Results 26,901-26,920 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I refer the Deputy to a previous reply to Question No. 11 of 29 June 2005. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department, supported by Pobal, formerly known as Area Development Management, ADM, Limited, co-ordinates the implementation of the RAPID programme. It is, therefore, a matter for each Department to report on progress on the implementation of RAPID and details of funding allocations to...

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It was never announced.

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Perhaps the Deputy could do me a favour because I genuinely cannot find a reference to a sum in any of the statements made about RAPID at the beginning. On this famous statement, to which people keep referring, of somebody referring in some way to €2 billion, my suspicion — I cannot find the reference anywhere and I went looking — is that it said X amount of money was available for...

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Deputy referred to performance indicators. While Pobal has commissioned a review, the most powerful performance indicator is the AITs in the communities. If I am told by the teams the programme is working, I have much more faith in that than all the commentary of the external gurus.

Departmental Programmes. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Tralee AIT made a powerful presentation to the national monitoring committee recently. One of the speakers said they were doubters of the process but that it had worked. It is working because many different strands have been added to it and every allocation has had an immediate effect on the ground because communities are given confidence that they can influence issues. These areas have been...

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is not the lead Department with regard to migrant workers. However, since 2004 they have been regarded as a target group under the local development social inclusion programme, the LDSIP. The programme aims to counter disadvantage and to promote equality and social and economic inclusion through the provision of funding and support to...

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: No. The LDSIP autumn 2005 newsletter stated: The analysis is expected to be completed by December 2005, with a report documenting the planning processes and good practice scheduled for spring 2006. I presume it is still on target to be published by spring 2006. Is spring in the middle of the year? It is not far off.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am only telling the Deputy what I was informed. The Deputy cannot be holding me to anything.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The House amazes me at times. Pobal, the Dublin Employment Pact and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, the groups involved in the project, operate independently of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Since I cannot hold Pobal to anything, there is no point in holding me to when its report will be published.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I cannot micromanage. If I did, I would be accused of interference.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It must be the jet lag that is getting to me. Pobal is funded by the Department and it operates independently on a day-to-day basis. On certain days of the week, it is the Labour Party's favourite policy that people should operate independently of the Department. Pobal established a review group that claimed in autumn 2005 that it will publish a report in spring 2006. Now, it claims it will...

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: When I spend the money, I am asked to keep control and micromanage it. If I introduced legislation to take over Pobal, I would be accused of creating another slush fund and trying to take total control. At times one cannot win with the Opposition because it is so inconsistent.

Migrant Workers. (21 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Opposition's approach is inconsistent.

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (9 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I will be travelling to New Zealand for the St. Patrick's Day festivities. I will visit Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch, and my visit will focus on developing links with Irish community groups. I will participate in traditional St. Patrick's Day events, including the St. Patrick's Day festival parade and banquet in Auckland. I will also attend the Wellington Irish Society...

Written Answers — Recreational Facilities: Recreational Facilities (7 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Deputy will be aware that my Department already offers a wide range of schemes which support play facilities in disadvantaged areas. The CLÁR primary school outdoor play facilities enhancement scheme is co-funded equally by CLÁR and the Department of Education and Science at a total cost of €2.4 million, made up of €1.2 million from each. The scheme aims to improve outdoor play...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (7 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 393, 398 and 399 together. Arising from the review of local and community development structures which I initiated in conjunction with my colleagues, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Government agreed in January 2004 a series of measures designed to improve delivery of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The number of staff with a disability employed in my Department represents 3% of the total number of 234 staff serving at present. My Department's human resources strategy 2005-07 reiterates the commitment to maintaining the Government target of employing a quota of at least 3% of staff with a disability. A designated officer in my Department has responsibility for equality issues including...

Written Answers — Inland Waterways: Inland Waterways (7 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. The issues raised by the Deputy are the day-to-day responsibility of the North-South body, Waterways Ireland, an implementation body established under the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999 and co-sponsored by my Department and the Department of Culture Arts, and Leisure in the North. I understand from Waterways Ireland that the third and...

Written Answers — Gaeltacht Boundaries: Gaeltacht Boundaries (7 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: As the Deputy will be aware, a major sociolinguistic study of Irish usage in the Gaeltacht is scheduled for completion this September. This important study, which is being conducted on behalf of my Department by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, National University of Ireland, Galway, in conjunction with the national institute for regional and spatial analysis, National University of...

Written Answers — Rural Social Scheme: Rural Social Scheme (7 Mar 2006)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The review of the rural social scheme, covering its first year of operation, has been completed. Arising out of this review, the Government has recently approved a number of changes to the scheme. In this regard, my Department is consulting the Department of Social and Family Affairs on how best to implement some of these changes, in particular changes regarding eligibility criteria and pay...