Results 21-40 of 8,818 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Frances Fitzgerald
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (12 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: Each area designated under the programme referred to by the Deputy has a local implementation structure, which draws up a plan based on the particular needs of the area so that available funding can be targeted at where it will do the most good in the community. A co-ordinator has been in place in this case since January 2010 and I am advised that the inaugural meeting of the local...
- Written Answers — Charities Act: Charities Act (13 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Charities Act 2009 is structured in such a way as to allow for commencement, by Ministerial order, of its individual provisions on different dates over a period of time. While commencement of the majority of the Act is contingent on a Charities Regulatory Authority and a Charity Appeals Tribunal being in place, a number of initiatives to regulate and enhance the transparency of the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (13 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: Funding of â¬427m is to be made available under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 for allocation to qualifying projects up to the end of 2013. One of the objectives of the RDP is to identify and provide appropriate amenity and leisure facilities to local communities not otherwise available to them. There are 36 Local Action Groups contracted, on my Department's behalf, to...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (13 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 Programmes: Departmental Programmes (14 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, with the reduced funding made available to my Department, the CLÃR programme, which was targeted at tackling infrastructure and services deficits in depopulated rural areas, has been wound down. From an out-turn of the order of â¬24m in 2008, the allocation for the programme for 2011 was reduced in last December's Budget to â¬0.5m. This will be used to meet...
- Written Answers — Community and Voluntary Sector: Community and Voluntary Sector (14 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Dormant Accounts Acts provide for an annual transfer by credit institutions and insurance undertakings of monies in accounts determined to be dormant into the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF). Since its establishment in April 2003 to the end of February 2011, the transfers to the DAF have totalled some â¬589m, which includes interest earned of some â¬35m. Funds reclaimed in that period by...
- Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (14 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the RAPID Programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within designated RAPID areas nationally. It is a matter for individual Departments to report on the provision of funding and progress on delivery with regard to projects under their responsibility in the different RAPID areas. My...
- Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (14 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 31 together. The Taskforce on Active Citizenship was established by Government in 2006 to review the evidence regarding trends in citizen participation across the main areas of civic, community, cultural, occupational and recreational life in Ireland. Following a consultation process, the Taskforce compiled a set of recommendations to enhance active...
- Written Answers — Community and Voluntary Sector: Community and Voluntary Sector (14 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 25 together. 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 came to an end on 31 December 2010. On 16 December 2010, applications were...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (14 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: Responsibility for coordinating 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.
- 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...
- Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (19 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Dormant Accounts Acts provide for an annual transfer by credit institutions and insurance undertakings of monies in accounts determined to be dormant into the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF). Since its establishment in April 2003 to the end of February 2011, the transfers to the DAF have totalled some â¬589m, which includes interest earned of some â¬35m. Funds reclaimed in that period by...
- Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (19 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The numbers of staff currently assigned to work on constituency matters within my Department is set out below. Minister's Office Grade Numbers (whole-time equivalent) Personal Assistant 1 Clerical Officers 1 Minister of State's Office Grade Numbers (whole-time equivalent) Personal Secretary 1 Personal Assistant 0.8 Clerical Officers 1
- Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (19 Apr 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised that funding for the project referred to by the Deputy comes through the Health Service Executive, rather than through my Department and I would request that the Deputy would pursue this matter through the Department of Health.