Results 861-880 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 aims to reduce the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less, and to position Ireland within the top five countries in the EU under a number of leading social inclusion measures. The Roadmap includes a specific goal to protect the incomes of older people through the delivery of the commitment to benchmark State pension...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in meaningful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis to improve their prospect of returning to employment. CE placements are intended to be temporary and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Rural Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Rural Social scheme (RSS) is an income support scheme providing part-time employment opportunities for farmers and fishermen or women who are in receipt of specified social welfare payments, and who are underemployed in their primary occupation. The scheme offers participants the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in their communities. Following a Government decision, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE 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 and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors. This claim creates some...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The aim of the Community Employment ( CE ) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. Participation limits on these schemes are necessary to allow for the maximum utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons. It is important to note that participation is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Poverty (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Government's Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 goal is to reduce child poverty in Ireland and to ensure that all families have the opportunity to participate fully in society. It recognises the importance of child related services working in conjunction with income supports in reducing child poverty. The most recent data shows the consistent poverty rate for children is 8.1%....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy is aware, the Community Employment (CE) Scheme 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 to improve their prospect of returning to employment. I am very aware of the challenges resulting...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Government are aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and are committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. To that end, Government and my Department introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (12 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE 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 and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors. This claim creates some...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (12 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 547. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to increase the number of neurology nurse specialists in Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49481/21]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (12 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 689 and 690 together. 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. My Department is providing a range of...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I want to confirm this evening that under the increased allocation to the community development programme of my Department, I will be in a position to improve a key funding mechanism for the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. A scheme to support national organisations is one of the main multi-annual funding mechanisms that Government uses to support the community and voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (13 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 151 together. As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE 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 and assistant supervisors who are employed...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. The Charities Regulator, under the aegis of my Department, is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland's charities. It is important to note that the regulator is fully independent in the performance of its statutory functions, including investigations into the activities and conduct of charities. All registered...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: It is difficult for me to comment on individual cases, particularly because they are under the purview of the Charities Regulator, but I will try to provide some reassurance. With over 11,000 charities on the register, the work of the regulator is vitally important. All registered charities in Ireland and their trustees are subject to the provisions of the 2009 Act, which sets out...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Again it is difficult for me to comment without knowing the details of the case but I fully back the Deputy's sentiments on the need for people to have trust in charities. The regulator was established in 2014 and it has been growing its capacity ever since. This will be the first year it will have a full staff complement so it is moving in the right direction. That said, we are proposing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. I can confirm that the Department of Rural and Community Development has had no involvement in the establishment of a domestic violence refuge in Carlow. I understand that, in the main, domestic violence issues are a matter for the Minister for Justice and are legislated for in the Domestic Violence Act 2018. My Department's mission is to promote rural...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge his point. Since 2018, some 1,138 individuals have been supported through SICAP in Carlow. The supports offered vary in accordance with the individual's circumstances. Examples of such supports are personal development, lifelong learning courses, health and well-being assistance and other labour market supports. In 2019, Carlow County Development...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. I refer to some useful points from the budget, particularly in regard to the Department of Justice. A funding package will be provided to extend legal aid for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Expenditure on victim supports for people who have suffered domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is also set to increase by €5 million, bringing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. The emergence of the women's sheds groups in recent years has been a positive development for communities throughout the country. My Department supports sheds through many funding programmes that are open to a variety of groups and organisations. These include the community enhancement programme, CEP, the social inclusion and community activation...