Results 561-580 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Social Scheme (25 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative which provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishers who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.  It is a supplementary income support scheme designed specifically for those participants whose income...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Public health guidance has been issued by Government, the HSE, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and others. This guidance should be carefully considered and should form the basis for any COVID-19 related plans. As restrictions change this guidance will be updated as needed. An information resource has been developed by my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Legislative Reviews (25 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Charities Regulatory Authority (“the Charities Regulator”) was established on 16 October, 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009.  Responsibility for the oversight of the Regulator transferred to my Department on its establishment in July 2017. The general function of the Regulator is to regulate charitable organisations operating in Ireland, in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Policy Functions (25 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Actions to meet and further the rights of persons with disabilities are delivered across a number of Government Departments and organisations, with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth having responsibility for the National Disability Inclusion Strategy which runs from 2017 to 2021. The Mid-Term Review of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy was...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (26 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator for raising this important point. As he is aware, the current public health restrictions at level 5 will remain in place until 5 April 2021, when a further review will be conducted. The decision took account of a variety of factors, including the views of the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, on the current epidemiological situation of Covid-19 and the need...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (26 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I again thank the Senator for raising this important matter today. The Government appreciates that individuals in society have been severely impacted by the pandemic and the necessary public health restrictions imposed over the last year. Ultimately, the Government remains united in its resolve to tackle the spread of Covid-19 and that is its priority. We continue to see good progress but...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Development Projects (26 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. Facilities like community centres form the core of many communities around the country and help to bring people of all backgrounds and ages together for many different types of activity and event. During normal times, they regularly have a positive impact on our communities, as all Senators would agree. The possibility of a community...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Development Projects (26 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Senator has my commitment that I will engage with the Minister on this matter.The Senator outlined the situation around community centres in general very well in his opening statement in that every community centre in the country probably has a different story behind how it came about, often with communities actually building them, and more recently communities themselves directly...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Coast Guard Service (31 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 288. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the resumption of cliff rescue services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16909/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (31 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 602. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration has been given to allow for face masks to be worn during leaving certificate oral examinations in line with public health advice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16915/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (31 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 Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (31 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I welcome the publication by the Wheel and Carmichael of the Consultation Report on the Support Needs of the Non Profit Sector, which provides useful qualitative data in relation to the needs of the non-profit sector as we entered the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a comprehensive piece of research which covers ‘support needs’ in the broadest sense. My Department was pleased to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Sustainable Development Goals (31 Mar 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the five year strategy to support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland sets a general direction of travel for government policy in relation to the community development, local development and the community and voluntary sectors for the coming decade. With actions to be implemented over the coming years, the high-level objectives and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (1 Apr 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 7. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures that will be put in place to ensure workers on lay off will be able to access statutory redundancy payments swiftly in the event that their employment is no longer available after the current Covid-19 restrictions on redundancy are lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17841/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (1 Apr 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring authorities that operate in the community and voluntary sector....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (1 Apr 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring authorities that operate in the community and voluntary sector....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (1 Apr 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Officials of my Department have written to representatives of the association concerned in January 2021, informing them of the next and required steps necessary to apply for additional places on an existing project, and confirming that the Department was available to support and advise on any matters relating to the successful outcome of an application. The documentation required and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (1 Apr 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 254. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of efforts to provide access to paid maternity leave for parents of children born via surrogacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17727/21]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (1 Apr 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises was a cross-Government initiative, led by the Department of Rural and Community Development, with administrative support provided by Pobal. Application data was shared with the Department of Health in order to facilitate application appraisal and grant approval, in line with the terms...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (1 Apr 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Scheme to Support National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector (SSNO) is a key element of my Department's support for the role of the sector in contributing to the development of strong and vibrant civil society and in improving outcomes for those most disadvantaged. The scheme provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national, community and voluntary...