Vol. 654 No. 1
78 Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the Government will decide if it will attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; if he will confirm that whatever decision is made on same will have no bearing on Ireland’s participation in the games; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17630/08]
The Government has been invited by the Olympic Council of Ireland to be represented at the Beijing Olympic Games but at this stage no decision has been taken on the question of Government representation.
The European Parliament recently passed a resolution calling for a common EU position with regard to the attendance at the Olympic Games opening ceremony of the Heads of Government, Heads of State and the EU High Representative, with the option of non-attendance in the event that there is no resumption of dialogue between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama. EU Foreign Ministers have not supported calls for a boycott of either the games or the opening ceremony.
The Government has welcomed the meeting on 4 May between the Chinese authorities and representatives of the Dalai Lama in Shenzen. We also welcome indications that a further meeting will now be held over the summer, and hope that these meetings can move quickly to remove any remaining impediments to more substantial talks which could address the issue of autonomy, within the framework of the Chinese constitution.
The Olympic Games issue was discussed on 17 March at an informal meeting of EU Sports Ministers in Slovenia. Ministers expressed their concerns at the political developments in Tibet and suggested that the 2008 Olympic Games might provide the ideal context for an improvement in the human rights landscape. The Ministers took the view that major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, are an extremely efficient tool for strengthening intercultural dialogue while developing a culture of respect for human rights. At the meeting, there was a consensus that there should be no support for calls for a boycott of the games.
In Ireland, there is much public debate around attendance at the opening ceremony of the games. I understand that the President of the Olympic Council of Ireland has been reported as saying that there is no question of the Irish team boycotting participation in the games. Recently, the International Olympic Committee asked that there be no propaganda or demonstrations at Olympic venues, given the fact that 205 countries are represented, some of which are in conflict, and that the games are not the place to take political or religious stances.
The Government has consistently made its views known on human rights issues in both Tibet and China and we feel it is important to continue to voice our concerns. We should also be cognisant of our hard-working athletes, who only have the chance to compete in the Olympic Games once every four years. The Government has been represented at the last six Olympic Games.
First, I congratulate the Minister on his new post. Whatever about attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, I am sure he might like to witness the return of the Liam McCarthy Cup to Waterford during the year.
That would be a great pleasure.
On a more serious note, the question I am raising is when the decision will be made and given the Minister's reply, it is obvious that will not happen for some time.
As somebody involved in the sporting field, and having spoken to Mr. John Treacy and noted Mr. Pat Hickey being quoted, they do not want sport to be used in any way as a political vehicle in this sense.
I suppose the best one could hope from ongoing negotiations would be that progress would be made. If that progress is satisfactory — it would be good if the Minister could promote that within a European context — would he expect to attend the opening of the games?
I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. He has summed up the position extremely well. We are not isolated on this issue. As he can see from the indications I have given in the reply, discussions are taking place within the EU as well, and that is good. There have been some discussions among Foreign Ministers.
There does not seem to be any mood to boycott the games in any way, and I would agree with that. There are questions concerning movement forward in discussions between the Dalai Lama and Chinese authorities. I indicated that a meeting took place on 4 May and the indications from that are there will be a further meeting, which we hope will bring movement on the issues of concern to all of us, on human rights and Tibet, within the framework of the Chinese constitution.
At this stage we do not want to make any rash decisions. As I stated, we have attended the previous six games and, I think, the opening ceremonies as well. Obviously, it is a major event for our athletes and a huge event for the world. Some 205 countries are participating and we would like to see a good outcome on all of the issues pertaining to participation at the games.
As of now, I cannot indicate to the Deputy when a final decision might be taken as the situation is fluid and we are monitoring the discussions taking place.
If progress is not made on these talks with the Chinese, has the Minister any idea what would be the implications for wider economic contacts with China?
I do not want to pre-empt what may come out of the talks. As I stated, there has been a meeting and we welcome that. The indications are that there will be one further meeting at least. Obviously, our wish would be that at that meeting the outstanding matters could be resolved. It is prudent to await the outcome of those talks before we make any further pronouncements on the issue. Certainly, the Government's views on human rights issues have been made clear, both in Tibet and in China, and we would expect that those would be taken into consideration as well.
