Results 1,961-1,980 of 2,335 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I chair an interdepartmental group which monitors the implementation of the social inclusion roadmap. We monitor poverty levels. The Deputy will be aware of the at-risk poverty rate, which is the percentage of people with an equivalised disposable income below 60% of the national equivalised median rate. We also monitor the basic deprivation rate and key in all of that is the consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment (CE) Scheme 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. During the first phase of the Covid-19 emergency earlier this year, when the most restrictive measures were in place, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 20 and 51 together. At the outset I wish to acknowledge the valuable service that CE supervisors provide in running CE schemes 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. As the Deputy will be aware, although the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Reduction (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: Building on the work of its predecessors, the Roadmap for Social Inclusion aims to reduce the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less and to position Ireland within the top five countries in the EU across a number of key aspects of social inclusion. While this is ambitious, my Department and the Government are committed to its achievement over the lifetime of this...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (3 Dec 2020)

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. As the Deputy may be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment (CE) Scheme 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, the period of participation on CE is for one year. However, CE participants who are working towards a major award...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Reduction (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion was approved by the previous Government on 9 January 2020 and published on 14 January 2020. It is a whole-of-government strategy with a five year timeframe and a mid-term review at the mid-point, in 2022. This will facilitate an evaluation of the impact of the Roadmap commitments. The Roadmap will build on the work of its predecessors with the aim of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Poverty Reduction (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: In January 2020, the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025: Ambition, Goals, Commitments was approved by Government and published. The Roadmap is a whole-of-government strategy with a five year timeframe and a mid-term review in 2022 facilitate an evaluation of the impact of the Roadmap commitments. The Roadmap will build on the work of its predecessors with the aim of reducing the number...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment (CE) Scheme 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. A number of new conditions were introduced to the CE Scheme in July 2017 to further support progression to employment, broaden...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (3 Dec 2020)

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. The scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment. In order to qualify for CE, a number of conditions,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 364. To ask the Minister for Health if there will be enhanced opportunities for nursing home residents to meet their family members over December 2020; and the measures in place to deal with the negative impacts on residents' mental health due to visiting restrictions. [40969/20]

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Broadcasting Sector (2 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. The GAA is an independent, autonomous sporting organisation. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, has no role in commercial arrangements between the GAA and broadcasters. While the Minister, Deputy Martin, would be in favour of the public having as much access to sport as possible on a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Broadcasting Sector (2 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I do not have copies to circulate at the moment but we will do that. I apologise.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Broadcasting Sector (2 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I appreciate the Senator's comments on this matter. I will take the issue around the diaspora in particular to the Minister. It is an area I have worked in and therefore am interested in it. The year 2020 has been very challenging for the sporting bodies, particularly those that rely on mass spectator events for their income. The Government has provided unprecedented support for the GAA...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (2 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: As announced under the July jobs stimulus, the Department of Social Protection is developing a range of training and support measures in partnership with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to assist jobseekers whose jobs have been displaced by the Covid pandemic. Training measures include three main points: first, providing access to additional...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (2 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Government is committed to supporting jobseekers, including those unemployed pre-Covid and those whose employment has been displaced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, in taking up education and training opportunities and to work with them to take up these options. We need to target supports at those who will most need them. Many of those in receipt of the PUP will return to their...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Employment Schemes (2 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: Community employment is the largest employment and training programme administered by the Department of Social Protection. The programme was initially established under the aegis of FÁS to enhance the employability of long term unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them in their communities. Its objective continues to be to provide valuable work...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Community Employment Schemes (2 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I have some further information that might be of use. Nationally, there are approximately 19,000 places on community employment schemes, 10% of which are under the service support stream. The scheme is currently under-subscribed nationally. There are 1,081 community employment scheme participants availing of the service support stream. The 10% limit was previously at the local provider...

State Pension Age: Motion [Private Members] (1 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputies for an engaging discussion on this important issue. As already said by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, the fundamental objective of the Government's policy on State pensions is to ensure that pensions remain affordable, sustainable and retain their value into the future. We want to maintain a fair balance in the system. We must protect current as well as future...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Joe O'Brien: 386. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new special classes that will be established in secondary schools in the 2020-21 school year; and the number of these new classes that are ASD special classes. [39744/20]