Results 1,661-1,680 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (21 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy is aware, the purpose of the Fuel Allowance payment is to assist households with their energy costs. The Fuel Allowance payment is targeted towards those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. If a participant on a Community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (21 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community-based organisations, to provide employment opportunities and local services through a social enterprise model. My department and Pobal have undertaken significant work on the restructuring of the CSP with the redesigned programme introduced and all existing organisations transitioned to the new programme from...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (21 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Charities Act 2009 sets out the requirements an organisation must meet to be considered a charity in Ireland. Among the requirements is the concept of a charitable purpose. The Act sets out specific categories of charitable purpose, namely the prevention or relief of poverty or economic hardship; the advancement of education; the advancement of religion; and any other purpose that is...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (21 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Charities Regulatory Authority (the ‘Charities Regulator’) was established in October 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009. The Authority is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with the mandate to promote good governance practice. My Department has been assigned responsibility for the Charities Regulator. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: CE schemes across the country play a vital role in providing essential services to local communities. Since December 2021, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I have been pleased to announce a number of reforms and enhancements to the scheme including, most recently, the extension of the criteria of those who can participate on CE schemes to the adult dependents of those in receipt of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy is aware, I monitor the figures closely. We have changed eligibility criteria and the pool of eligible people twice in the past 12 months. That has allowed us to stay static in the last 12 months, which has been an achievement in itself. There is a constant flow in. The number of starters on CE schemes last month, 594, was high when compared to previous months. In previous...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The number of vacancies is largely stable, although that is, of course, not good enough. We want to push the number down further. With regard to changes to policy and eligibility, we are open to looking at a lot of them and have made quite a few over the past 12 months, as I have said. On the 12-month rule, I am reluctant to go there because the scheme is designed for a cohort of people...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Social Protection has an important role in supporting the most vulnerable in society. It is important to note that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, is currently running a public campaign informing people of their rights if they are struggling with utility payments. It also notifies people that providers are obliged to work with them on a payment plan. From...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I should also reference the €600 energy credit, which benefited bill and prepay meter users alike. Persistent difficulty with indebtedness can be helped through budgetary advice from the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS. While this engagement is not a precondition for any assistance, the service provides impartial advice and expertise to help people manage money and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fuel Poverty (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I will answer the last question first. I recall there were significant efforts made by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in relation to prepay meters. You should not be without the payment if you are on a prepay meter. We can talk about specific circumstances later but there was a separate fund set up in that Department for that. I acknowledge the Deputy's...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: International Protection (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is the lead department for all matters relating to the provision of support for applicants for international protection. The report by the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support including Accommodation to Persons in the International Protections Process, chaired by Dr Catherine Day, was published in September 2020. A...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors provide a very important role running CE schemes countrywide. These schemes deliver important locally based community services, while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those furthest removed from the labour market. CE supervisors and assistant supervisors are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (28 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 118 together. The aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. In addition, it helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (30 Mar 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment Scheme (CE) 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 bodies receive state funding to cover the salary costs of supervisors, assistant supervisors, and participant...

Rent Reduction Bill 2023: First Stage (20 Apr 2023)

Joe O'Brien: No.

Safe Deposit Boxes and Related Deposits Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Apr 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for bringing forward this Private Member's Bill entitled the Safe Deposit Boxes and Related Deposits Bill 2022. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government is not opposing the Bill. It is a detailed Bill which covers a wide-ranging and complex area. In the first instance, it is important to understand what it sets out to achieve. Part 2 seeks to...

Safe Deposit Boxes and Related Deposits Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Apr 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I again welcome the debate. I again thank Deputy Ó Cuív for bringing the Bill forward and for tonight's discussion. It is the start of a much more detailed and interesting discussion where we will get to pull it apart a little more on Committee Stage. As I said, this is a very complicated area cutting across at least three Departments, including the Departments of Finance and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (18 Apr 2023)

Joe O'Brien: 147. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the human rights and political situation in Peru; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18297/23]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2023)

Joe O'Brien: 520. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the building of the second phase of a school (details supplied) due to commence works in September 2023 and for completion by September 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17007/23]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (18 Apr 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Charities Regulatory Authority (the ‘Charities Regulator’) was established in October 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009. The Authority is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with the mandate to promote good governance practice. My Department has been assigned responsibility for the Charities Regulator. It...