Results 161-180 of 2,072 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dog Breeding Industry (15 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 917 and 918 together. It is the responsibility of each local authority to maintain the register of dog breeding establishments in its administrative area. However, my Department does publish annual statistics on a range of local authority dog control responsibilities, including in relation to dog breeding establishments. This information is collated from...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dog Breeding Industry (15 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, while local authorities have responsibility for all operational matters, including enforcement. The Act provides for Guidelines to be put in place for the management and operation of Dog Breeding Establishments. Following a public consultation process in 2018, my Department published new...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: Through our ongoing engagement with the Community and Voluntary sector, my Department is keenly aware of the challenges faced by the sector whilst meeting increased demands on many of their services. My Department is providing additional vital supports to rural and community organisations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is supporting the following initiatives: On 16 March 2020, my...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. The Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund was intended to be a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups currently...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and is committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. The Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund was intended to be a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups delivering critical...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Expenditure (15 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: In 2018, the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) was launched. The CEP replaced the re-cast RAPID programme and the Communities Facilities Scheme which operated up to the end of 2017. The CEP had a budget of €4.5m in 2020. A 40% increase in this budget would result in a requirement for funding of €6.3m in 2021.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Initiatives (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The Government's recovery and resilience plan, published on Tuesday, does acknowledge the importance of communities working together at this challenging time. Community centres, as Deputy Paul Donnelly knows, are often the focal point for vital activities that can foster community resilience. The most relevant programme in my Department is the community services programme to community...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Initiatives (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I will elaborate on the question of the loss of income suffered by community services programme, CSP, organisations. My Department developed a €1.2 million fund to ensure that such organisations could pay their full-time CSP-supported employees a maximum of €350 per week, with a proportionate amount for part-time CSP-supported employees. Pobal has issued a financial survey...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Initiatives (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: Regarding Huntstown specifically, my Department provided €20,000 in January to that community centre. Under the stability fund, €45,000 was approved for the Huntstown family resource centre. I am just putting these figures into the mix. To address the Deputy's question, the Estimates process is ongoing. I am fighting hard for the community service programme across the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: The community and voluntary sector Covid-19 stability fund provided up to €35 million from the Dormant Accounts Fund to organisations in the sector and social enterprises. The fund was intended to provide a targeted, once-off, cash injection for organisations and groups currently delivering critical front-line services to those most in need in our society and in danger of imminent...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: To clarify, there was an appeal process as well, which considered real barriers where people simply could not access the information. Some people were not around and available to make the applications. To clarify some of the details, grant levels ranging from €200,000 were approved. They were based on a variety of factors, including the level of loss experienced by the organisation,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: If those organisations want to contact the Department and my office, we can follow up. To clarify the criteria for eligibility, as the Deputy mentioned, organisations need to receive less than 80% State funding, as the Government had committed to maintaining existing contracts and grants throughout the crisis and offered other additional supports. Organisations had to project a reduction of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Isolation (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. I assure him that I am from rural Ireland and I understand the situation. I am also familiar with the Deputy's constituency as I have some relatives living there. We are doing more than I can tell the Deputy about in the time available to me. Many of the Department's policies and funding programmes aim to address isolation in rural and urban...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Isolation (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy and acknowledge everything he is saying. I wish to provide additional information on the senior alert scheme that could be useful. A new befriending phone call initiative will support participants in the senior alert scheme, which is operated in conjunction with Pobal and Alone. The Department has utilised the senior alert scheme, which provides monitored alarms for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Isolation (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: Rural crime is outside of my remit but in terms of helping people to feel connected and recognised, the Community Call initiative run by the Department is worth mentioning. This initiative sought to link local and national Government with the community and voluntary sectors. Its purpose was to co-ordinate community activity, direct community assistance and organise and deploy volunteers....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Signage (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: It is somewhat out of my remit but I understand that groups, such as residents associations which wish to erect signage in their local areas, are generally referred to the roads section of their local authority, so the Deputy might get more joy out of them. That section will ensure such signage is in keeping with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport traffic signals manual. This...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Signage (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I take the Deputy’s point, which is a good one. I will pass this back to the other Department but only because that is where it is best put. There is a point to be made in regard to eyesores, over-signage, unnecessary signage and old signage that does not really tell us anything anymore. There is also the issue that if people are driving through rural Ireland, they will pass so many...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Signage (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: I will pass that on to the other Department.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Adult Education Provision (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: To reiterate, my Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. We deliver this funding and supports to local communities and groups through implementing policies designed to enhance economic and social opportunities for individuals which improve the quality of life in all our communities....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Adult Education Provision (17 Sep 2020)

Joe O'Brien: SICAP is very much in that space. It provides: lifelong learning and training; CV and interview preparation; personal development courses; self-employment training; business planning and budgeting supports; and helps people get onto a work placement programme such as community employment or the Tús programme. Public libraries are also under our remit. They provide access to extensive...