Results 1,821-1,840 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Code (24 Oct 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Being honest, I only have limited information, and the key piece of information I have concerning the questions the Deputy is asking is that the budget has been allocated. Additionally, regarding vulnerability and the vulnerability of children, the Government has co-funded family support practitioners for those families living in IPAS accommodation to support the pathway for integrated...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (24 Oct 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I agree with the Deputy that Community Employment (CE) has a proven track record of helping people who are long-term unemployed and lone parents to get back to work and has many benefits for these individuals and our communities. It is an active labour market programme designed to assist eligible people including lone parents by offering work experience and training through short-term...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Budget 2024 (24 Oct 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As part of Budget 2024, Minister Humphreys and I secured a €2.3 Billion Social Protection package. I am pleased to say that this is, for the second year in a row, the largest in the history of the State. This package provides a mixture of exceptional cost of living payments delivered quickly, over the coming weeks, along with rate increases effective from January. Each year, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Levels (24 Oct 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020–2025is the national strategy for poverty reduction and social inclusion. The ambitious headline target is to reduce the percentage of the population in consistent poverty to 2% or less by 2025. The Roadmap also includes other indicators to support on delivery of this ambition. Official poverty data is published annually by the Central Statistics...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (24 Oct 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Social Protection operates a number of employment support schemes for long term unemployed persons which also assist communities across the country in the provision of vital services, including Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS). The Department is very conscious of the important role that these work programmes play and wish to support...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Government Reform (24 Oct 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Since the establishment of the Department of Rural and Community Development on the 19th July 2017, no functions have been devolved in full or in part, nor are any functions in the process of being devolved.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (25 Oct 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports 420 community-based organisations, supporting 437 services 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. Qualifying organisations must be social...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Communications (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Department is currently dealing with the unprecedented challenge of accommodating people fleeing war in Ukraine and seeking international protection in Ireland from countries across the world. Our communities and neighbourhoods have responded with a generosity of spirit, as Deputy Dillon has said, in keeping with both our international reputation and our obligation to recognise the human...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Communications (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I want to acknowledge the co-operation of local authorities, local development companies, Deputies and Senators of these Houses and local councillors who have helped us to bring communities on board. It is a function of the community engagement team to do exactly what Deputy Dillon has described, namely, to talk to the relevant Government Departments. We have contact points in all of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Communications (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: This is a timely opportunity to mention the fact that the Department has allocated additional resources to every local authority to recruit local authority integration teams. They are all at different stages of the recruitment process. Some have finished while others are yet to start. It will lead to up to four additional staff per local authority to assist and grow into this new place....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Supreme Court judgment in this case, the Revenue Commissioners v. Karshan Midlands Limited, regarding Domino's Pizza delivery drivers is an important decision and one which the Government welcomes. This is a complex area of employment law where the classification of some employment relationships is not easily deduced. Indeed, this judgment...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The misclassification of a worker as being self-employed when his or her terms and conditions mean he or she is in reality an employee is a matter of real concern. There is no single clear legal definition of the terms "employed" or "self-employed" in Irish or EU law. To determine a person's employment status, both the written or oral contract and the reality behind the contract must be...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position on the Department of Education's planning for school accommodation for children with special educational needs, specifically in regard to the application for additional accommodation made by Sooey National School, County Sligo. The Deputy may be aware that Sooey National School is a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As I have outlined, the Department has been engaging with this school regarding its application for additional accommodation. While the provision of a general purpose room is outside the scope of the additional school accommodation scheme, the Department has liaised with the school regarding the potential provision of accommodation for children with special educational needs. As Deputy...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Workplace Discrimination (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I agree with that and with Deputy Barry's sentiments on how crucial migrant nurses are not only to our hospital system but also to our care system, more broadly speaking. Before I read my answer, which is important, I want to say I heard the media report this morning and it stopped me in my tracks. The small clip I heard was shocking, and I have since read the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Workplace Discrimination (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I do not have the specifics on that. I will bring it back to the Minister to follow up on that as well. I indicated in my initial contribution that mandatory training was part of what was required in the HSE. I have an additional interest here. I am responsible for the national action plan against racism, so I will be delving into that a little bit further to see how thorough that is and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Workplace Discrimination (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: -----to diversity are the ones who go to it. Therefore, when it is not mandatory, it is a problem. When it is stated as mandatory, I would like to see how comprehensive that is. I am committing to the Deputy that I will find out more about that. Of course, training does not solve it either. Racism is deeper than that for many people. We have much work to do in that regard. With...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Workplace Discrimination (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Yes.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Flood Risk Management (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. On my behalf and that of the Government, I express sympathy to the people of north Louth, including the Cooley Peninsula, who had their houses and businesses flooded last week. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Flood Risk Management (7 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The flooding events in north Louth and the Cooley peninsula last week as a result of heavy rainfall on saturated ground show the importance of the OPW's planned programme to manage Ireland's flood risk. The completion of 53 flood relief schemes is already protecting 12,000 properties from flooding and avoiding damages of some €2 billion. The 2018 OPW risk management plans were...