Results 61-80 of 1,318 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Food Poverty (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025is a whole-of-government strategy with the ambitious target to reduce consistent poverty to 2 per cent or less and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU. It includes a commitment to “develop a comprehensive programme of work to further explore the drivers of food poverty and to identify mitigating...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 141 together. The Government is committed to the reduction of all forms of poverty, particularly child poverty, as outlined in the Programme for Governmentand the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 to 2025. The Roadmap is a whole of Government strategy with the ambitious target to reduce consistent poverty to 2 per cent or less and make Ireland one of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (7 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 237, 243 and 245 together. My Department operates a number of employment support schemes; including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), for long term unemployed persons and low income farmers/fishers. I would like to acknowledge the important role that Tús and RSS supervisors play in providing valuable...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Industrial Disputes (6 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Officials from my Department hold regular meetings with representative associations to discuss issues of mutual interest in relation to the delivery of all employment programmes; Community employment (CE), Job Initiative (JI), the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Tús. With regard to the issue raised by the Deputy, the Department is involved in ongoing discussions, as a partner in a...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (5 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country, and in doing so to deliver on a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support urban and rural communities. In 2019, my Department published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities - A five year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (5 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The charity fundraising campaign called ‘Ireland for Ukraine’ was established by a coalition of media outlets including RTÉ, Virgin Media Television, TG4, Sky and many others, as a collective effort to raise funds to support the humanitarian response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Community Foundation for Ireland is the charity partner for the fundraising appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (5 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: While I cannot comment specifically on Community Childcare Centres, I am aware more generally of the challenges faced by community and voluntary groups and organisations around recruiting and retaining volunteers. In publishing the National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025, Government has acknowledged the importance of volunteering to the well-being of the nation, and has set out a plan...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (5 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department’s Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting rural and urban communities and individuals using community development approaches, engagement and collaboration. The procurement process for SICAP 2024-2028 is currently ongoing. Galway County Local Community Development...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (5 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion programme which aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. The procurement process for the next iteration of SICAP 2024-2028 is currently ongoing. The SICAP procurement process is run on a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (30 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406, 408 and 416 together. Officials from my Department hold regular meetings with representative associations to discuss issues of mutual interest in relation to the delivery of all employment programmes; Community employment (CE), Job Initiative (JI), the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Tús. With regard to the issues raised by the Deputies, the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (29 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together. Officials from my Department hold regular meetings with representative associations to discuss issues of mutual interest in relation to the delivery of all employment programmes; Community employment (CE), Job Initiative (JI), the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Tús. With regard to the issues raised by the Deputy, the Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (21 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 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. An application window for funding for additional staff...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (21 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies to help those in the greatest need. SICAP aims to address high and persistent levels of deprivation through targeted and innovative, locally-led approaches. ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (16 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment (CE) programme is a community centered labour market initiative established for the purposes of social inclusion and activation, to help long-term unemployed people and other vulnerable groups to enter the workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment. CE projects are sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (14 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 639 together. Rethink Ireland (previously Social Innovation Fund Ireland) is a charity created by the Government in 2013. Launched in 2016, Rethink is an organisation set up by the Government to stimulate philanthropy and aid the development of social innovation in Ireland. The organisation has done this by establishing a philanthropic fund of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regulatory Bodies (14 Nov 2023)

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 fully independent in the performance of its...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Cross-Border Co-operation (14 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The PEACEPLUS Programme 2021-2027, with a value of over €1.145m, is a new North South cooperation programme, which will have a lasting impact on peace and prosperity in the region, succeeding both of the current (2014-20) PEACE IV and INTERREG VA Programmes. The core programme area includes Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, namely Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regulatory Bodies (14 Nov 2023)

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. While my Department has been assigned responsibility for the Charities...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Welfare Services (9 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP contribution per full-time equivalent position is not aligned with the minimum wage and does not meet the full salary cost of supported posts. It is an annual contribution that must be co-funded by the organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Welfare Services (9 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 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. A Call for Proposals in respect of specific...