Results 301-320 of 2,071 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Grant Payments (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and for allowing me the opportunity to provide an update on this matter. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides funding to local authorities under the suite of housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Grant Payments (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I have listened very carefully to the points made by the Senator. The funding available for these grants in 2023 has been increased by almost €2 million on the original 2022 provision bringing it to a total of €83 million. Given the real benefits of these schemes to people who rely on them to continue living their lives independently in their own homes, our objective is to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Textbooks (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator. He will be aware that the Department of Education's statement of strategy sets out the vision and mission of the Department for an educational system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured in reaching their full potential. It sets as a goal to ensure equity of opportunity in education and that all pupils are supported to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Textbooks (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The introduction of the free primary schoolbooks scheme is a historic moment in education and helps us live up to the promise of free education. I thank the Senator for raising this matter and emphasise the significance of the funding for this groundbreaking scheme. I also acknowledge the enormous amount of work that has taken place since the scheme was announced in March. It is ongoing to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Medical Aids and Appliances (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank Deputy Gould for raising this matter with reference to the situation of Michael Barry. It is an issue that is of importance to many children and their families in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 4. The HSE provides an extensive range of medical aids and appliances to individuals living with a wide variety of different medical conditions....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Medical Aids and Appliances (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I again thank the Deputy, on behalf of the Minister, for raising this matter of great importance to children and their families in CHO 4. The aids and appliances provided by the HSE under the community-funded schemes support individuals to continue living within their communities. They are prescribed on the basis of an identified clinical need and provided in line with established criteria....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fiscal Policy (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Durkan for the opportunity to speak to the House on this issue. All regulated entities, including banks, other regulated mortgage lenders, loan owners and services are required, as a matter of law, to follow the statutory Central Bank codes of conduct, including the code of conduct on mortgage arrears and the consumer protection codes. These codes are not voluntary and there...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fiscal Policy (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Durkan for raising this issue. The Central Bank has put in place a range of measures to protect customers who take out a mortgage or have another loan. This consumer protection framework seeks to ensure that all Central Bank regulated entities are transparent and fair in all their dealings with borrowers and that borrowers are protected from the beginning to the end of the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (21 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which provides eligible people with an opportunity to engage in work and training opportunities within their communities. The programme aims to improve participants' opportunities to return to work in the open labour market. A person’s time in CE is temporary so that opportunities for work experience on these schemes...

LGBTQI+ Equality: Statements (20 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, mentioned in his opening remarks, this year marks an important milestone for LGBTQI+ equality. It is important that this week, as Pride celebrations enter a period of high activity, we reflect on the progress we have made in Ireland while reaffirming our commitment to the protection and promotion of LGBTQI+ equality as we move forward. We know that Pride...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Grant Payments (20 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Last November, I was delighted to launch the 2022 Community Support Fund (CSF) under the Community Enhancement Programme, with funding of €10 million to assist local community and voluntary groups across the country with a multitude of costs including energy and utility bills, other operating costs, minor upgrade works and small capital purchases. The funding is administered on...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the Department of Rural and Community Development's Our Rural Future plan. As someone from a rural, small-farming background, I am familiar with many of the issues facing those living and working outside the main urban centres. I am pleased my roles at three Departments each give me the opportunity to contribute something positive towards...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Participation Networks (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for the question. PPNs provide representation for the community sector in local policymaking, giving local groups a say in local government decisions that affect their communities. There is a PPN in each of the 31 local authority areas and membership of a PPN is open to volunteer-led and not-for-profit groups in each area. The network has grown substantially since its...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Participation Networks (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Authentic engagement can take a bit of time sometimes and PPNs are specifically set up with a flat structure. That makes them difficult when it comes to decision-making sometimes and that has been recognised. I was also very conscious of what the Deputy listed, but it has been done in conjunction with the PPNs, so participatory and co-design processes are being used to ensure stakeholders...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Participation Networks (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: It is important to say the PPNs are independent structures and are funded independently. We gave them a significant budgetary increase last year as well. I have a couple of important points to add. On foot of the findings from the PPN structural review, the Department is commissioning research to investigate any potential barriers to involvement in PPNs. The research will explore the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Voluntary Sector (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising that particular point. I will take the opportunity to acknowledge all the board members across the country who do all the unseen work behind the scenes, much of which is tough drudgery and administrative work that does not always get acknowledged and seen. We are doing a needs assessment. We are currently working on a research programme to establish the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Voluntary Sector (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I take the Deputy's point about costs. We have different levels of funding for different types of organisations. The level the Deputy is talking about tends in many cases to get support via LCDCs and the community support fund we are in the process of rolling out across local authorities at the moment. We announced last year that €10 million would be available to grassroots groups,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Voluntary Sector (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: In 2019, my Department published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A Five-Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024. The strategy reaffirms the Government’s commitment to supporting the sector and addressing some of the burdens faced by service providers, while also recognising the reality of finite resources and the need to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Misuse of Drugs (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I understand the submission from Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign to the Citizens' Assembly on Drug Use makes a number of suggestions for key areas of action, including further investment in community development responses and the need to enhance the voice of communities in tackling deprivation and its links with drug abuse. The Deputy will appreciate that some of the actions called for in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Misuse of Drugs (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I will flesh out a little my Department’s responsibilities on the national drug strategy. My Department has two main goals within the strategy, both of which are implemented under SICAP. These are to provide supports, including homework clubs, additional tuition and career guidance counselling and to support community awareness of drugs programmes and youth work in collaboration with...