Results 1,421-1,440 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (16 Sep 2009)

John Curran: As the Deputy will be aware, funding from my Department for drug specific projects is overseen by the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. I have been advised by Dublin North East Local Drugs Task Force - the Task Force which oversees funding to the projects referred to by the Deputy – that they have already been approved funding to meet their requirements in 2009. Subject to funding...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (17 Sep 2009)

John Curran: My Department provided funding for the organisation to which the Deputy refers through a hosting organisation, which is now in liquidation. My Department has no direct legal or other funding relationship with the organisation referred to by the Deputy. My Department is working with Pobal on the maintenance of front-line services to the area in question.

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (22 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 72 together. The Report referred to in the Questions will be considered as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2010 and the decisions on all of the issues arising will be a matter for the Government. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage pending the outcome of this consideration.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (22 Sep 2009)

John Curran: Currently, there are 181 Community Development Projects/groups funded under my Department's Community Development Programme. The allocation for the Programme for 2009 is €20.9m. I understand that some projects attract funding from other sources. My Department is currently undertaking a review of these projects and I expect to have the results later this year. In addition, my intention to...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (22 Sep 2009)

John Curran: Community Development Projects funded under the Programme are either private companies limited by guarantee in their own right or are hosted by a private company limited by guarantee. Accordingly, the issues raised by the Deputy are matters for the boards, in accordance with the relevant employment legislation.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (22 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together. I refer the Deputy to my reply to questions 817, 819, 821 and 822 of 16 September 2009. The Scheme remains suspended pending the finalisation of the review and related decisions.

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (23 Sep 2009)

John Curran: The Department of Social and Family Affairs is the lead Department of State with responsibility for the Family Support Agency, which administers the Family Resource Centre Programme and discussions between departments take place from time to time as necessary. In the context of providing more efficient and streamlined social inclusion services to people who need them the most, the integration...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I understand that funding of €121,000 has been allocated in 2009 to the organisation in question to refurbish, equip and operate a family respite support facility by the Mid Western Regional Drugs Task Force. This funding will be subject to the usual accountability and control processes of the public bodies concerned. Given the recent nature of the decision to fund, no reports are...

Seanad: Cúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív. As the Senator knows and as the Minister has said many times before, the Government will decide on the various recommendations that have been submitted to it, and which are mentioned in this question, in due course. The Minister understands that Gaeltacht communities view the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht...

Seanad: Cúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I apologise for my personal inability in this respect. While I have a certain amount of Irish I would not feel comfortable or competent to give an adequate response in Irish. I regard that as a failing. My Irish was learned in school. I did not live in an Irish speaking community. The Senator made a valid point that the question was put in Irish. With the way the business of the Houses...

Seanad: Medical Cards (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. The assessment of eligibility for medical cards and general practitioner, GP, visit cards is statutorily a matter for the Health Service Executive, HSE, and is determined following an examination of the means of an applicant and his or her dependants. Up to the start of...

Seanad: Medical Cards (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I do not have those details to hand.

Seanad: Medical Cards (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I will do that. I am aware the local offices will have access to information but whether that is by way of a dedicated on-line system I do not know.

Seanad: Medical Cards (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I will obtain a response to the two questions raised by Senator McFadden.

Seanad: Legislative Programme (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: I am responding to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern. The debate in this House on the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 was useful and informed. It is even more of a shame, therefore, against the background of the grave threat posed by criminal gangs to our communities and the death and destruction they have...

Seanad: Legislative Programme (24 Sep 2009)

John Curran: To reiterate, since the enactment of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill on 23 July, the Garda has launched a series of operations based on the legislation. As I said, the force has sought legal advice on the implementation of this new legislation and a conference took place in Templemore to examine how best to proceed on the basis of its provisions.

Departmental Programmes. (6 Oct 2009)

John Curran: As indicated to this House on a number of occasions, the recommendations in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes represent a set of options for consideration in the context of the 2010 budget and will fall to be examined by the Government at the appropriate time. Any decisions on the specific matter referred to by the Deputy will be made in...

Departmental Programmes. (6 Oct 2009)

John Curran: The McCarthy report is an independent report. The Deputy mentioned specific instances in which the report was not supportive of programmes or stated there was little evidence for positive outcomes. I do not agree there is little evidence of positive outcomes from those initiatives. I refer in particular to the local development social inclusion programme and the community development...

Departmental Programmes. (6 Oct 2009)

John Curran: My understanding is that Department officials met with the McCarthy group; neither I nor the Minister did. In case there is any misunderstanding, I reiterate that while the report specifically stated there was little evidence of the benefits of certain schemes, I do not agree with that statement, and I do see their benefits.

Irish Summer Colleges. (6 Oct 2009)

John Curran: It is an independent report.