Results 1,221-1,240 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Heritage Sites (25 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: On behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, I reiterate that the Government recognises the importance of Shannon Heritage to the mid-west region. During the Covid-19 pandemic the Government showed its commitment to Shannon Heritage through the provision of supports, allowing the sites to remain open when restrictions permitted. Even with these supports, the impact of Covid-19 has...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (24 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: 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. Participation on the scheme is part time - 19.5 hours per week. The payment rates on CE are related to the underlying...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (24 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The Charities Regulator is fully independent in the performance of its statutory functions under Section 14 (3) of the Charities Act 2009.  Neither I nor my Department have any role in the decision making process of the Regulator, particularly with regard to the registration of charities and whether they are operating in accordance with regulations. That is entirely a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (25 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their local communities.  The programme aims to improve a person’s opportunities to return to the labour market.  CE placements are intended to be temporary...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Legislative Measures (25 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: Following Government approval, the Charities (Amendment) Bill was published in April 2022 and proposes to update existing charity law to improve the ability of the Charities Regulator to conduct its statutory functions and ensure greater public trust and confidence in the sector. The Bill will now progress for pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social...

Rising Food Prices: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputies for an engaging discussion on the important issue of rising food prices. As was already outlined by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, I assure Deputies the fundamental objective of the Government's policy approach to this issue is to take action, monitor the impact of those actions, consult bodies such as the Low Pay Commission, take the suggestions of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The mobile phone and broadband task force was re-established on 15 December 2021 with an inaugural meeting of State bodies co-chaired by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth. This meeting included senior representatives of a number of Departments and State bodies. This first meeting allowed the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, and the Minister,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: No, I did not.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: We are sharing the load.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I can give the Deputy some information about what the task force is looking at. The issues it will look at this time are more complex, knotty and time consuming, and responsibility for such actions cannot always be assigned to a single body, as was the practice previously. We will make use of the well-established collaborative culture of the task force to take on the actions that require...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: Certainly, we can feed that very practical point back into the task force. I will give the Deputy a flavour of some of the actions that are currently agreed. The Department of Rural and Community Development will continue to refine and enhance the broadband officer roles across local authorities in alignment with the implementation of the EU connectivity toolbox and the development of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Meetings (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The programme for Government recognises the importance of regular and open engagement with all sectors of society. In this regard, I work with the community and voluntary sector through the cross-sectoral group, CSG, in implementing Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector. The community and voluntary pillar, of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Meetings (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I am dividing my reply into two halves as regards my role. As part of my role in the Department of Rural and Community Development, I spend much of my week engaging with the community and voluntary sector through different platforms and different formats. I am very familiar with members of Community Platform. I meet with many of them periodically regarding different issues. I have not had...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Meetings (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I will not go through the various lists and forums through which I engage with the sector. As I said, I spend a lot of time doing it. On what the Deputy is talking about and the wider challenges society is facing, the civic forum we are planning for later this year is possibly the best outlet to tease out the major issues and to get a good representation of civil society around the table....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and the delivery of local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution of €19,033 for each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, provides €32,000...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: My Department provides a range of supports which Men's Sheds availed of in 2021 and 2022, depending on the works being completed. For example, in 2021, the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) provided funding of €4.5m for small capital grants to community groups to enhance their facilities. To date, 68 men’s sheds have received funding to the value of €126,804 from the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: In November 2021, the €9m Community Activities Fund was launched to support community groups impacted by COVID-19.  The fund supports groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running costs such as utility or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities.  Groups were also be able to use the funding to carry out necessary repairs and to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: 268. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the procedures that are in place to ensure that wastewater treatment plants do not operate over their relevant population equivalent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28086/22]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: 357. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will call on the Israeli government to halt its plans for a mass expulsion and forced transfer of Palestinians from Masafer Yatta; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28088/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: 378. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will be submitting a new planning application for the site of a new school (details supplied) in Malahide-Portmarnock; the estimated timeline for when this application will be submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27329/22]