Results 1,581-1,600 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: Bear with me. I will be as quick----
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: I will try to be as direct as possible.
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: To answer the last question on funding from other Departments for the drugs strategy, I understand the project to which Deputy Byrne referred is one which was funded by the Department of Education and Science. I will answer the question in that context, but if it is not I will revert to the Deputy after the debate. Our drug advisory group met today. Unfortunately I could not attend the...
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: From the data available on the general prevalence of use, illegal drug use seems to be increasing slightly.
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: As the Deputy is aware, the remit of my Department includes community development in all communities, irrespective of location or socio-economic development. Many of our programmes, however, both individually and collectively, focus in particular on communities that are vulnerable, disadvantaged or under threat. The key principle underlying my Department's activities is the provision of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: The Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) is a series of measures designed to counter disadvantage and to promote equality and social and economic inclusion. The programme, which Pobal manages on behalf of my Department, is implemented locally by 37 Integrated Local Development Companies and 16 Urban Partnerships. These are not-for-profit companies that target the areas of...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces support a range of measures that target drug misuse in their areas, based on identified local needs. These can include, for example, drugs awareness and prevention initiatives. In the context of the funding available for 2010, I have asked the Task Forces to assess all projects currently being funded to ensure that they are drugs targeted and...
- Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: The Deputy will be aware of commitments I made earlier in the year that the Scheme of Community Support for Older People would be reintroduced when a review of its operations was completed. I am studying the findings of the review at present and I expect that revised arrangements will be put in place in early 2010. Prior to the suspension of the Scheme in April, 214 applications from...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: I assume the Deputy is referring to the Ballymun Digital Community Project. This project is an innovative measure funded by my Department and implemented by DIT which provides IT access, learning/qualifications to disadvantaged communities. The Department has confirmed its support to fund this initiative for 2010, but has no plans to roll out the initiative to other areas at this juncture.
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: I refer the Deputy to Questions 26 & 30 of earlier today.
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: I welcome the publication of this report by the Health Research Board. Published in November, it details deaths that were indirectly caused by drugs over the eight year period from 1998 to 2005. It is a follow-on publication from the National Drugs Related Deaths Index (NDRDI), published in late 2008, when details of deaths directly related to drug taking were made available. The data...
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: As I outlined previously to the Dáil and Seanad, my Department has seen the need to redesign its community development/social inclusion programmes, particularly the Local Development Social Inclusion (LDSIP) and Community Development Programmes (CDP), drawing on best international practice, and to support the ongoing evaluation of the programmes. The LDSIP and the CDP are my Department's...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 56, 70, 234, 235 and 236 together. In 2010, funding of â¬36.2m is being made available for drugs initiatives supported through my Department, an overall reduction of approximately 11%. While this funding will allow for a significant number of projects in Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces to be maintained, I acknowledge that the reduction may result in...
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: As the Deputy is aware, my Department implements and funds a wide range of measures, programmes and schemes promoting social inclusion. These include measures addressing the issue of urban and rural isolation, for example, the Community Supports for Older People and grant provision to organisations such as St Vincent de Paul and Protestant Aid. Details of the programmes and schemes operated...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: The Health Service Executive has a long established relationship with voluntary sector providers of drug treatment programmes across the country. In this context, my focus in recent months has been to improve inter-agency working and co-operation between statutory and voluntary service providers and to this end, a small working group, chaired by my Department, is currently working through a...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: The organisation referred to by the Deputy is funded through the North Eastern Regional Drugs Task Force (NERDTF). In relation to funding for 2010, I have asked the Task Forces to review all projects currently being funded to ensure that they are drugs-targeted and evidence-based; can show tangible outputs and outcomes; are addressing current gaps and needs in their areas and can demonstrate...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: The Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation, which was chaired by my Department, was completed in 2007. It led to the establishment of the National Drugs Rehabilitation Implementation Committee (NDRIC) which is charged with overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the Report. As part of fulfilling the lead role in rehabilitation, the HSE chair this...
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: The Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) and the Community Development Programme (CDP) are my Department's two main social inclusion/community development programmes. Both have a community development element and both have been delivered through separate local structures. As I outlined previously to the House, for some time now my Department has been aware of the need to...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the majority of expenditure allocated to voluntary and community groups for drugs initiatives through my Department, is channelled through the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. Overall, there will be a reduction of 11% in the funding available for drugs programmes in 2010 through my Department's Vote....
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (16 Dec 2009)
John Curran: As the Deputy is aware, the remit of my Department includes community development in all communities, irrespective of location or socio-economic development. While the overall cut of 14% across the Developing Communities subheads of my Department's Vote will have an impact, my Department will be endeavouring to protect front-line services as far as possible. Every saving that can be made...