Results 18,401-18,420 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Each Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF) has an annual funding allocation from my Department for community-based drugs initiatives. From that allocation, each Task Force has the discretion to allocate funding to projects and initiatives based on the priorities it has identified for its respective area. Funding for these projects is channelled through a designated Department or State Agency. I am...

Written Answers — Community and Voluntary Sector: Community and Voluntary Sector (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The independence of the community voluntary sector has been a long principle underpinning the relationship between the State and the Community and Voluntary Sector. This was set out in the White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity, published in 2000, and re-affirmed under the Towards 2016 Partnership Agreement in 2006. To give effect to commitments under Towards 2016 to...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Responsibility for co-ordinating policy on drugs is at present assigned to the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. As the Deputy may be aware, the Government has agreed, with effect from 1 May 2011, to transfer the functions of the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in relation to the National Drugs Strategy to the Minister for Health and Children. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Family Support Agency has a statutory role in relation to support services for families and its main functions include: - the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme; - the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations providing marriage, child and bereavement counselling services; and - the Family Mediation Service. The agency also has responsibility to undertake or...

Written Answers — Personal Debt: Personal Debt (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department commissioned the study Financial Exclusion and Over-indebtedness in Ireland from the Economic and Social Research Institute, as part of its remit to monitor poverty under the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 . The study uses data specially collected in the 2008 Survey on Income and Living Conditions. Financial exclusion is a relatively new policy concept in...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Scheme to Support National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector commenced in 2008 with the aim of providing multi-annual funding to national organisations which provide coalface services to disadvantaged target groups. The three-year contracts were concluded at the end of 2010. On 16 December 2010, applications were invited under a new round of funding for the Scheme to...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department in its current configuration was established in June 2002. The number of staff (whole time equivalents) employed directly in my Department on 31 December 2005 and 31 December 2010 are set out in the table below. It should be noted that the number of staff employed directly by my Department increased significantly in 2010 following the transfer to...

Social Inclusion (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Elimination of poverty is an objective of Government. We are committed to achieving the targets in the national action plan for social inclusion to reduce the number of people experiencing poverty. That target is to reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty to between 2% and 4% by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016. The target is reiterated in the...

Social Inclusion (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is an extremely serious issue that brings huge pressure on many families. Many families face serious debt. The best way of protecting these families and the best way out of poverty is to create employment. Employment is the great protector. I point the Deputy towards the priority the programme for Government gives to providing access to employment, training and upskilling. Providing...

Social Inclusion (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not have the detailed figures Deputy Pearse Doherty requested. I will see if they are available and ensure he gains access to them. One of the priorities set in the programme for Government is to examine the interaction between the social welfare and taxation codes and make recommendations to ensure work is worthwhile. In particular, the commission will examine family and child income...

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has agreed, with effect from 1 May, to transfer the functions of the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs for the national drugs strategy to the Minister for Health and Children. As Deputies will be aware, the functions that were performed in the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs are in the process of being...

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I take the Deputy's point on the publication of the strategy. There has been a delay in placing emphasis on a national misuse strategy. Further meetings of the steering group are to be scheduled and the recommendations will be finalised as quickly as possible. The report will then be given to the Minister for Health and Children and proposals are likely to be put to the Government shortly...

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Sponsorship is one of the issues the steering group is examining. I do not have the report's final conclusions, but it is an expert group and we will have its report shortly, at which point we will be in a position to discuss the issue of sponsorship as raised by the Deputy.

National Substance Misuse Strategy (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I accept the points made by both Deputies on the community aspects of dealing with drug addiction, which is critical. It is not the intention of the Department of Health and Children to undermine the wonderful work being done by people at local level. It will not take a medical model approach only to the treatment of drug addiction or to tackling the scourge of drug addiction in local...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 15 and 21 together. Axes 3 and 4, Leader, of the Rural Development Programme 2007-13 envisage funding of €427 million being made available for allocation to qualified projects up to the end of 2013, with expenditure under the programme potentially continuing for a further two years up to the end of 2015. In the current programming round, 36 local action...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I realise the seriousness of the issue and its importance, as well as the importance of the enterprises and the fact that funding would be available. It is an urgent issue that requires action. I have discussed the matter with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government who will deal with it shortly. It is not envisaged at this stage that the funding to the Department...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will certainly check whether the breakdown is available.

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: All right. The Deputy knows the answer. I will get the information and find out the up-to-date position. The point the Deputy makes on the breakdown of costs between administration and the actual projects is important. With regard to the transfer of functions, it is intended that the functions would be transferred to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. A...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Naughten, who has taken a particular interest in this issue and food enterprises. I agree with him. I saw a quotation recently stating if one asks any of the Leader partnership companies to name their flagship projects, many of them will identify food projects as among their big successes. This is an important issue and it is very unfortunate that it has become tied up in a...

Community Development (14 Apr 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Which organisation did the Deputy mention?