Results 5,181-5,200 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran

Written Answers — Community Projects: Community Projects (26 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The Deputy will appreciate that responsibility for alcohol policy lies with my colleague Deputy Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children. In this context, funding for alcohol prevention measures is being provided through the Dormant Accounts Fund. A list of the projects relevant to tackling underage drinking is being compiled by the Department of Health and Children and will be provided...

Drug Treatment Court. (26 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I thank Deputy Rabbitte for raising this matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who sends his apologies. The Drug Treatment Court, which originally operated on a pilot basis in the north inner city of Dublin, was placed on a permanent footing and extended to the Dublin 7 area. The court uses a multidisciplinary approach and involves a range of...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (24 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I am aware that officials of my Department have addressed the issues raised in the question with the chairperson of the project in recent weeks. The matter is now considered closed. As the Deputy maybe aware, my Department, in association with Pobal, is currently implementing a strategy to tackle the key social inclusion issues in the most disadvantaged areas of Dublin 12.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (24 Nov 2009)

John Curran: My Department, in association with Pobal, who administer the Local Development Social inclusion Programme, is involved in implementing a social inclusion strategy designed to maintain key essential services in the area. As an interim measure, another partnership company in an adjoining area is providing supports to the area in question.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (24 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I refer the Deputy to Question No. 104 of 17 November 2009.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (24 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The Scheme supports qualifying older people, aged 65 and older, by providing funding towards monitored personal alarms, monitored smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors and other items of security and safety equipment. Applications for assistance under the Scheme must be made through the individual applicant's local community or voluntary organisation. The Department cannot accept applications...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (24 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions numbered 328, 340 and 324 on 17 November 2009. As outlined in that response, I am very concerned at the proliferation of headshops and I have raised these concerns in many fora. My concerns in relation to the selling of substances that are represented as being "legal highs" or "herbal highs" centre on the potential health hazard arising and...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (19 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I refer the Deputy to Question No. 41635/09 answered on 17 November 2009.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (18 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I refer the Deputy to Question No. 104 answered yesterday, 17 November 2009.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (18 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 52, 63 and 110 on 17 November 2009.

Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: From the Seanad (18 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I thank the Deputies for allowing me to report back to the House at an early stage on the amendments introduced to the Bill on Committee Stage in the Seanad. Before detailing the changes, I wish briefly to reiterate the reasons we are introducing the Bill. The Government's objective in bringing the Bill to the House is to streamline management procedures and provide for the efficient...

Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: From the Seanad (18 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The Deputy is correct and I will make one or two comments on that specific point. I acknowledge there was cross-party support for the Bill here and in the Upper House, where I took the legislation. This specific amendment relates to a practice that occurs around Ireland. I acknowledge that the Bill was framed initially around the new court facility being provided. However, it also is...

Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009: From the Seanad (18 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I acknowledge that. While I accept it is not an ideal situation, the Courts Service is investing considerable resources in improving courthouses around the country. I detailed some of those earlier. The amendment we made in the Seanad applies specifically to Garda stations and the original provisions in the Bill would apply to anything outside that environment.

Written Answers — Volunteer Centres: Volunteer Centres (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 103 together. My Department funds a network of 21 volunteer centres across the country. The Volunteer Centres are based in the following locations: Carlow, Cork, Drogheda, Donegal, Dublin City North, Dublin City South, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Limerick City, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Sligo, South Dublin County, South...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I am confident that the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 will provide a comprehensive response to problem drug use in Ireland. The Strategy seeks to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a concerted focus on the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. This pillar approach is being...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: As the Deputy will be aware, the majority of expenditure allocated through my Department to community groups involved in drugs initiatives is channelled though the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. Of the total drugs funding in my Department's Vote in 2009, over 92% is targeted at Task Force-related activities. The revised allocation, following the Supplementary Budget in April, for...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 326 together. I am aware of the 2009 Annual Report of the European Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction which was published earlier this month. The drug prevalence figures contained in the report are compiled from the latest figures available for individual countries. In the case of Ireland the figures reflect the outcome of the all-island Drug...

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: An Garda Síochána and Revenue's Customs Service have achieved significant success in relation to the number of drug seizures, and the amount and value of the drugs involved. I congratulate both organisations in this regard. The ongoing co-operation between the two agencies, and their international counterparts, and their focus on an intelligence-led approach, has proven particularly...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 101 together. Funding for community groups from my Department for drugs initiatives in Co. Kildare is channelled through the South Western Area Regional Drugs Task Force (SWRDTF). The amount of funding allocated to SWRDTF in the past three years is as follows: 2007 €465,106 2008 €1,061,013 2009 €1,181,150 The SWRDTF covers South Dublin City,...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: As the Deputy is aware, I launched the Dial to Stop Drug Dealing initiative in September 2008 and the campaigns have been rolled out very successfully in three phases through 15 of the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. The campaigns ran from October 2008 to July 2009 and Cork City LDTF and the Southern RDTF both launched their campaigns on 23rd March 2008 under the second phase. All...