Results 101-120 of 1,317 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Joe O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (26 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My department's Community Service 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. Earlier this year, I announced a new Call for...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Functions (26 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Addressing the issue of individual isolation in communities has become more important than ever before. Many of my Department's policies and funding programmes aim to address social isolation issues in communities, and also deliver benefits by responding to the challenges facing vulnerable individuals. My Department continues to provide funding to tackle social isolation and support those in...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Regulatory and Poverty Impact Assessments (26 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I published the General Scheme of the Charities (Amendment) Bill on 29 April 2022. This General Scheme was subsequently submitted to the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands for Pre-Legislative scrutiny. This Bill is to provide for a number of amendments to the Charities Act 2009. The aim of the proposed amendments is to improve the ability of...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Development Companies (20 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) our country’s primary social inclusion programme, aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Funding (20 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion programme that aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. I believe SICAP is a hugely important programme and was delighted to secure a 10% increase for SICAP for 2022, the largest increase since...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Voluntary Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: In August 2019, the Department of Rural and Community Development launched Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: a five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. The Strategy sets a general direction of travel for government policy in relation to community development, local development and the community and voluntary sectors for the coming decade. ...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Strategies (20 Sep 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Department of Rural and Community Development is committed to supporting empowered, inclusive and resilient communities. Details on the measures undertaken and delivered by my Department to implement specific actions points, referred to by the deputy, of the action plan to support the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2021 are outlined below:Since 2019, my Department has provided...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Bodies (11 Jul 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. My Department has been assigned responsibility for the Charities Regulator. It...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their local communities on a temporary fixed term basis. In addition to providing valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment for people who are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (4 Jul 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. It supports projects that provide work experience for long term unemployed persons. The programme is delivered through CE sponsor...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (27 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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (22 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently 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. Qualifying organisations must be social...

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...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, the concept of community wealth building refers to a range of approaches to local economic development, including community-led local development. My department has in place a range of policies and programmes which support community wealth building. Programmes such as LEADER, SICAP and the Community Services Programme all support community-led initiatives. My...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: My department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently 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 new call for proposals was announced in March...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 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 thousands of community groups across the country. Support is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, Senior Citizen Groups, Men’s and Women’s...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 790 and 791 together. The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is an income support scheme that provides part-time employment opportunities for farmers and fishermen and women in receipt of specified social welfare payments, and who are underemployed in their primary occupation. RSS is specifically designed and delivered to qualified people of working age whose...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsor organisations that receive state funding from the department to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Joe O'Brien: Job Initiative (JI) is an employment support scheme which was originally designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities. Participants on JI are employed full time for 39 hours per week. The current rate for JI participants is €495 per week. The JI rate benefits from any...