Results 341-360 of 2,330 for speaker:Joe O'Brien

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Health Promotion (1 Feb 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Senator for raising this genuinely very important issue. The Government is committed to supporting positive ageing across the life course, as well as ensuring that older people can continue to live independently in their homes and communities for as long as possible. This commitment is enshrined in the national positive ageing strategy, which provides a blueprint for promoting...

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Health Promotion (1 Feb 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I acknowledge that tremendous work is being done across the country to ensure communities are fully inclusive of our older citizens. The older people’s councils that have been established in every local authority by Age Friendly Ireland to ensure that older people have a voice in local decision-making, the Senior Citizens Parliament and the national network of Active Retirement...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question. My Department’s mission is to promote rural and community development and support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. The underlying basis for all funding delivered through my Department's community development programmes is to enable communities to identify and address their own needs in this context. In effect,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Decisions on particular allocations for the community animation aspect of SICAP are rolled out to the local development companies. Based on the need presenting to them, they will decide what level of worker should be involved. It is the individual community worker who is engaged under SICAP. The programme is responsive in that sense. There is no set, defined allocation by central...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: It is important to mention the PPNs in this regard. In many respects, they are the most comprehensive network of community and voluntary organisations around the country. We fund their support workers as well to build their own capacity. I do not want to leave the PPNs out of this discussion because they are playing a key role. I also do not want to leave out the empowering communities...

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

Joe O'Brien: This issue has come up before. I am not passing the buck, but when a local authority approves a housing development, it needs to, and it is now within the guidelines and part of good practice that it should, facilitate space and infrastructure for a community hall and playing facilities and pitches. That is not always easy to do, but that is where it starts and that is where the line of...

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

Joe O'Brien: I will again mention the local authorities. If good proposals are brought to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and me for the development of projects that will help communities, we will certainly look at them. They will be rigorously analysed, assessed and evaluated. Big projects on substantial areas of land, as mentioned by the Deputy, need the backing of the local authority as well. We...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: To give the Deputy some figures, the cost of heavy and light cargo contracts for 2022 was €2.2 million. It is important to remember that cargo services are procured on the open market through e-tenders and competition is open, fair and transparent. The contracts are generally of a three-year duration, sometimes a little more, but there is a clause to review on an annual basis. What...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I want to confirm that what the Department will do with the action plan is part of a bigger policy and desire to reinvigorate and keep life in the islands. The action plan has a particular focus on improving housing, water, infrastructure, health services, education services, high-speed broadband, outdoor amenities, sustainable tourism and reviewing transport costs. From speaking to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: My Department's community services programme, CSP, supports more than 430 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...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. Some CSP projects do pay the living wage and beyond. It is now clearly a social enterprise model. That is the policy. To assist that we have a coaching and mentoring programme that will be put in place under the European Social Fund, ESF, plus social innovation measure to assist organisations to improve their overall performance including financial sustainability. ...

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

Joe O'Brien: During 2023 more than €16.5 million was allocated to Cork city and county through the schemes administered by my Department, such as the rural regeneration and development fund; the LEADER Programme; the town and village renewal scheme; the community centre investment fund; the community services programme; and the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, programme....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Reliable, affordable, year-round cargo services are essential for the sustainability of our island communities. They provide support to indigenous island manufacturers and businesses sectors and contribute to the quality of life for island communities. My Department currently subsidises nine heavy cargo contracts for 17 separate offshore islands. In 2022, over 45,000 tonnes of heavy cargo...

Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland: Statements (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: To be fair, he is in a committee and will close the debate.

Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland: Statements (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: We are working on it.

Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland: Statements (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has continued to work as part of the whole-of-government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing conflict who request it. The Department of the Taoiseach co-ordinates the whole-of-government response to...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Legislative Programme (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The current legislative programme for my Department relates to the Charities Amendment Bill, 2023, which was published on 22 December 2023, and concluded Stage 2 of the legislative process on 25 January 2024. In addition, there is initial work on amendments to the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and the Control of Dogs Acts . The Charities Amendment Bill revises and updates the 2009...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Development Plan (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: The National Development Plan (NDP) has set out funding envelopes for my Department that have allowed significant and sustained capital funding for rural and community development throughout the country, with capital expenditure of €213 million achieved in 2023. As detailed in the NDP, the key rural development schemes are the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, LEADER, Town and...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Programmes (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 87 together. My Department operates a range of programmes and schemes that support rural development, and urban and rural communities throughout the country. The targeted investment and supports which my Department provides to all communities contributes to rural regeneration, facilitates new working opportunities, and fosters regional enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), as created under the Local Government Reform Act, 2014, bring together local authority members and officials, state agencies, people actively working within local development and community development and economic, cultural and environmental organisations with a view to implementing a joined-up, cross-sectoral approach to local and community...