Results 181-200 of 2,126 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

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...

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 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...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Skerries Community College was approved for a project to cater for a school with 1,300 students and four classes for students with special education needs. The project was devolved for delivery to the ETB. Significant technical challenges for the delivery of the project on the current site were identified. The Department met with the ETB in August in order to assist the ETB progress the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I certainly will do so. The Deputy has made some very clear points and suggestions, which I will convey to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. I will read out the information I have on the Shannon Callows as it may be of interest and use to the Deputy. I understand a tender will issue in January for an ecological consultant to carry out a high-level environmental study. The study...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As her question was framed in a general way, I will begin with some general points and I can provide more specifics in my follow-up response. On behalf of the Minister for Education, I will outline the position with regard to primary and post-primary school places in north County Dublin for September 2024 and onwards. I assure the Deputy that...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Facilities (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I will not go through the answer again. There is obviously significant construction planned for the school, including special needs education rooms. I do not understand the situation described by the Deputy, nor can I can pretend to. There may be reasons for it. There may be particularities around the site or the school that I am not aware of. However, I commit to raising the matter...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising these issues. I am aware that the risk of flooding has a significant impact on communities. I am also aware of the distress flooding can cause to people and the impact it can have on their homes, businesses and farms. In 2018, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State, the catchment flood risk assessment management, CFRAM,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Facilities (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: On behalf of the Minister for Education, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position concerning the Department of Education’s plans and specifically regarding the application for a PE Hall at Seamount College, Kinvara, County Galway. The Deputy may be aware that Seamount College is a mixed Catholic secondary school in the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question and I am pleased to take this opportunity on behalf of the Department of Education to assure him and this House that not only will all vacant SENO posts across the country be filled but there will be a significant increase in the number of SENOs employed by the NCSE in the very near future. A nationwide competition for the recruitment of SENOs was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As a Department, we have a responsibility to listen to and take on board people's experiences with Intreo. I know that good work is done, but as I said, the voices of people with disabilities are key in this regard. I thought the Deputy might ask me about the film. I have not seen it, but my understanding is that it is about the UK context. I understand, from what I have heard about it,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Domiciliary care allowance is a monthly payment to a parent or guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires care and attention substantially over and above that usually needed by a child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time, so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My understanding, from discussions with officials, is that the rate has not increased over time, notwithstanding the fact that 70% of disallowed claims eventually do get granted. The explanation for this is the supply of the medical information. It tends not to be supplied in the initial application, at least in these particular cases.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: There is an amenability in the Department in terms of looking at the question of backdating claims. People get the application in as soon as possible and then some of the medical information follows. We are looking at a way of maybe improving that. It is also important to state that budget 2023 saw new legislation coming into effect, with a new provision put in place making domiciliary...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: According to data compiled by my Department, the average employer social insurance contribution rate across the EU stands at approximately 19.5%. Ireland's current higher employer social insurance rate is 11.05%. However, it is important to note that social insurance rates across Europe are not directly comparable as different benefits, thresholds and ceilings apply across each member...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: With a view to getting the best outcome for everyone, I will not get into the nitty-gritty of this. We have had two successful processes over the past couple of years in terms of securing the gratuity and the 5% increase for CE supervisors. I have put a lot of work into those two processes in the background. I have been asked questions about them, while they were in process, in this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: This is the third pay-related issue in which I have been involved. I worked to progress the previous two issues. We got the gratuity issue sorted, which was going on for a very long time. It came to my table, I progressed it and now it is done. We also had the pay claim issue and we worked through that as quickly as we could. The 5% increase has been done now, with the first part given...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I welcome the visitors in the Gallery. The Government committed, as part of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion, to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and simplify the system. The consultation process has been ongoing since the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, launched the Green Paper on disability reform in September. I emphasise that the Green Paper is...