Results 721-740 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Co-ordination of International Protection Services: Statements (16 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I will start by briefly laying out the additional responsibilities I have taken on as Minister of State with responsibility for integration. These are to finalise, publish and oversee a new national action plan against racism; develop a new national migrant integration strategy; oversee the asylum, migration and integration fund; oversee the international protection integration fund; and...

Cost-of-Living Supports: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (14 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for an engaging discussion on the important issue of the cost of living. As already outlined by my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, the fundamental objective of Government policy in this issue is to take action to support our citizens, monitor the impact of those actions, listen to the suggestions from this House and respond appropriately at the right time. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (14 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: 338. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of efforts to provide additional primary school places in Lusk, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6776/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (14 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: 600. To ask the Minister for Health the process in writing by which pregnant women experiencing extreme nausea and vomiting can obtain the drug cariban; the reason that the drug cannot be prescribed by a GP on the DPS (details supplied); if he will outline the current standard practice in other EU member states; his Department’s recommendations to help with the extreme nausea and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (14 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: 592. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the number of prescriptions for cariban which have been processed by the HSE through the general medical services and drugs payment schemes to date. [6588/23]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (14 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports 420 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager. The CSP contribution is not aligned to the minimum wage and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. I am aware of the issue she raised. She forwarded correspondence to my office regarding it. I will flag a couple of points of note. A community recognition fund of €50 million is available through the Department of Rural and Community Development, although that does not address the specific issues raised by the Deputy. I will talk to the Minister of Health,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: There were several issues there. There is great value to me being in the Departments of Rural and Community Development and Social Protection as well as the Department we are discussing, and that was the thinking behind bringing me to this Department. I also bring the community sector links to this Department. We have all seen at a grassroots level communities responding throughout last...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The responsibilities to be assigned to me as Minister of State for integration and priority work in these responsibilities are as follows. The Government commits to publishing a national action plan against racism for Ireland. An independent anti-racism committee established by Government in 2020 has created a draft action plan against racism supported in its work by the Department. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I will provide more information about community engagement as I was limited in my reply due to time constraints. In combination with the process within the Department of the Taoiseach, I am already drawing on my role in the Department of Rural and Community Development to use local networks that already exist and that will be very important to the integration and community engagement...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. The 1,640 supervisors and assistant supervisors provide a very important role running over 840 community employment, CE, and other schemes countrywide. As the Deputy knows, these schemes deliver important locally-based community services, while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those furthest...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Yes, is the short answer. We were eager, when we were going through a process like this and when there are schemes with quite strong similarities that are all couched under the employment support schemes I oversee, that they would be looked at in the whole and that would be important. We are eager to look at CE, Tús, RSS and the job initiative, JI, supervisors in this process.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank both Deputies and agree with their sentiments on the valuable nature of all the supervisors across all of the schemes and the work they do. I am hopeful that an agreed and fair resolution can be reached through the conciliation process. The unions have requested an adjournment. We have agreed to that but there is an agreement to meet again next month. I will leave it at that for now.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Tús was introduced 2011 as a response to the high level of unemployment and the large numbers of people on the live register at that time. It is a community work placement initiative which aims to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. The duration of each Tús contract is for a maximum of 12 months; a time limit set to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Anti-Racism Measures (9 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 108 together. In 2020, the Government established an independent Anti-Racism Committee to strengthen the Government’s approach to combatting individual and institutional racism, and build on the antiracism actions included in the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. This is part of Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Defibrillators Provision (8 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Some of my Department's programmes fund the purchase of capital equipment such as through the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). This programme provides small grants to community groups to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas. The 2022 Community Support Fund (CSF) under the Community Enhancement Programme was launched in November 2022 with funding of €10 million, and is now...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (8 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and the delivery of local services through a social enterprise model. Qualifying organisations must be social enterprises capable of generating income from their activities in order to meet the full salary costs of the supported posts, for example, from income...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (1 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: On a point of information that might be of use and interest, we are reviewing the RSS. We will start that process very soon. We will look at all suggestions to retain people on it, but also to bring others onto it. I take Deputy Ó Cuív's suggestion about how it was previously done. That can be looked at. I suspect that it is one of the more expensive suggestions and there will...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Revised) (1 Feb 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I acknowledge the important role played by CE supervisors and assistant supervisors all around the country. They are probably one of the most important sets of community workers we have. They are very embedded, really know what is happening on the ground and not only oversee the provision of key services but offer opportunities to people who would not otherwise have them to enable them to...