Results 1,081-1,100 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (14 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: 414. To ask the Minister for Finance if a tax exemption can be considered for income from domestic solar microgeneration to incentivise households switching to renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30862/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: 983. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans her Department has to facilitate improved walking and cycling access to schools (details supplied) from Waterside along the reservation indicated in the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29541/22]

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

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1072 and 1074 together. I am aware of the valuable and dedicated service that Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors provide in running CE schemes in delivering local based community services, while providing training and development opportunities to the long-term unemployed and to those often furthest removed from the labour market....

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...

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

Joe O'Brien: Tús is a targeted activation measure delivered as short-term, community-based work placements for jobseekers who have been unemployed a year or more, that provides opportunities to participants for a duration of one year. As a first-step activation measure for people who have become long-term unemployed, the objective of Tús is to move participants closer to the labour market,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (14 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: 1922. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to increasing the availability of long-Covid clinics to ensure access to care for all long-Covid patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30864/22]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (14 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: In 2019, the Department of Rural and Community Development published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities. This strategy describes a long-term vision for our communities and sets a general direction of travel for government policy in relation to supporting communities and the community and voluntary sector. Specifically, the strategy commits to support community groups and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (14 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Rural and Community Development has responsibility for the overall administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund, with individual Government Departments responsible for the delivery and administration of their own measures. All measures funded must be in line with the objectives set out in the legislation, that is, measures that address economic, social or educational...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (14 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: At the end of April 2022 the total value of the Dormant Accounts Fund was €280.2 million. The National Treasury Management Agency sets aside part of this to maintain a reserve account for future repayments to account holders or their rightful heirs. This reserve fund currently stands at €108.4 million, leaving a total of €171.8 million available for future disbursements...

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

Joe O'Brien: The €9m Community Activities Fund was launched in November 2021 to support community groups impacted by COVID-19. This Fund was allocated under the Department’s Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). The fund was to support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running costs such as utility or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. There has been some relevant change in this area very recently. Just this week, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, announced a change in the capital disregards in the means-testing for carer's allowance. It has been increased from €20,000 to €50,000. That may or may not impact this case but if Deputy Cahill contacts me...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (2 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 295, 297 and 299 together. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors provide in running CE schemes in delivering local based community services, while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (2 Jun 2022)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (CE) supervisors and CE assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that CE...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Meetings (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The programme for Government recognises the importance of regular and open engagement with all sectors of society. In this regard, I work with the community and voluntary sector through the cross-sectoral group, CSG, in implementing Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector. The community and voluntary pillar, of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Meetings (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I am dividing my reply into two halves as regards my role. As part of my role in the Department of Rural and Community Development, I spend much of my week engaging with the community and voluntary sector through different platforms and different formats. I am very familiar with members of Community Platform. I meet with many of them periodically regarding different issues. I have not had...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Meetings (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I will not go through the various lists and forums through which I engage with the sector. As I said, I spend a lot of time doing it. On what the Deputy is talking about and the wider challenges society is facing, the civic forum we are planning for later this year is possibly the best outlet to tease out the major issues and to get a good representation of civil society around the table....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: The mobile phone and broadband task force was re-established on 15 December 2021 with an inaugural meeting of State bodies co-chaired by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth. This meeting included senior representatives of a number of Departments and State bodies. This first meeting allowed the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, and the Minister,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: No, I did not.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: We are sharing the load.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Broadband Infrastructure (31 May 2022)

Joe O'Brien: I can give the Deputy some information about what the task force is looking at. The issues it will look at this time are more complex, knotty and time consuming, and responsibility for such actions cannot always be assigned to a single body, as was the practice previously. We will make use of the well-established collaborative culture of the task force to take on the actions that require...