Results 61-80 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I will do that. Regarding Inis Oírr, I understand the county council is working on the final business case, with a view to submitting it to my Department next month. On Inis Meáin, the current status of the feasibility study is that the closing date for the submission of tenders was 20 September. The responses are currently being assessed, with a view to appointing a consultant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 75 and 76 together. Launched in 2022, the town centre first, TCF, policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the vision outlined in Our Rural Future for a thriving rural Ireland. It does this by providing a framework to facilitate and resource the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Rural proofing is an approach to help ensure that the development of major policy initiatives are viewed through a rural lens to take full consideration of rural perspectives and issues. Rural proofing is not a policy or a model. Rather, it is a process to be undertaken that leads to better policies. Last year, my Department published a body of research on rural proofing which is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The Government's objective is to have balanced regional development across the country, and the national planning framework sets out the Government's objective for this with 50% of population growth targeted outside our major cities. The NPR is currently under review by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Our Rural Future, the Government's rural development plan,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I would underline the national broadband roll-out and the Local Link expansion. On the broader issue of rural proofing, while I think this document is going to help when it is published, one of the strongest things we have in Government to help us rural-proof things is that we have a Department of Rural and Community Development. What that means, obviously, is there is a senior Minister at...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Island Communities (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. I have good news this morning. I am pleased to advise that the transfer of land on which the Inishbofin airstrip is situated has been completed as of today. The Deputy will recall that these lands were acquired by Galway County Council by way of compulsory purchase order, which was originally initiated over 20 years ago. The Chief State Solicitor's...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Library Services (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Our public libraries are at the heart of our communities. They are multipurpose social, cultural and educational spaces for the whole community to enjoy. There are 330 public libraries nationwide, providing an excellent service throughout the country. In July last year, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, launched the public library strategy, The Library is the Place, which sets out a vision...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Library Services (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I agree with the Deputy's outlining of the broader value of libraries, particularly in areas that have been neglected over time. Parts of Mahon in Cork certainly fit that bill. I am familiar with it. I am advised that Cork City Council did not submit an application through the libraries capital programme 2023-27 for funding for the Blackrock-Mahon project as discussions regarding a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Library Services (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department previously advised Cork City Council to consider submitting an application for funding for the Blackrock-Mahon library to the urban regeneration and development fund, which is administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Our Department will certainly progress the stage 1 application as swiftly as we can. I encourage Cork City Council to engage in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 81, 83, 98 and 103 together. Community Centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages around the country. This Government recognises the important role that these centres play in bringing people together and facilitating community services and events. As the Deputies are no doubt aware, the development and enhancement of Community...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: A Public Participation Network (PPN) provides representation for the community sector in Local Authority policymaking structures, giving local volunteers a greater say in local government decisions which affect their own communities. Since their inception, the 31 PPNs have grown exponentially. There are now almost 21,000 PPN member organisations across the country representing the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 85 and 104 together. The CLÁR programme provides targeted investment funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that have experienced disadvantage and significant levels of de-population. It is a vital source of investment for our more remote areas and particularly our rural villages, and it has proven to be a very popular scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Men's Sheds (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The emergence of the Men’s Sheds in recent years has been a very positive development for communities across Ireland. They provide a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment where people of all ages can share skills and work on meaningful projects and connect with their communities. Both Minister Humphreys and I regularly meet Men’s Sheds and we are very proud of the work...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Social Enterprise Sector (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: In July 2024, the second National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland, ‘Trading for Impact 2024 - 2027’, was launched. Building upon the foundation laid by the first Social Enterprise policy, it puts forward a vision designed to help cultivate and sustain strong, impactful social enterprises in Ireland. To support the delivery of this policy, there is a current budget in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Tidy Towns (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. It is abundantly clear that our support for the Tidy Towns competition has delivered very tangible and visible benefits in towns and villages all over the country. I and my colleagues in Government are very conscious of the work undertaken by...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: After the publication of the Department's research on rural proofing last year, which is available online, it was decided to undertake a number of Rural Proofing Pilots across Government. This included the National Planning Framework review, the development of the new Sustainable Tourism Policy, the development of the new National Hubs Strategy, and the development of the new Social...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 101 together. I am delighted to confirm that I have secured a 9% increase in my Department’s funding under Budget 2025. This brings my Department’s allocation to €472 million, giving it additional resources to assist organisations in urban and rural areas, and community groups seeking to address social and economic inequality,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: With regard to the impacts and outcomes of investment by my Department, both the Revised Estimates Volume and the Public Service Performance Report provide high-level metrics with regard to the targets and outcomes for our most significant funding schemes. My Department’s Annual Report also provides an overview of the work of the Department each year, including funding commitments and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Last December, I launched the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP), with capital funding of €6 million to assist community groups across the country. The LEP is targeted to the specific challenges facing local community groups and delivers immediate, tangible supports where they are needed most. There was a particular focus on small capital works/improvements, and the purchase of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model, with an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager. My Department is acutely aware of the financial...