Results 21-40 of 65 for 5 million speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (14 Sep 2022)

Joe O'Brien: ...Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion programme. The current iteration began on 1 January 2018 and will run until the end of 2023. My Department has committed over €250 million funding to the six year national programme. The funding for SICAP is subject to the annual budgetary estimates process. It should be noted that increases in the annual...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (14 Jul 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The fuel allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. It is a targeted payment to people dependent on specified long-term social welfare payments. The purpose of this payment is to assist those households most in need with their energy costs. The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (5 Jul 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce poverty and make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU.  The Roadmap aims to reduce the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less and to position Ireland within the top five countries in the EU under a number of leading social inclusion...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Ukraine War (5 Jul 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I recently announced additional funding of €10.5 million for the community response to support people arriving from Ukraine. Some €5 million in funding is being provided to the Local Development Companies through the SICAP Programme. Additionally, €500,000 is being allocated to support our volunteer centres, which have been dealing with a huge demand for services...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (14 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce poverty and make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU.  The Roadmap contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments.   I am pleased that the first Progress Report of the Roadmap was published in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Energy Conservation (25 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: ...with the price of gas. The Government is very aware of the impact on households of increasing electricity costs. In addition to measures taken in budget 2022, the Government has announced a €505 million suite of measures to mitigate cost-of-living increases, including a credit payment to all domestic electricity accounts, additional fuel allowance payments amounting to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (24 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: ...people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. Participation on the scheme is part time - 19.5 hours per week. The payment rates on CE are related to the underlying social protection payments plus €22.50 per week. In addition, a participant may be eligible, where appropriate, for...

Carbon Tax: Motion [Private Members] (27 Apr 2022)

Joe O'Brien: ...in rates for home heating fuels such as kerosene, gas, and solid fuels was delayed until 1st May, 2022, to mitigate against impacts during the winter heating season, and the May 2022 increase will add approximately €21.56 to a 1,000-litre fill of kerosene and 20 cents (VAT inclusive) to a 12.5 kilogram bale of briquettes; — many of the drivers of current inflationary...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Conflicts (23 Mar 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The situation in Yemen is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, driven by seven years of conflict, economic collapse and the breakdown of public institutions and services which has left millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance. Ireland fully supports the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to bring about a political resolution to the conflict in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Conflicts (23 Mar 2022)

Joe O'Brien: ...displaced persons. Ireland supports accountability for all these violations of international humanitarian law and for all human rights abuses. We must also continue to support the people of Yemen, millions of whom require humanitarian assistance. Ireland has been a reliable and consistent donor to Yemen since the current crisis began in 2015 and one of the largest donors per capita. On...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (3 Feb 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce consistent poverty and improve social inclusion in Ireland. The Roadmap contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments. I am pleased that the first Progress Report of the Roadmap was published on 20 January 2022 and sets out progress...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 927 to 932, inclusive, and 993 to 1005, inclusive, together. As Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion, I oversee the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, the national strategy for poverty reduction and improved social inclusion.  The Roadmap aims to reduce the percentage of the population in consistent poverty...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Through the Covid-19 stability fund, my Department supported a total of 840 organisations in 2020 and 2021 with total funding of approximately €48 million. That fund is now closed and there are no plans at present for further rounds of the stability fund. The innovate together fund was launched in May 2020 and was administered by Rethink Ireland. This consisted of a €5...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 59 and 68 together, for which I thank Deputies Colm Burke, Higgins and O'Dowd. I acknowledge the importance of community centres. They are the cornerstone of community life in many places around the country. My Department has a number of schemes that communities can avail of for the upkeep, enhancement or establishment of community centres. The...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: ...of community life in many places around the country. As the Deputy is aware, a new capital fund for the upgrade of community centres featured in the national development plan and funding of €5 million has been secured for this under budget 2022. This is consistent with the programme for Government commitment to establish a small capital grants scheme for the maintenance,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: ...and my Department introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions necessary in the interests of public health. In 2020, a €50 million support package for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Charities and Social Enterprises was launched by Government and administered by my Department. This funding was made available...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (7 Dec 2021)

Joe O'Brien: ...and my Department introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions necessary in the interests of public health. In 2020, a €50 million support package for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Charities and Social Enterprises was launched by Government and administered by my Department. This funding was made available...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Impact Assessment (25 Nov 2021)

Joe O'Brien: ...incomes, families and poverty. This informs decision-making leading up to the Budget and ensures that the most vulnerable are protected. Budget 2022 included a Social Welfare package worth €558 million, providing across-the-board increases of €5 to weekly payments to pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and working age people, with proportionate...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (14 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: ...aid for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Expenditure on victim supports for people who have suffered domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is also set to increase by €5 million, bringing total funding to €13 million, inclusive of €1 million to improve Garda divisional protective services units. These units are now operating in every Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Policies (7 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less. The Roadmap contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments. Implementation of Roadmap commitments is underway with a number of commitments fully achieved or close...