Written Answers. - National Conference Centre – Dáil Éireann (29th Dáil) – Tuesday, 30 Sep 2003

I established a High Level Steering Group in July, 2003 to oversee the provision of a National Conference Centre. The priority task of the Steering Group is to review the specification, including operational requirements, for a National Conference Centre and agree the parameters of a procurement process.

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. Philip Furlong (Chair)	July 2003	Chairman, Secretary General, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Mr. Sean Benton	July 2003	Chairman of the Office of Public Works
Mr. Shaun Quinn	July 2003	Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland
Mr. Aidan Dunning	July 2003	Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance

There is no fixed timeframe upon which the steering group is to report on its deliberations and it is not planned to publish a final report.

Interdepartmental Steering Group to oversee the Expenditures Review of the Sports Capital Programme

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. Con Haugh (Dept of Arts, Sport and Tourism)	March 2003	Assistant Secretary with responsibility for all sport
Mr. Paddy Heffernan (Dept of Arts, Sport and Tourism)	March 2003	Principal Officer, Sports Unit with responsibility for operating the Sports
Mr. Dave Spratt (Dept of Arts, Sport and Tourism - Sports Capital Programme)	March 2003	Assistant Principal Officer, Sports Unit with responsibility for operating the Sports Capital Programme
Mr. Chris Flynn (Dept of Arts, Sport and Tourism - Sports Capital Programme)	March 2003	Principal Officer, Cultural Institutions & I.T.
Mr. Finian Judge (Dept of Arts, Sport and Tourism - Sports Capital Programme)	March 2003	Assistant Principal Officer, Internal Audit
Ms Helen Nugent (Dept of Arts, Sport and Tourism - Sports Capital Programme)	March 2003	Principal Officer, Major Sports Capital Unit with responsibility for completion of the Sports Capital Programme Review
Mr. Denis Breen (Dept of Arts, Sport and Tourism - Sports Capital Programme)	March 2003	Assistant Principal Officer, Major Sports Capital Unit with responsibility for completion of the Sports Capital Programme Review
Mr. Eugene Barry (Dept of Finance)	March 2003	Assistant Principal Officer, Public Expenditure Division
Mr. Peter Smyth (Irish Sports Council)	March 2003	Secretary of the Irish Sports Council

The report is expected to be finalised by November 2003 following which it will be publicly available.

The Campus Ireland Steering Group

Inaugural Meeting: September 2000

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. Peter Ryan	September 2000	Chairperson, Department of the Taoiseach
Ms Anne Whelan	September 2000	Department of Taoiseach
Mr. Martin Fraser	September 2000	Department of Taoiseach
Ms Elaine Kelly	September 2000	Department of Taoiseach
Mr. Con Haugh	September 2000	Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Mr. Eamonn Kearns	September 2000	Department of Finance
Mr. Dermot Quigley	September 2000	Department of Finance
Mr. Willie McIntosh	September 2000	Office of Public Works
Ms Martina Colville	September 2000	Office of Public Works
Mr. Donagh Morgan	September 2000	CSID Ltd
Ms Laura Magahy	September 2000	CSID Executive Services Team

The following were appointed in May 2002

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. Con Haugh	May 2002	Chair of CSID. Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Mr. Paul Bates	May 2002	Chair of Steering Group. Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Ms Helen Nugent	May 2002	Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Mr. Donagh Morgan	May 2002	Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited
Mr. Martin Fraser	May 2002	Department of the Taoiseach
Mr. Jim O'Farrell	May 2002	Department of Finance
Mr. Pól Ó Duibhir	May 2002	Department of Finance
Mr. Eamonn Kearns	May 2002	Department of Finance
Mr. Willie McIntosh	May 2002	Office of Public Works
Mr. Sean Benton	May 2002	Office of Public Works-CEO of CSID

No formal report was produced.

