Results 1,941-1,960 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 141 together. The Government is committed to the reduction of all forms of poverty, particularly child poverty, as outlined in the Programme for Governmentand the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 to 2025. The Roadmap is a whole of Government strategy with the ambitious target to reduce consistent poverty to 2 per cent or less and make Ireland one of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 237, 243 and 245 together. My Department operates a number of employment support schemes; including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), for long term unemployed persons and low income farmers/fishers. I would like to acknowledge the important role that Tús and RSS supervisors play in providing valuable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (12 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 485, 493, 496, 501 and 511 together. My Department operates a number of employment support schemes; including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), for long term unemployed persons and low income farmers/fishers. I would like to acknowledge the important role that Tús and RSS supervisors play in providing valuable...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (12 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The national drug strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, sets out government policy on drug and alcohol use for the period 2017 to 2025. The strategy provides an integrated health-led approach to drug and alcohol use, focused on reducing the harms for individuals, families and communities and promoting rehabilitation and recovery. The vision of Reducing Harm, Supporting...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. My Department administers a number of funding programmes addressing integration in communities on the basis of annual or multi-annual open calls for funding. The Department will also offer several funding calls of a similar nature in 2024. Each of these funding calls is run in a transparent and competitive manner, with applicants given detailed...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has a geographical focus for grant applications, as I outlined. I am also a Minister of State in the Department of Rural and Community Development, which provides social inclusion and community activation programme allocations and allocations to volunteer centres. Going into 2024, we are specifically looking at the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As I mentioned, there are checks and balances. There is independent oversight of the grant process. The Deputy’s figures are based on the number of requests for funding. There is another cut-off point in terms of viable projects as well. Sometimes we get requests for funding where the projects do not add up in terms of what has been put forward. That is where the independent set...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Since early 2022, Ireland has provided accommodation to more than 99,000 people, between those fleeing Ukraine and international protection applicants. This includes more than 73,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection and more than 25,000 international protection applicants currently in IPAS accommodation. Prior to the war in Ukraine, there were 8,300 applicants for international...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I do not have enough time to list all the things we are doing, but we have a range of funds, including local funds and national funds. For example, the grants under the national integration fund and the asylum migration fund will be announced in the first quarter of next year. There are many other important initiatives. Each local authority has a local economic and community plan. They...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I am happy to take the opportunity to acknowledge the work of partnership companies. They are probably one of our key partners on the ground that are facilitating integration, particularly through the social inclusion and community activation programme. We have an additional €10 million allocation for work with Ukrainians and international protection applicants that we secured last...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (13 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department operates a number of employment support schemes; including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), for long term unemployed persons and low income farmers/fishers. I would like to acknowledge the important role that Tús and RSS supervisors play in providing valuable opportunities to participants in supporting the delivery of key services to local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: 511. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the plan to build a permanent extension at a school (details supplied) in light of the initial design difficulties that have resulted in significant delays. [56816/23]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Sector Pay (17 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 890, 898 and 938 together. My Department operates a number of employment support schemes; including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), for long term unemployed persons and low income farmers/fishers. I would like to acknowledge the important role that Tús and RSS supervisors play in providing valuable opportunities to...

Conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Motion (23 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the motion. I was glad to cede the time given for the planned charities Bill, which will instead be taken on Thursday. The Irish public has watched with increasing horror the events of the past 100 days unfold. International human rights law is very important, but we do not need to be versed in it to see that what has been visited on the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Development Projects (23 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I will give an initial response and then follow up with further information in my second reply. The community recognition fund is managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development and delivered locally by each of the local authorities around the country. The €50 million fund was introduced this time last year and I was...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Development Projects (23 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: To clarify, the Government is looking at how we can further support impacted towns and villages across a range of different public services. I look forward to seeing the proposals that emerge on that in the coming weeks. For now, specifically in relation to community recognition, the focus is very much on getting the approved projects delivered on the ground. These projects can only make a...

Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to have the opportunity to bring the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023 before the House. The passing of this Bill is an essential step to enhance and strengthen the existing framework for regulating charities in Ireland. The charity sector plays a crucial role in connecting the wider public with opportunities to support and...

Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate. I appreciate the broad support for the Bill. I will use my time to address some of the issues raised. Reference was made to crowd funding platforms, including GoFundMe. Crowd funding tends to occur where a person or group seeks donations for an individual or a specific cause, such as seeking funds to pay for treatment for someone...

Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Referral to Select Committee (25 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 181(1).

Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland: Statements (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has continued to work as part of the whole-of-government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing conflict who request it. The Department of the Taoiseach co-ordinates the whole-of-government response to...