79 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he expects the Irish Sports Council (amendment) Bill to be published; the reason for the delay in the publication of this Bill; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the lack of publication and legislation is hampering the work of the Irish Institute of Sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18135/08]
The Irish Sports Council (amendment) Bill will enable the Irish Sports Council to establish subsidiary companies such as the Irish Institute of Sport. A number of policy issues have arisen during the course of the drafting of this legislation, which are under discussion between my Department, the Department of Finance, the Irish Sports Council and the Attorney General's office. As soon as those discussions are completed, I intend to publish the Bill.
I do not accept that the work of the Irish Institute of Sport is being hampered in any way while this legislation is being finalised. The institute, which has its own executive chairman and board and which is funded by the Irish Sports Council, is continuing with its core purpose of creating an environment which influences and supports talented Irish athletes and ensures they will achieve sustained levels of excellence in elite sport.
I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and send good wishes to his predecessor, Deputy Séamus Brennan.
I thank the Minister for his reply, but it does not get to the heart of what I am trying to establish here. An institute of sport was first mooted by the then Minister, Deputy Jim McDaid, in December 2001 following the Sydney Olympic Games. There was an Athens review in 2006, when the institute of sport, and its importance, was promoted. We have been promised publication of the Bill for a long time. Indeed, prior to the general election in 2007, if I remember rightly, we were assured the Bill would be published. It seemed to disappear off the list for a while and now it is back again. It would appear we will not get that Bill until the end of the year.
In the meantime, there will be the Olympic Games. The Minister has indicated that it has no impact on the promotion of sport. We have seen the appointment of Seán Kelly and a number of other specialists in the area. We are still leaving an air of uncertainty around it. The future status of the Institute of Sport is not clear. Will it be a subsidiary company of the Irish Sports Council?
That is a fair question. I am looking at the issue at the moment. There are other issues that have been put on the table and that need to be resolved. I do not necessarily take the view that the continued creation of new independent bodies is the way to go every time. I am not referring specifically to this case, but I want the Deputy to realise that I intend to look at the issue. I will bring it to a conclusion very quickly and I will not prevaricate on it. The board is already set up with a chairman in place and it is doing its work without any hindrance. It is under the auspices of the Irish Sports Council and we will see where we go from here.
Our focus is now to support Irish athletes in every way we can during the run-in to the Olympic Games to make sure that they have the best opportunity to bring back medals to Ireland. That is where we must focus our support, both financially and otherwise. I intend to bring this matter to a conclusion fairly soon.
I am glad to hear that, but we have been talking about this since 2001. I worry that we will spend another seven years talking about it. It appears to me that the Minister will not have anything in place prior to the Olympic Games. How will the funding be distributed to this new organisation? Will it come via the Irish Sports Council, or will it come independently? What exactly is the status — pension rights and so on — of the employees of the institute relative to those of the Irish Sports Council? Unless the employees know where they stand, it will be very difficult for them to have a long-term commitment unless it is clarified.
I agree with the Deputy. I have no intention of letting this issue hang around for seven years, or even seven months. If we are to proceed with it, we must do so in a way that gives it the best opportunity to be successful in its remit. It is currently under the remit of the Irish Sports Council and any funding is routed through that body. I want to make a decision on the intention, the remit, the structure and the funding of the institute as soon as possible.
When can we expect the Bill to be published?
Work on the Bill is ongoing and discussions between the Irish Sports Council, the Department of Finance and my Department are being finalised. I will bring the issue to a conclusion fairly quickly. If we are to proceed with this, we will publish a Bill, but if we do not proceed with it then we will not have a Bill.
80 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to the concerns in the tourist industry of an aggressive immigration policy; if this matter has been raised by him with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18515/08]
Immigration policy is primarily a matter for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Every sovereign state has a right and a responsibility to protect its borders and I do not believe that Ireland operates an aggressive immigration policy. From a tourism perspective, we have been fortunate to enjoy record numbers of visitors to Ireland in recent years. We welcomed over 8 million overseas visitors last year. This performance clearly demonstrates that the vast majority of visitors to Ireland experience few difficulties getting here.
I am not aware of immigration policy being a significant concern to the tourism industry. However, I am aware of some recent incidents which have been highlighted by those involved in bringing students to Ireland to learn English as a foreign language. This sector is an important niche tourism market and Ireland's tourist agencies have been actively involved in the marketing of Ireland as a location for English language learning. In 2007, some 140,000 students came to Ireland to learn English. An Indecon economic report commissioned by Fáilte Ireland in 2007 estimated that the economic impact of the English language sector in Ireland could amount to around €500 million at 2006 prices.
