Results 141-160 of 502 for speaker:Joe O'Brien in 'Dáil debates'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (26 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I am well aware of the issues with section 39 and other organisations whose main funding relationship is with other Government agencies and Departments. I would encourage both parties back to the table at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. I certainly have a role in government in terms of explaining and pushing the value of community and voluntary organisations with other Departments....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (26 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I appreciate the Deputy’s advocacy for those who need those services, which are invaluable. It has been made clear to me the practical difficulties that the pay differential is creating. I think they should be paid more and, within government, we believe they should be paid more. We have gone through the WRC process to land on an agreed figure. We are at an impasse at the moment,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (26 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. The Government's five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, was published in 2019. This is a whole-of-government strategy led by my Department, which is implemented collaboratively with the sector through the cross sector group on local and community development. This strategy...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I reiterate and back up what has been said about the important role played by foster carers, and also the difficult job they have at times, often with challenging young people. I have some familiarity with the system. A lot of what is being spoken about will go to the main Department with primary responsibility for foster carers' support. It is important to reiterate that between child...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: There is a lot happening in the pensions place in terms of auto-enrolment. There are a lot of big projects going on too. We are looking at legislation for that, and it could be next year before we see a lot of the big changes. That is a broad response to the specific question asked by the Deputy. Between child benefit, the homemakers scheme, the home caring periods and this new measure, I...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Deputy got an extra shot at it there, but the point is well made. I absolutely take the point.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. Matters relating to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and of Tusla. This Government acknowledges the important role played by carers, including foster carers, and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current contributory State...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. The aim of community employment is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. In addition, it helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. We have to be careful if we are going to categorise a whole group of people as likely not able or eligible to go back into the mainstream workforce. We would have to be very careful if we were to do that, notwithstanding that there will be some cases, no doubt the Deputy has seen some himself, where that would be very difficult for an individual. A key strand of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Deputy will be aware that, particularly over the last 18 months, that we have been highly responsive and adaptive to the needs of organisations who depend on CE and to the reality of the labour market itself. We have adapted and changed the eligibility for CE a number of times. We would like to see a little bit more evidence in terms of the definability and scale of the group as well...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: No, I take the Deputy's point but we are talking about potentially changing the eligibility for a whole scheme, where there are 18,000 people involved as well. We have to take policy changes with due consideration.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (4 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Since the beginning of 2022, Ireland and many other European countries have been experiencing a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection. As of the 25 June, more than 21,570 people are being accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, system as a whole, compared to 12,000 people at this time last year. Combined with that is the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (4 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I will be meeting with officials from the Department of the Taoiseach in the next week to firm up and finalise the plan. The message that will be communicated will be similar to what we consistently communicate in terms of outlining the wider context of what has happened, underlining our international responsibilities and the situations people face, and recognising what communities have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (4 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I will certainly bring that request to the meeting next week. I think it is a reasonable one. I want to point to a few statistics that are relevant. In the last three months, we have opened 33 new international protection accommodation centres and 88 beneficiaries of temporary protection centres. That is a total of 111 centres that have been opened in the last three months. The response...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Medical Aids and Appliances (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank Deputy Gould for raising this matter with reference to the situation of Michael Barry. It is an issue that is of importance to many children and their families in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 4. The HSE provides an extensive range of medical aids and appliances to individuals living with a wide variety of different medical conditions....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Medical Aids and Appliances (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I again thank the Deputy, on behalf of the Minister, for raising this matter of great importance to children and their families in CHO 4. The aids and appliances provided by the HSE under the community-funded schemes support individuals to continue living within their communities. They are prescribed on the basis of an identified clinical need and provided in line with established criteria....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fiscal Policy (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Durkan for the opportunity to speak to the House on this issue. All regulated entities, including banks, other regulated mortgage lenders, loan owners and services are required, as a matter of law, to follow the statutory Central Bank codes of conduct, including the code of conduct on mortgage arrears and the consumer protection codes. These codes are not voluntary and there...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fiscal Policy (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Durkan for raising this issue. The Central Bank has put in place a range of measures to protect customers who take out a mortgage or have another loan. This consumer protection framework seeks to ensure that all Central Bank regulated entities are transparent and fair in all their dealings with borrowers and that borrowers are protected from the beginning to the end of the...

LGBTQI+ Equality: Statements (20 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, mentioned in his opening remarks, this year marks an important milestone for LGBTQI+ equality. It is important that this week, as Pride celebrations enter a period of high activity, we reflect on the progress we have made in Ireland while reaffirming our commitment to the protection and promotion of LGBTQI+ equality as we move forward. We know that Pride...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the Department of Rural and Community Development's Our Rural Future plan. As someone from a rural, small-farming background, I am familiar with many of the issues facing those living and working outside the main urban centres. I am pleased my roles at three Departments each give me the opportunity to contribute something positive towards...