The Stadium Overview Steering Group - First Meeting: May 2001

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Ms Margaret Hayes	May 2001	Chairperson. Secretary General, Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation
Mr. Dermot McCarthy	May 2001	Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach
Mr. Paul Haran	May 2001	Secretary General, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Mr. David Doyle	May 2001	Second Secretary, Department of Finance
Mr. Chris O'Toole	May 2001	Office of the Attorney General. Though not formally a member of the Group was adviser to the group

This group oversaw the High Point Rendel Report on the National Stadium.

The Stadium Working Group – August 2002

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. Philip Furlong	August 2002	Secretary General, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Mr. Con Haugh	August 2002	Assistant Secretary, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Mr. Sean Benton	August 2002	Office of Public Works
Mr. Maurice Roche	August 2002	Special Adviser to the Tánaiste
Mr. Gerry Hickey	August 2002	Special Adviser to the Taoiseach

There was no written report produced.

The Expression of Interest Assessment Panel

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. Philip Furlong	October 2002	Chairperson. Secretary General, Dept. of Arts, Sport & Tourism
Mr. Con Haugh	October 2002	Assistant Secretary, Dept. of Arts, Sport & Tourism
Mr. Jim O'Brien	October 2002	Assistant Secretary, Dept. of Finance
Mr. Jim Farrell	October 2002	National Treasury Management Agency
Mr. Eamonn Kearns	October 2002	Department of Finance, PPP Division
Mr. Cormac Gilhooley	October 2002	Department of Finance, PPP Division
Mr. Sean Benton	October 2002	Office of Public Works
Mr. Kevin Connolly	October 2002	Office of Public Works
Mr. Donagh Morgan	October 2002	CSID Ltd
Ms Helen Nugent	October 2002	Department of Arts, Sport & Tourism

There was no written report produced.

European Year of Education through Sport (EYES) 2004 – Steering Committee

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. John Treacy	2003	CEO, Irish Sports Council
Mr. Jack O'Shea	2003
Ms Tracey Piggott	2003

The Bloomsday Country Co-ordinating Committee

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Mr. Brendan O'Donoghue (Chairperson)	17/01/03	Director, National Library of Ireland
Ms Mary Cloake	17/01/03	Development Director, The Arts Council
Dr. Anne Fogarty	17/01/03	Department of English, UCD & Director, James Joyce Annual Summer School
Ms Eithne Healy	17/01/03	Chairperson, The Abbey Theatre
Mr. Frank Magee	17/01/03	Chief Executive Officer, Dublin Tourism.
Mr. Phillip Maguire	17/01/03	Assistant City Manager (Culture and Environment), Dublin City Council
Ms Helen Monaghan	17/01/03	Administrator, James Joyce Centre
Mr. Edward Mulhall	17/01/03	Director of News, RTE
Sen. David Norris	17/01/03	Senator & Joyce Scholar
Mr. Dennis O'Driscoll	17/01/03	Poet, Author and Critic
Mr. Chris Flynn	17/01/03	Principal Officer, Cultural Institutions Division, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Mr. Michael Grant	17/01/03	Assistant Secretary, Arts Division, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Mr. Fiach Mac Conghail	17/01/03	Arts Adviser in the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Mr. Frank Rochford	17/01/03	Principal Officer, Tourism Marketing and Promotion Division, Dept. of Arts, Sport and Tourism

The Bloomsday Centenary Committee is established:–

To seek to co-ordinate the plans of all organisations aiming to celebrate the centenary so as

1. To promote appreciation of the works of James Joyce amongst the public and to facilitate further study and celebration of the works by students, researchers and artists; and

2. To develop a quality cultural tourism programme extending over a number of months centred around the ‘Bloomsday' centenary that can be marketed extensively in good time as a major reason to visit Ireland in 2004 by the appropriate tourism promotion bodies.

To seek to encourage the development of other quality events with Joycean connnections with particular reference to the collections and performance repertoires, as appropriate, of the National Cultural Institutions and other relevant art organisations, to enhance and further enrich the package.

While not assuming responsibility for the day-to-day organisation of the elements in the package to seek to ensure the effective implementation of the package by the individual promoters.

To initiate a limited number of key activities.

To recruit an administrator to service the committee and to liase with the individual organisations and interests.

To establish a budget for the implementation of the objectives of the committee.