It is very important to protect this important market. Accordingly, I am pleased that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is carrying out a general review of student immigration. This review will draw up proposals for a more coherent approach to student migration consistent with Ireland's general immigration policy and with the Government's other policy objectives. The review is scheduled for completion in the near future and its recommendations will be discussed with other relevant Departments, including the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.
It is recognised that new and developing markets in the Asia-Pacific region represent significant opportunities for growth in tourist numbers in the medium to long term. Tourism Ireland completed and published its review of new and developing markets in December last year. The review sets out ambitious targets for both visitor numbers and revenue earnings over the period to 2013.
Unlike our more established tourist markets, visitors from these markets require a visa before entering Ireland. Tourism Ireland has specified that the need to ensure that visitors from these locations can secure the necessary visa in an efficient and cost-effective manner is of critical importance in maximising the opportunities from these markets. My Department has received a discussion paper from Tourism Ireland on the issue and will be pursuing the matters raised in it with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
I wish the Minister well in his new post and I hope we will work as productively and cordially as we did in the transport area. I also thank him for his response. I raised the issue because of the concern expressed following the reported treatment of a Brazilian education specialist who came here to a trade fair that was to showcase Ireland. The person involved did not receive the céad míle fáilte we would like visitors to receive.
This is more than a niche market. It effectively constituted the tourism industry in Ireland in the 1980s, as virtually nothing else was happening back then. It is not subject to changes in discretionary income, unlike other elements of the tourism industry. It was there in the bad times and it will still be there if the bad times return. It needs to be nurtured as part of our tourism industry, although it is educational as well. It is a cross-cutting issue, but tourism will benefit most from it.
An education Bill was promised to regulate the schools that receive these students, but it never came to fruition. Some of the companies have a very bad name and are bringing in Chinese students but do not require them to attend classes, as they provide cheap labour around the country. If we are to maintain that tourist product, it must be reliable. It falls to the Minister to make sure that it is regarded as an important tourism product and he should talk to the Minister for Education and Science about it. The representational body of the international schools does not have any representation on the regional tourist boards, but the Minister could request Bord Fáilte to ensure that it does so because it is such an important part of the tourist industry.
I did not use the word "niche" to suggest the market is small or insignificant, but rather to suggest it is a specific part of the market. I would not consider the €500 million contribution per annum to the economy as insignificant either.
The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is carrying out a review of student immigration at the moment. We will be involved in the finalisation of that review. The recent report identified new and developing markets and we all agree that the Asia-Pacific region offers significant potential. From my time at the Department of Transport, I know the runway at Dublin Airport was lengthened to accommodate direct flights from the Far East. This has much potential for the future as people will not have to stop off in the UK before getting here. These developments augur well for growth in numbers from developing markets.
It is important we have a clear policy in place. There must be balance between ensuring we have a proper immigration policy and good controls in place, while ensuring the céad míle fáilte to those who come here is an obvious one.
A figure double our population, namely some 8 million people, came into the country last year. That this was successful demonstrates that, in large measure, our policy is working quite well. This does not mean we cannot enhance the procedures in place to protect existing markets and grow new markets.
81 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of the nine principal officers who were in his Department prior to the deadline for opting to decentralise or remain in Dublin and who have applied to transfer to the decentralised headquarters in Killarney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18516/08]
Following the announcement of the Government's decentralisation programme in the 2004 budget, the Department, which has a staff of 130, excluding the National Archives, was designated an early mover by the decentralisation implementation group. Of the nine principal officers who were in the Department prior to the announcement of the programme of decentralisation, only one applied to transfer to Killarney. That officer subsequently decided against relocating. However, four principal officers from other Departments and offices applied on the Central Applications Facility to decentralise to Killarney and they transferred to the Department on a planned, phased basis. Three of the remaining principal officers posts have been filled through promotion competitions and there are panels in place from which the remaining two posts will ultimately be filled.
Overall, only ten of the existing staff of the Department opted to transfer to Killarney and it was clear that the impact of the implementation of decentralisation could be significant if not managed properly. Against this background the Department set itself a key corporate goal in its 2005-07 statement of strategy to manage the organisational challenge while continuing to deliver quality customer service during the implementation of the decentralisation programme.
To underpin the delivery of this goal a decentralisation implementation plan was prepared and is kept under constant review. The Department's human resource strategy and its partnership structures were revised to take account of the implications of decentralisation. A decentralisation committee, comprised of management and staff, has been established to support and to help address the operational challenges involved. Furthermore, in order to meet the needs of new staff transferring into the Department a comprehensive training plan was put in place, which is regularly reviewed and revised. Procedures manuals have also been prepared in the financial area and in the case of the Department's major capital programmes.
