Results 1,681-1,700 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

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

Joe O'Brien: My Department has extensive engagement with the community and voluntary sector as part of its ongoing work to support empowered, inclusive and resilient communities and a thriving volunteer culture, and to help this sector to contribute fully to civil society. In the last year in particular, my Department has put in place various initiatives including: - Working with Pobal to put in place...

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

Joe O'Brien: The aim of my Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) is to support community-based organisations to provide employment opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and to provide local social, economic and environmental services through a social enterprise model. The programme was launched in 2006 and has evolved over the years in line with emerging priorities. The CSP focuses on...

Principles of Social Welfare Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (20 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and others with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring authorities. The contract agreement between the Department and the CE sponsoring...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Meals Programme (19 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. 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 provide regular, nutritious food to children to enable them to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Meals Programme (19 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I appreciate the disappointment and frustration for the 92 schools that submitted an expression of interest in accessing the hot school meals programme and were not selected, including the schools referred to by Deputies Murphy and Smith. The level of demand for the programme is a clear sign of the need for its expansion and that is something to which the Minister and I are committed. Since...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (19 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: My statement is defined by the fact that there is a criminal investigation. I am obviously limited in terms of the detail I can give. Under the provisions of the Charities Act 2009, however, the Charities Regulator works closely with other regulatory bodies and organisations to uphold the integrity of charitable organisations and trusts. In late 2018, the Charities Regulator introduced...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (19 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. The Charities Regulator, under the aegis of my Department, is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland's charities, with a mandate to promote good governance practices. It is important to note that the regulator is fully independent in the performance of its statutory functions, including...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Schemes (19 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Social Protection delivers a range of employment and income support schemes including Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS). As the Deputy is aware, my Department has supported CE, Tús and RSS schemes since the onset of the Covid-19 emergency in March 2020. Furthermore, a number of CE, Tús and RSS schemes, which provide...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people with an opportunity to engage in work experience and training opportunities within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. It provides valuable services to local communities while supporting long term unemployed in acquiring new skills and work experience....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 101 and 106 together. The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and others with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring authorities. The contract...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: My Department provides a range of social employment and training programmes that are targeted at long-term unemployed jobseekers. These supports include Community Employment and Tús. The aim of both schemes is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people, by providing work experience opportunities for participants. CE also provides valuable training opportunities...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (18 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.  In general CE placements for new entrants aged between 21 and 55 years are for 1 year.  As the Deputy may...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for employment opportunities that will become available.  The CE scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion was approved by Government on 9 January 2020 and published on 14 January 2020.  It is a whole-of-government strategy with a five-year timeframe and will have a mid-term review to facilitate an evaluation of the impact of the Roadmap commitments.  The Roadmap aims to reduce the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less, and to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Corps (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 241. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the tendering process for a new search and rescue contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25667/21]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Corps (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 242. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is envisaged that the Air Corps will provide a significant part of the next generation of the State search and rescue aviation service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25668/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: 363. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if year round and more frequent testing of coastal bathing waters will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27304/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Sustainable Development Goals (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: Overall political oversight for national implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is provided through the Cabinet, with each Minister having specific responsibility for implementing individual SDG targets related to their Ministerial functions. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has responsibility for promoting the SDGs, and for...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Question Heading for question(s) 540 (18 May 2021)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Social Protection delivers a range of employment and income support schemes including Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).  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...