Interdepartmental Public Art Coordination Group

Established in October 2002 to draft a set of general national guidelines for the implemtnation of the Per Cent for Art Scheme

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Ms Christine Sisk	Oct 2002	Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism (Chair)
Ms Jackie anon	Oct 2002	Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism (Secretary)
Mr. Niall Bradley	Oct 2002	Kildare County Council
Ms Mary Cloake	Oct 2002	Arts Concil of Ireland
Mrs. Annette Moloney	Oct 2002	Arts Council of Ireland
Mr. Michael McKenna	Oct 2002	Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Ms Betty Moriarty	Oct 2002	Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Mr. Paul de Freine	Oct 2002	Department of Health and Children
Mr. Dick McKeever		Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
Ms Jacqui Moore	Oct 2002	Office of Public Works
Ms Angela Rolfe	Oct 2002	Office of Public Works
Ms Helen O'Neill	Oct 2002	Department of Education and Science
Mr. Richard Evers	Oct 2002	National Roads Authority
Ms Shay Kirk	Oct 2002	Courts Service

Publication expected by end 2003.

Steering Committee – Irish Festival in China

Name	Appointment Date	Qualifications/Experience
Ms Bride Rosney	March 2002	(Chair)
Mr. Michael Colgan	March 2002
Mr. Patrick Murphy	March 2002
Ms Medb Ruane	March 2002
Mr. Philip King	March 2002
Ms Mary Nunan	March 2002
Ms Kate Verling	March 2002
Mr. Michael Ronayne	March 2002
Mr. Brian Nason	March 2002
Mr. Michael Grant	March 2002
Mr. Barry Murphy	March 2002	Secretary
Ms Christine Sisk	March 2002
Mr. Richard Wakely	March 2002	Commissioner

The China Festival Steering Committee was established in March 2002 to oversee the development and implementation of proposals for a festival in China as provided for under the Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Co-operation with China, which was signed in September, 2001. The steering committee is not required to prepare a formal report.

Consultancies–The Cultural Institutions Unit of the Department engaged the services of “Event Ireland” in March 2002 to investigate the possibility of establishing a “Museum of Dublin” in Stack A in the Dublin Docklands. The report was completed in June 2002 and recommended the site be used to establish the museum. The cost involved was estimated at €20 million. However, in August 2002 the Dublin Docklands Development Authority informed the Department that its Board did not propose to include a museum in Stack A which would, instead be used for the development and direct operation of a riverside exhibition and event area. Accordingly the proposal did not proceed

–In 2001 High-Point Rendel was appointed by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation to carry out an independent overview on Stadium and Sports Campus Ireland. Their report was published in January, 2002

–Mr. Eugene Downes has been engaged to draft a policy paper on promotion of the international arts, and is expected to report by end-03. There are no plans to publish his report.

–PricewaterhouseCoopers have been commissioned by the Irish Film Board, in collaboration with the Department, to carry out an analysis of the implications of the proposed expiry of the section 481 tax incentive for investment in film production. The report has been completed by PWC. There are no plans at this point in time to publish the report.

The Bloomsday Centenary Committee was established to seek to co-ordinate the plans of all organisations aiming to celebrate the centenary so as to; promote appreciation of the works of James Joyce amongst the public and to facilitate further study and celebration of the works by students, researchers and artists and to develop a quality cultural tourism programme extending over a number of months centred around the "Bloomsday" centenary that can be marketed extensively in good time as a major reason to visit Ireland in 2004 by the appropriate tourism promotion bodies; to seek to encourage the development of other quality events with Joycean connections with particular reference to the collections and performance repertoires, as appropriate, of the national cultural institutions and other relevant arts organisations, to enhance and further enrich the package; while not assuming responsibility for the day-to-day organisation of the elements in the package to seek to ensure the effective implementation of the package by the individual promoters and to initiate a limited number of key activities; to recruit an administrator to service the committee and to liase with the individual organisations and interests; to establish a budget for the implementation of the objectives of the committee.

Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 30 Sep 2003

Written Answers. - National Conference Centre

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Sep 2003