Results 5,961-5,980 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (10 Jul 2008)

John Curran: Under the Emerging Needs Fund, seven cocaine specific projects were approved for funding in 2005/06. A further nine projects aimed at poly-drug/cocaine use are also being supported under that Fund. While the projects have developed at differing rates, overall I am satisfied with the progress made. Over €1m is provided annually through the National Drugs Strategy to support these...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (10 Jul 2008)

John Curran: The Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation made a series of recommendations for the development of a comprehensive rehabilitation pillar under the National Drugs Strategy. As agreed by the Working Group, the HSE is taking the lead role on rehabilitation and I understand from them that the post of Senior Rehabilitation Co-ordinator is to be advertised shortly, and that they hope...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (10 Jul 2008)

John Curran: Tackling the problem of drugs misuse is a key priority for the Government. This is reflected in the allocation of over €64m in my Department's Vote for drugs projects this year, which represents an increase of nearly 29% on the original funding for 2007. This funding will facilitate the progress towards the fulfilment of commitments in the Programme for Government, including developing...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (10 Jul 2008)

John Curran: I am not aware of any research conducted specifically on heroin use in Cork city and County, in particular in relation to under 18s. With regard to heroin users in the general population, the National Advisory Committee on Drugs recently published Bulletin 2 of the 2006/2007 Drug Prevalence Survey which gives regional data. The results for the former Southern Health Board area — which...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (10 Jul 2008)

John Curran: Approx. €22m in current funding is being provided by my Department in 2008 to support Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF) projects. Of that, over €8m relates to 108 projects targeting under 18s, including some cross-Task Force projects. The National Drugs Strategy Team oversees the work of the Task Forces. The type of projects funded range from drugs education workers, prison links workers,...

National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)

John Curran: I welcome the opportunity to contribute briefly to this debate today. I listened to the contributions of some of the previous speakers on the opposite side, in which they apportion blame to the Government for the economic situation the country faces. Many of them have commented that we have simply squandered the boom. Where have they been for the past decade or more? Ireland has...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (9 Jul 2008)

John Curran: Work on developing the new National Drugs Strategy is ongoing. A key element of the work to date is the extensive consultation process that is being undertaken by the Steering Group, chaired by my Department, which has been established to develop proposals for the new Strategy. This has included 15 public consultation meetings and meetings with (i) a number of relevant Departments and...

Written Answers — Care of the Elderly: Care of the Elderly (1 Jul 2008)

John Curran: My Department operates the Scheme of Community Support for Older People. Community and voluntary organisations administer the scheme locally with support and funding provided by my Department. This Scheme encourages and assists the community's support for older people by means of grants to improve the security of vulnerable older people in their own homes. The maximum individual grants...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 20 together. Yesterday, I launched the 2nd Bulletin of the All Island National Drug Prevalence Survey 2006/07, which was undertaken by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) in conjunction with their colleagues from Northern Ireland. The Bulletin looks at the regional spread of drug misuse in Ireland and the changes that have occurred since...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: There has been significant success in relation to the supply reduction pillar of the National Drugs Strategy and both An Garda Síochána and the Customs Service of the Revenue Commissioners are playing key roles in this regard. Their levels of drugs seizures have been well in excess of the targets set out in the Strategy and they include a number of significant operations. The Garda...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: I expect that the formal processes relating to the Final Report of the Value for Money and Policy Review of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme will be completed shortly. At that stage I will arrange for the report to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and the provision of copies to the Select committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 25 together. As part of the process of developing the next National Drugs Strategy, to cover the period 2009-2016, the Steering Group, chaired by my Department, is currently completing a comprehensive series of consultation meetings. I am attending as many of these meetings as possible as I see them as being a key part of the process of developing the...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 36 together. My Department funds two Programmes aimed at supporting the activities of community and voluntary groups with a focus on addressing disadvantage or where evidence of need has been clearly identified in their communities. The first Programme provides grants to smaller community and voluntary groups to support refurbishment work and the...

Written Answers — Regulation of Charities: Regulation of Charities (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: In a reply to a similar question on 15 May, the House was informed that one of the key purposes of the Charities Bill 2007 is to enact a reform of the law relating to charities in order to ensure accountability and to protect against abuse of charitable status and fraud. It is vital for public trust and confidence in the sector to be safeguarded and maintained. However, any matters that might...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 45 together. The Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation, published in May 2007, made a series of recommendations for the development of a comprehensive rehabilitation pillar under the National Drugs Strategy. The Programme for Government also contains a commitment to implement these recommendations. As agreed by the Working Group, the HSE...

Written Answers — Voluntary Sector: Voluntary Sector (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: My Department has been steadily increasing support and funding to strengthen volunteering in Ireland over the past few years. Funding of the order of €6m is available this year to support volunteering programmes, which include the funding of 20 Volunteer Centres, including Volunteering Ireland, around the country. These Volunteer Centres encourage volunteering amongst all nationalities...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: My Department does not operate a grant scheme or programme specifically for the type of project referred to by the Deputy. However, some funding may be available from my Department for an element of such a project under the following grant schemes and programmes: Once-off Grants for Locally Based Community and Voluntary Organisations; Young Peoples Facilities & Services Fund; CLÁR Programme;...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: Grants in respect of personal alarm systems are available for senior citizens as part of my Department's Scheme of Community Support for Older People. Local community and voluntary groups — with the support of my Department — administer the Scheme. Individual applicants must be 65 years of age or over and have a genuine need for the security equipment. A maximum individual grant of...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 to 103, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, the majority of expenditure allocated to community groups through my Department for drugs initiatives is channelled through the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces (RDTFs). The areas covered by the Drugs Task Forces are detailed below. Projects are submitted through Drugs Task Forces to the...

National Drugs Strategy. (26 Jun 2008)

John Curran: The programme in question showed instances of the availability of drugs in a number of locations, indicating a level of demand for these drugs. However, I do not think it produced evidence of any new issues that we are not already aware of and that we are not currently working to address through the national drugs strategy. In terms of robust evidence of the drug situation in Ireland, I...