Results 1-20 of 923 for at speaker:Joe O'Brien

Ireland's Recognition of the State of Palestine: Statements (28 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: It is a very significant and important day when a state formally recognises another. It did not really hit home for me how significant this was until I saw the Palestinian national flag flying on my way into Leinster House today. More than four years ago, when my party was negotiating for a commitment to recognise the State of Palestine in the programme for Government, we never thought it...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: ...question. As soon as a Government decision was made last week, the community engagement team informed local TDs and councillors in Dublin Fingal. The site is close to me. I will check to see what was done there. We are operating on the basis that we give representatives all of the information when we have it. The reality of the situation is that it is a staged process. There will be...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the opportunity to bring the Bill to Committee Stage. I thank members of the committee for engaging in pre-legislative scrutiny and for the committee's report, which has been extremely useful. The Bill will enhance the civil registration process in the State. It will provide the opportunity for bereaved parents to register a birth, death or stillbirth...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and members of the committee. I am delighted to be here today, alongside officials from my Department, as we commence Committee Stage of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023. The purpose of this Bill is to strengthen the charities sector, ensuring greater transparency, clarity and fairness, which will serve to enhance public confidence in the sector. The Bill...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: ...lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(a) by the substitution, in subsection (2), of “€1,000,000” for “€500,000”,”. The amendment will allow for the maximum threshold that can be set out and regulations under which a charity has to conduct an audit to be increased to a maximum of €1 million. While the proposed...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Nevertheless, that is my interpretation of what was written there. That is unfortunate. Notwithstanding that, I understand how the community feel about this. We will endeavour to talk to the resettlement team. There is potentially a role here as well for the new local authority integration teams. There is potentially a role for the programme I oversee, the social inclusion community...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for this question. I acknowledge the efforts of the people of Borrisokane over the past four or five years in helping people feel at home. Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase in people seeking international protection. The arrival numbers remain significantly elevated. In the first 20 weeks of 2024, nearly 8,000 people...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Middle East Issues (21 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators Ruane and Black for their question. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members of the House today on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I tried to get myself up to speed on this issue before the Senators' question. I do not know all the ins and outs of the Act in question or what level of information the Senators have...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Waterways Issues (21 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising matter and giving me the opportunity, on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to update the House in relation to the Ballyteague blueway.Waterways Ireland is a North-South implementation body established under the British-Irish agreement of 10 April 1998. It is funded by the Department...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (9 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's community services programme supports more than 430 community-based organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model with an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent position being supported and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager. In March 2023, funding of €1 million was made available for a call...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (9 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I acknowledge and take the opportunity to thank all of those involved in CSP organisations. The past couple of years have been particularly challenging, and they have all stepped up to the plate. If the Deputy sends me more detail on the Blackrock situation, we can look into it. I do not know if appeal options were exhausted. To outline what we have been doing in terms of boosting CSP...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: International Protection (9 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: ...safety to those escaping conflict and persecution. The provision of services and infrastructure for communities housing refugees fleeing war is very much a cross-Government issue, with education, health, housing and other services and sectors all impacted. Within the Department of Rural and Community Development the key supports being provided are through the Social Inclusion and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (9 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department’s Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide a vast range of local services and to create employment opportunities, through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (9 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The first National Volunteering Strategy was published in December 2020. The strategy, produced in collaboration with the community and voluntary and business sectors, provides a vision and road map for both volunteers and those organisations who benefit from the work of volunteers. The Strategy comprises five high level objectives, with 56 associated actions, and outlines a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (8 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The Charities Regulatory Authority (the ‘Charities Regulator’) was established in October 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009. The Authority is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with the mandate to promote good governance practice. The Charities Regulator is under the aegis of my department. It is important...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (2 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department of Rural and Community Development's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (30 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Brien: ...in infrastructure but in people as well. I want to acknowledge the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman’s contribution in this area too. We are developing, under his guidance, local authority integration teams. This bulks up the capacity of local authorities across the country to have a very particular focus on migrant integration. My understanding is that 75% of those positions...

Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024: Second Stage (25 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this important Bill, which will improve and update our civil registration legislation and, in particular, allow parents and bereaved families the opportunity to register a birth, death or stillborn online, update the criteria for stillbirths and provide timely notification of deaths to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Food Poverty (25 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Minister Humphreys was very pleased to recently announce the extension of the Hot School Meals programme meaning that an additional 900 schools and 150,000 children are now eligible for hot meals. This means that there are now over 2,000 Primary Schools and 316,000 children able to benefit from Hot School Meals, having started in 2019 with a small pilot of 30 schools. The Department has...