Results 1,661-1,680 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: A range of my Department's programmes contribute to the enhancement of community facilities. They include a €4.5 million 2021 community enhancement programme, which was launched on 10 May. The programme provides grants to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas and is administered by the local community development committees, LCDCs, in each local authority area. A €49...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Department makes quite an effort in terms of getting the information out. Pobal will be of assistance in making applications. I also direct people to local development companies and local authorities. Some of the funding schemes have different ways of applying. The rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, will generally need to go through the local authority, so engagement with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question and the focus on the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme. My Department is providing funding of €190 million over five years for the current SICAP programme, which is our country's primary social inclusion intervention. This year over €39 million was allocated to the programme, supporting front-line workers in local...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I can give a commitment to prioritise SICAP. In terms of the programmes that I oversee, it is one of the ones that I have been shouting about most since I came into office. It is something that we need to raise the profile of across communities as well because so much good work goes on. We have over 500 posts for SICAP workers across the country doing really good work, particularly last...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Deputy makes a relevant point in relation to the decrease that SICAP has taken over time. I am very aware of that, to acknowledge that again. I draw attention to some areas that come under the area of social inclusion that have received increases in funding in that time period as well. One of them is the Community Enhancement Programme which provides small grants to community groups...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I can answer Question No. 7 but it is not the question Deputy Paul Donnelly asked.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I am happy to take the question on the basis that it is the multi-annual funding question.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: In August 2019, my Department launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. This strategy was developed in consultation with the cross-sectoral group and a work plan to progress its implementation has been agreed. Work in 2021 is ongoing in respect of a number of the objectives outlined in the strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: My Department is providing funding of €190 million over five years for thecurrent Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) (2018-2022), which is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. This year over €39 million was allocated to the programme, supporting front line workers in Local Development Companies to deliver SICAPon the ground. The...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Together with other broader Government initiatives, my Department is providing a range of supports to assist community and voluntary organisations in dealing with COVID-19 impacts. Given the role of my Department in supporting the economic and social development of rural Ireland, and community development throughout Ireland, all of our existing funding schemes support the response to, and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Community Development Committees (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: My Department has statutory responsibility for the local and community development governance structures introduced on foot of the local government reform process, namely the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), the Public Participation Networks (PPNs) and Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs). This involves supporting the operation of the LCDCs and the development and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and local services through a social enterprise model. In 2020, Indecon International Economic Consultants carried out an independent review of the CSP on behalf of my Department. The final report was published in September 2020 and is available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. My Department has continued to support CE since the onset of the Covid-19 emergency in March 2020, including the ongoing provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Food Poverty (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The income supports provided by my Department help to meet the basic living needs of individuals and families across Ireland. In addition to these supports, my Department provides the following targeted measures: The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme is to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Social Protection delivers a range of employment and income support schemes including Community Employment, Tús and the Rural Social Scheme. These schemes are delivered by independent bodies funded by the Department. CE is delivered by sponsoring authorities while Tús and RSS are delivered by 48 local development companies and by Údarás na Gaeltachta,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. My Department has continued to support CE since the onset of the Covid-19 emergency in March 2020, including the ongoing provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: On clarification with the Deputy's Office, the PQ relates to the requirement for participants to finish on CE at state pension age while there are difficulties with recruitment in some rural areas. The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2021 Pilot Community Development Programme was Wednesday 31st March. Due to the large number of high quality applications received, my Department is undertaking a two stage assessment process to examine the applications against the criteria set out. It is expected that successful applicants will be notified at the end of May. All...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Funding of €1m will be provided for a pilot Community Development Programmein 2021. It is expected that the programme will continue for three years. The pilot programme will support up to eight projects engaged in community development work with marginalised communities. An allocation of €120,000 - €140,000 per organisation is anticipated. The overall aim is to trial...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (25 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 579 and 580 together. Ballymun is one of the many areas across Ireland that could benefit from a community development approach, and it is important that reports such as 'A Brighter Future' referenced by the Deputy feed into policy and decision making at Government and local level. I would be happy to meet with the stakeholders involved to hear directly...