To specifically address the potential loss of corporate memory, the transfer of staff into the Department who applied to relocate to Killarney was planned carefully and carried out on a phased basis using some overlaps in the case of critical areas. At this stage a total of 84 staff are in place, 70 of whom are already based in temporary premises in Fossa. It is expected that the new permanent headquarters for the Department will be ready for occupation in the last quarter of 2008. The intake of the remaining staff is scheduled to take place between now and the first quarter of 2009 when the Department will be fully decentralised.
Did I hear the Minister correctly when he said that none of the nine principal officers in his Department who have experience will be moving to Killarney?
Yes.
How many assistant secretaries will be moving?
I do not have that detail but I will get the information for the Deputy.
From questions to the previous Minister I understand eight members of staff with experience in the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism are moving. Some five members have moved and three still have to move. Does the Minister understand the concern that exists in all sectors of the Department with the loss of expertise, corporate memory and continuity and the lack of any coherence? I understand this is an early mover and the move is happening but there is no transfer of experience. The previous Minister was Dublin based but how does Deputy Cullen propose to operate a Department as diverse as it is from Waterford? In his first week, the Minister has learned that the Department consists almost entirely of agencies, most of which are based in Dublin, such as the Sports Council and the cultural institutions on both sides of Leinster House. How does the Minister envisage this operating? They cannot move so would the Minister reconsider total decentralisation?
I was surprised to hear only €645,000 has already been spent, which I thought was great value, until I discovered this figure excluded property. I do not know what €645,000 was spent on so far. It might be feasible to decentralise one element of sports, arts or tourism but trying to decentralise all three elements when all the bodies are based in Dublin and the Minister is based in Waterford, with no principal officers leaving and I suspect only one assistant secretary and seven other members of staff, would seem to lead to absolute chaos. No policy unit is decentralising. Where is this Department going?
I accept that there is a challenge but I have discussed this with the Secretary General and my experience in my first few days is that there has been a co-ordinated and planned approach to this. The assistant principals and principal officers to whom I referred earlier gained experience they would not otherwise have. They are not just coming in overnight and transferring to Killarney. Some 70 members of staff have transferred to Killarney and we will not row back on that. There are logistics issues for some operational matters. I have no problem going to Killarney, it is a nice part of the country with which I am familiar.
In terms of communications in the modern world we live in, many of what are perceived as traditional problems can be easily resolved. There will be times when face to face meetings must be organised but, from the discussions I have had in the Department, I am generally satisfied there is a positive view and that the 70 members of staff are positive about their remit. We must learn new skills and some of us must learn them quickly but it is not beyond the ability of senior civil servants to pick up on new skills very quickly. Some have been in the Department for nearly three years and in that time they have acquired the knowledge needed in the Department. There is not a major issue in that regard.
From my brief discussions with people in the Department I do not think there is a positive approach to moving to Killarney. It is not just a question of the Minister going to Killarney. The reality is that the steering groups——
The Deputy asked about me so I answered her.
The Minister is certainly an important part of it. The National Gallery, the National Library and the museums in Dublin will be completely disconnected from what is happening in Killarney. The real worry is the absence of any policy continuity. When the Department decentralises, we will have nine people with experience in arts, sports and tourism. That is a frightening thought for all Departments because I suspect it is no different in other Departments.
It should be remembered that long before this programme was put in place, civil servants have moved regularly between Departments as part of promotion systems.
They do not have turnover of 95%.
It was not at the level of the decentralisation programme. Given the length of time some of these people have spent in the Department - three years in some cases - I do not think the Deputy is suggesting there is a lack of knowledge or experience of the Department. I have been in the Department only a few days and must get to know it and understand the issues in a short time. That is a challenge but I have confidence that the staff who opted to go to Killarney and to other Departments elsewhere are more than capable of making the transition. It is not without its challenges but in the long term it will be very good for the Civil Service and for the country, particularly the locations of new Departments.
82 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will report on the status of the national development plan capital proposals coming under the remit of his Department; if he is satisfied that funding will be available for the nominated projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18517/08]
The National Development Plan 2007-2013, which was published in January 2007 contains the largest ever Government investment programme for the development of the arts and culture, tourism and sport sectors. The NDP includes an €800 million tourism development programme, a €904 million cultural sub-programme and a €991 million sport sub-programme.
