Results 961-980 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: On the initial question from Deputy Toibin, charities legislation is not being used. Any organisation can make an application to the District Court under gambling legislation and many do. Lots of sports clubs do so as well.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: That is the brief answer to it. Charities legislation is not involved.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Local Drugs Task Forces (2 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 217. To ask the Minister for Health the number of vacant community seats on the local and regional drugs task forces nationally; and if he will provide a list of the vacancies per area. [59635/21]

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senators for their questions. The Government fully appreciates that the live performance sector, including pantomimes, is among the hardest hit by these latest restrictions. Indeed, these sectors were the first to close and the last to reopen, only as recently as 22 October. Unfortunately, the epidemiological situation is such that we are not where we expected to be and, as a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Minister and her Department are currently examining the supports that were in place and have been engaging with stakeholders to determine what would work best to support the live entertainment industry going forward. She hopes to make an announcement on what schemes will be made available very soon and this will include a review of the pantomime scheme. I know the she will be as...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: First, I wish to acknowledge the importance of community centres. They are the cornerstone of community life in many places around the country. As the Deputy is aware, a new capital fund for the upgrade of community centres featured in the national development plan and funding of €5 million has been secured for this under budget 2022. This is consistent with the programme for...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Deputy is probably aware that in my own council area Fingal County Council got an allocation of €301,000 from the community activities fund. That needs to be allocated before the end of February but it can be spent until the end of August next year. That is a substantial amount. It is in the area of small grants but they have an impact as well. The criteria for the new...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy says, Fingal stands out as one of the better-off local authorities. There will be exceptions in other parts of the country as well. Community centres start up in a variety of different ways. They all have very different sorts of life paths with respect to how they started and how the initial funding became a reality as well. It is fair to say the majority of community...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 59 and 68 together, for which I thank Deputies Colm Burke, Higgins and O'Dowd. I acknowledge the importance of community centres. They are the cornerstone of community life in many places around the country. My Department has a number of schemes that communities can avail of for the upkeep, enhancement or establishment of community centres. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: On the final point raised by the Deputy, the broadband officer in the local authority is the person to chase up on that issue. I would like to reference some allocations in the Deputy's area under the community activities fund. A €9 million fund was announced recently, applications for which are open until February but the spending must be done by August next year. Cork City Council...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: To pick up on Deputy Burke's point, there certainly is a constant flow of feedback. Regarding the community activities fund and the community enhancement programme, decisions in terms of local allocations are made by the local community development committees, LCDCs, in a bottom-up approach. The main feedback we get is that the schemes are very popular and are, in fact, oversubscribed,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The new capital fund will open up that dialogue. One of the advantages of opening a specifically identified and named fund for community centres is that the process of dealing with applications will give us a good sense of the need that exists. It will enhance the conversation with local authorities because we will not always be saying, "Yes, here is your money", especially if the local...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Through the Covid-19 stability fund, my Department supported a total of 840 organisations in 2020 and 2021 with total funding of approximately €48 million. That fund is now closed and there are no plans at present for further rounds of the stability fund. The innovate together fund was launched in May 2020 and was administered by Rethink Ireland. This consisted of a €5...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I do not want to stray out of my departmental remit. I will only say yes, we are looking at community employment. On the Deputy’s initial question, the stability fund was our main response to community and voluntary sector for larger groups. A large number of groups were covered under that. The community services support fund was targeted particularly at groups funded under that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I will first pick up on Deputy Burke’s point. I think he was talking about a local development company, Avondhu Duhallow, which is in a different realm again. Its funding stayed solid in terms of the programmes it rolls out for Government, be it SICAP or LEADER or whatnot. I am not sure how the local authorities might support it in different ways. On the stability fund,...

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

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70, 95 and 109 together. My Department has provided supports to community and voluntary organisations in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 through a number of measures. Through the COVID-19 Stability Fund, my Department supported a total of 840 organisations in 2020 and 2021 with total funding of approximately €48m. That fund is now closed and there...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: A new €9m fund called the Community Activities Fund, was launched by my Department in November 2021 and continues into 2022 to support community groups impacted by COVID-19. This fund will support local community groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running/operating costs such as utility or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities. Groups...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: My Department has a number of supports that communities can avail of to support the upkeep, enhancement or the establishment of community centres. For example, grants which are relevant to community centres are provided through the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) which provides small capital grants to community groups to enhance facilities. Typical projects funded include the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 712 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regeneration Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Under the NEIC Initiative, my Department is providing €6.5m towards the regeneration of the Dublin North East Inner City area in 2021, to help ensure that the recommendations of the Mulvey Report and the actions contained in the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 - 2022 are implemented. Funding of €7.5m will be provided in 2021. It is also worth noting that the Dublin North East...