as possible before Christmas. To answer her question, I will address monitoring as well what has been done and what is in progress. Of the various commitments, eight have been achieved, six...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Roadmap to Social Inclusion: Discussion (23 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: With regard to priorities for the coming year, I will go back to the fuel poverty side of things, mainly because it is one of the commitments that is a bit scattered and needs someone to pull it together. Many of the other commitments sit fairly squarely in particular Departments, including many which sit in our own Department of Social Protection. With regard to other priorities, we will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Roadmap to Social Inclusion: Discussion (23 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Funding for the community and voluntary sector is very topical. I attended an event earlier today. The Wheel in Carmichael recently published a consultation report on the needs of the community and voluntary sector. Funding was probably at the top in terms of what the needs were. The need for multiannual funding is recognised in our five-year community and voluntary sector strategy. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Roadmap to Social Inclusion: Discussion (23 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Okay. I will commit to following up on that. I do not know the details.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Roadmap to Social Inclusion: Discussion (23 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I could see the Senator throughout his contribution. I thank him for opening with the remark about the staff and I echo it. The Department and the staff have not only been on the front line throughout the pandemic but adapted extraordinarily quickly and dealt with an extraordinary volume of applications. The difficulty of that cannot be overstated, so I appreciate the Senator acknowledging...