These programmes contain a wide range of capital schemes and projects which will be progressively rolled out over the lifetime of the plan. The Department of Finance is preparing the first comprehensive report on NDP implementation in 2007 which, following consideration by the NDP central monitoring committee and the Government, will be published in due course.
As regards tourism, the international marketing sub-programme is on track, with €45 million expended in 2007 and a budget of €50 million provided this year. Construction work on the convention centre in Dublin commenced in 2007 and the massive steel works for the spectacular new building at Spencer Dock are well advanced. During 2007, the first of three funds under the tourism product development sub-programme was launched. At the end of 2007, some €8 million of tourism infrastructure works were reported by Failte Ireland as being completed. In addition, some €20 million of expenditure was provided under the training and human resources sub-programme.
On the sports side, construction of the new Lansdowne Road stadium is now well under way and it is planned that the 50,000 seater stadium will open during 2010. Following the recent appointment of project management and design teams, detailed work on the National Sports Campus at Abbotstown is proceeding. Applications for funding under the 2008 sports capital programme were invited in January last and more than 1,450 applications received are currently being assessed. The local authority swimming pool programme is also progressing with an investment of almost €28 million made in 2007.
In the arts and culture sector, a new National Concert Hall will be developed on the existing site at Earlsfort Terrace. It is planned to initiate the PPP procurement competition very shortly with a view to contracts being signed in 2009. The redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre at George's Dock is also progressing well with the appointment of a jury for the design competition and of technical and financial advisers. The Wexford Festival Opera House is on schedule for completion in 2008 while the Gaiety Theatre project has been successfully completed. Progress is being made on the extensions to all of the main national cultural institutions.
Finally, €7.3 million has been drawn down since 1 January 2007 to date by projects under the ACCESS programme, leaving a balance of €73.7 million during the course of the NDP. The Government is committed to implementing the NDP and I look forward to advancing the full range of projects envisaged during my tenure as Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism.
I have been perusing the National Development Plan 2007-2013 and programme for Government 2002. Many of these projects date from way back and many have not yet commenced. However, I want to concentrate on three particular projects.
Before coming to those projects I would like to point out that I recently visited the Wexford Festival Opera House and it is a fantastic building, as I am sure the Leas-Cheann Comhairle is aware. I understand the Minister will have the pleasure of opening it. It is a spectacular building, one of which we can all be proud.
Yes, indeed.
I want now to speak about three particular institutions desperately in need of investment. I accept this is not the fault of the current Minister as this is his first week in the job. However, it is a matter to which he will have to pay attention. The three institutions are the National Archives, the National Library and the National Museum. The lack of investment in these institutions is simply unforgivable. All of them have been promised funding. As all three institutions are on the receiving end of a conveyor belt of artefacts and written material, their main problem is lack of storage space. The Minister will be aware that the National Archives is responsible for conserving and making accessible every public document. However, it simply cannot do this within the existing premises which is basically a biscuit factory.
I recently visited the National Library. While I had heard about the manner in which books are being stored, I was shocked to see it. It is a tinderbox. We will lose 700 years of written and photographic material with one spark in that building. The National Library must receive funding immediately. The Minister will be aware that it must take in every book printed, yet it does not have the storage capacity to do this.
The Comptroller and Auditor General's recently published report on the National Museum made frightening reading. The problem at the museum has worsened due to the unearthing by the National Roads Authority of many artefacts. There is nowhere for these artefacts to be stored. Some of them are being stored outdoors. Work on rebuilding the fallen staircase and other refurbishment works cannot commence as there are no staff available to conserve the artefacts and ensure they are moved to safe locations. Something has to be done in terms of storage in these buildings, if nothing else. The issue of shared storage was referred to in the national development plan. One, or all three, projects must be brought forward. I understand work in this regard falls to the Office of Public Works which has many people calling on its services. It is up to the Minister to drive the projects forward.
I am familiar, having spent time in the Office of Public Works, with the institutions referred to by Deputy Mitchell. I have seen at first hand the fantastic work done by the Office of Public Works not alone in Dublin, but around the country.
I agree with the Deputy in respect of the proper care and storage of national archives be they pertaining to the National Archives, National Museum or National Library. I will try to drive forward a solution. I am not sure this afternoon whether there exists the possibility of a collective solution, but Deputy Mitchell can rest assured I will deal with the matter.
