Results 1,541-1,560 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 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. CE sponsoring authorities employ supervisors, and in some cases assistant supervisors (in schemes with higher number of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (14 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: Not-for-profit and voluntary organisations in the Community and Voluntary sector are woven into the fabric of community life across Ireland, but they are vulnerable to the impact of increased energy costs. The recent budget allocated €10m to my department to put in place a support scheme for community and voluntary organisations and charities to help with the additional energy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Isolation (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 13 together. My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. My Department's social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, is our country's primary social inclusion programme. The current programme began on 1 January 2018 and will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Isolation (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: There are many strands to the Deputy's question and many different funding schemes. I will try my best in the time I have to assure the Deputy that we have constructed two different models in our Department to try to capture everyone with regard to energy costs. The Deputy mentioned the community and voluntary energy support scheme. We have reopened that as of Tuesday and tweaked it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Isolation (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I can certainly look into how soon it can be released but it will be in 2023. I would be interested to hear where the issues were with SICAP allocation because there was a large increase last year. The safety net for many smaller groups will be through the allocation that we are giving to local authorities, which they will disburse through their local community development committees. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The town centre first policy is a major cross-Government initiative that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. Key to this is the establishment of the national implementation office to assist in the delivery and implementation of the policy and to co-ordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level. This office is also responsible for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. I will give an update. We want the regeneration officers appointed as soon as possible. The money has been allocated so the authorities need to do this as soon as possible. We have nine appointed and three are expected to be in place early in the new year as well, but there are still a few to appoint. I will have to liaise with the Minister for Housing, Local...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. The point is taken. I will take it back to the Minister. We in the Department are part of an oversight group together with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Irish Water, the Irish Local Development Network, ILDN, Irish Rural Link, Chambers...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I will keep my reply short and informal because we are under time pressure. I will try to answer the Deputy's questions as best I can. By visiting the Pobal website is the short answer to the Deputy's question about how groups can apply for the scheme. I also bring to the attention of other organisations that may not qualify under CVESS that Limerick City and County Council would have...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I was delighted to launch the Community Support Fund with funding of €10 million on 18th November this year. This new fund, under the Community Enhancement Programme, is designed to assist community groups across the country. Support is available to Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, Senior Citizen Groups, Men’s and Women’s...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: In August 2019, my Department launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the Strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. This Strategy was developed in consultation with the Cross-Sectoral Group and an annual workplan to progress its implementation is agreed with the Group. Work in 2022 is ongoing in respect of a number of the objectives outlined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ukraine War (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: My Department has responsibility for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2018 – 2023 that provides funding to tackle poverty and social exclusion at a local level through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies. The programme is implemented nationally by 46 Local Development...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country, and in doing so to deliver on a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support urban and rural communities. In 2019, my Department published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities - A five year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: International Protection (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: As the deputy is aware, responsibility for the provision of accommodation and related services to people in the International Protection process rests with International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), who operate within the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. My officials are in regular contact with IPAS and my Department provides a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Energy Prices (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 59 together. The Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme (CVESS), administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, will provide once-off support to incorporated organisations and registered charities within the community and voluntary sector which fall outside the parameters of other energy support schemes being delivered by Government. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Energy Prices (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Support Fund, launched on 18 November, is a new Fund designed to assist thousands of community groups across the country. Support is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, ICA Groups, Senior Citizen Groups, Men’s and Women’s Sheds. The fund will deliver small grants to help groups with running...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The Government has provided over €38.2 million to date in funding for the North East Inner City Initiative (NEIC) via my Department to help ensure that the recommendations of the Mulvey Report and the actions contained in the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020-2022 are implemented. In 2022 the NEIC Programme Implementation Board took the decision to extend the Strategic Plan by a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: My officials have regular engagement with the Department of Health regarding the National Drugs Strategy. My Department is represented on the Strategic Implementation Group (4) of Reducing Harm and Supporting Recovery. This group comprises sectoral, agency and Departmental officials. The strategy is relevant to my Department's work in the community and voluntary sectors as it is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Energy Prices (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I was delighted to launch the Community Support Fund with funding of €10m on 18th November this year. This is a new fund under the Community Enhancement Programme designed to assist community groups across the country. Support is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, Senior Citizen Groups and Men’s and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (15 Dec 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 and 410 together. My department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager....