Results 2,021-2,040 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I agree.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I agree that providing money quickly through LCDCs is the best way to handle small grants. That is why we are doing this the way we are. Pobal manages a range of funding programmes. If there are particular programmes where accessing funding is a problem, we would like to know. We could bring that information to Pobal. It has a range of approximately 20 funding programmes of various...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I am happy to comment on it, albeit it briefly. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is especially interested in having a network of remote working hubs, particularly along the western side of the country. She sees the value in that. The Western Development Commission will play a role in developing that network. We want to a situation whereby someone could check a phone app to see where he or...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I will take the Deputy's last point first. We are on track to spend our allocation this year. That is good news. Covid-19 has impacted that significantly but we have caught up and are on track. The Deputy made a point about the State-owned buildings that could be used. It is not an unreasonable suggestion. I will impress that point upon the Minister. While the broader remote working...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: ----- the Deputy's suggestion is more than reasonable and I will bring it back again to the Minister. I agree that it is a reasonable suggestion. The Deputy asked about expenditure. As of now, gross departmental expenditure to date is €262 million. Capital expenditure has ramped up significantly over the past number of weeks and expenditure to date is €99.5 million, with a...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: That is correct.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I was not aware of the Pobal office in Clifden. The Department has 80 staff members, basically half the Department, in Ballina. I am open to going to Clifden.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I have to be careful where I stay in Clifden, if I do go that far.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (18 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: That is it.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (17 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 237. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the rebate that previously existed for companies switching to electric vehicles will be restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36839/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (17 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment (CE) Scheme 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. A number of new conditions were introduced to the CE Scheme in July 2017 to further support progression to employment,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (17 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment (CE) programme is a community centred labour market initiative established for the purposes of social inclusion and activation, to help long-term unemployed people and other vulnerable groups to enter the workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment. These positions are filled on a temporary, fixed term basis. A number of new conditions were introduced...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (17 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The person concerned commenced as a participant on Community Employment on 20thNovember 2017. As he is over 55, the maximum period on Community Employment per the Department’s Guidelines is 156 weeks.  On December 4thnext, the customer will have exceeded the maximum period. However, the person concerned will become eligible again for participation in Community...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff (17 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 828. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a salary scheme to compensate student nurses who while on placement carry out a standard 35-hour week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36918/20]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Services Programme (17 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: My Department currently supports more than 420 community organisations under the Community Services Programme (CSP) to provide local services through a social enterprise model.  Pobal administer the CSP on behalf of my Department.  The organisation in question received CSP funding towards the cost of supporting one manager and three full time equivalent positions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (12 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of divestment plans for primary and secondary schools in order to provide more multi- and non-denominational school options for parents; and the progress that has been made in 2020 on same. [35817/20]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (12 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 253. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider incorporating aspects of the yellow flag programme into national education policy. [36019/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (12 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The role of the CE supervisor is to ensure the effective and efficient management and co-ordination of the human, financial and material resources of the CE Scheme and report to the Sponsoring Committee on its implementation. A core aspect of the role is to support and coach CE participants towards gaining the skills, competencies and qualifications in preparation for employment. Projects are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (11 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for the publication of the terms of reference of the recently announced independent review of the leaving certificate calculated grades process; the timeline for the commencement of the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35560/20]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 378. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the efforts that will be made and the resourcing provided to support taking rough sleepers off the streets this winter. [34712/20]