Results 1,341-1,360 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Written Answers — Rural Social Scheme: Rural Social Scheme (7 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The review of the rural social scheme, covering its first year of operation, has been completed. Arising out of this review, the Government has recently approved a number of changes to the scheme. In this regard, my Department is consulting the Department of Social and Family Affairs on how best to implement some of these changes, in particular changes regarding eligibility criteria and pay...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (9 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I will be travelling to New Zealand for the St. Patrick's Day festivities. I will visit Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch, and my visit will focus on developing links with Irish community groups. I will participate in traditional St. Patrick's Day events, including the St. Patrick's Day festival parade and banquet in Auckland. I will also attend the Wellington Irish Society...

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I refer the Deputy to a previous reply to Question No. 11 of 29 June 2005. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department, supported by Pobal, formerly known as Area Development Management, ADM, Limited, co-ordinates the implementation of the RAPID programme. It is, therefore, a matter for each Department to report on progress on the implementation of RAPID and details of funding allocations to...

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It was never announced.

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Perhaps the Deputy could do me a favour because I genuinely cannot find a reference to a sum in any of the statements made about RAPID at the beginning. On this famous statement, to which people keep referring, of somebody referring in some way to €2 billion, my suspicion — I cannot find the reference anywhere and I went looking — is that it said X amount of money was available for...

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Deputy referred to performance indicators. While Pobal has commissioned a review, the most powerful performance indicator is the AITs in the communities. If I am told by the teams the programme is working, I have much more faith in that than all the commentary of the external gurus.

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Tralee AIT made a powerful presentation to the national monitoring committee recently. One of the speakers said they were doubters of the process but that it had worked. It is working because many different strands have been added to it and every allocation has had an immediate effect on the ground because communities are given confidence that they can influence issues. These areas have been...

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is not the lead Department with regard to migrant workers. However, since 2004 they have been regarded as a target group under the local development social inclusion programme, the LDSIP. The programme aims to counter disadvantage and to promote equality and social and economic inclusion through the provision of funding and support to...

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: No. The LDSIP autumn 2005 newsletter stated: The analysis is expected to be completed by December 2005, with a report documenting the planning processes and good practice scheduled for spring 2006. I presume it is still on target to be published by spring 2006. Is spring in the middle of the year? It is not far off.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am only telling the Deputy what I was informed. The Deputy cannot be holding me to anything.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The House amazes me at times. Pobal, the Dublin Employment Pact and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, the groups involved in the project, operate independently of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Since I cannot hold Pobal to anything, there is no point in holding me to when its report will be published.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I cannot micromanage. If I did, I would be accused of interference.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It must be the jet lag that is getting to me. Pobal is funded by the Department and it operates independently on a day-to-day basis. On certain days of the week, it is the Labour Party's favourite policy that people should operate independently of the Department. Pobal established a review group that claimed in autumn 2005 that it will publish a report in spring 2006. Now, it claims it will...

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: When I spend the money, I am asked to keep control and micromanage it. If I introduced legislation to take over Pobal, I would be accused of creating another slush fund and trying to take total control. At times one cannot win with the Opposition because it is so inconsistent.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Opposition's approach is inconsistent.

Written Answers — Fóram na Gaeilge: Fóram na Gaeilge (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 67, 89, 119, 120 agus 124 le chéile. D'fhógair mé ar 30 Nollaig 2005 go raibh an coiste comhairleach a bhunaigh mé i 2002 chun comhairle a chur orm maidir le tuarascáil Choimisiún na Gaeltachta nasctha le Fóram na Gaeilge, a bunaíodh i mí Iúil 2004. Mar gheall air go bhfuil forbairt na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta fite fuaite agus go raibh comóntacht...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: My Department does not have primary responsibility for supporting the disabled. However, as I have recently indicated, an additional €5 million has been allocated to the community services programme in 2006 to fund new projects. It is my intention to expressly include services for people with disabilities in the eligibility criteria for new project funding. My Department is engaged in...

Written Answers — Rural Development: Rural Development (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The strategic goal of my Department in rural development is to promote and maintain living and working populations in rural areas by helping to foster sustainable and culturally vibrant communities. The White Paper on Rural Development defines Government policy in this regard and provides a context for realising these goals. In view of the time that has elapsed since the publication of the...

Written Answers — Rural Development: Rural Development (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 78 and 91 together. I refer the Deputies to my answer to Question No. 116 on 8 February 2006 where I made my views on issues of access to the countryside clear. On that occasion and in my speech to the Irish Farmhouse Holidays Association I stated that a local community based approach is the way forward where issues of access to the countryside arise....

Written Answers — Rural Development: Rural Development (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 110 together. My Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food are jointly engaged in the preparation of a national strategy for rural development as required by the new European Council regulation on rural development. This task is being carried out in association with the European Commission. In October 2005, advertisements were placed in the...