Vol. 684 No. 5
39 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when it is intended to fill vacancies on the Irish Sports Council; when he will appoint a chief executive officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23068/09]
There are two vacancies on the board of the Irish Sports Council. The term of office of a further five board members of the Irish Sports Council will expire on 30 June 2009. The filling of these vacancies is currently under consideration.
Under the terms of section 17 of the Irish Sports Council Act 1999, the chief executive shall hold office under a written contract of service containing such terms and conditions, including terms and conditions relating to remuneration, as may be approved by the Minister and the Minister for Finance and shall be paid out of moneys at the council's disposal.
The contract of the chief executive officer, CEO, of the Irish Sports Council is due to expire on 30 June 2009. Following on from the recommendation of the Irish Sports Council, I have approved the renewal of the CEO's contract from 1 July 2009 for a further five years.
The Minister has probably guessed that I tabled this question on foot of various debates in this Chamber and at the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs about the ongoing difficulties between the Irish Sports Council, the Olympic Council of Ireland and some of the sports governing bodies. I understand the Minister has met representatives of both councils. The Olympic Council of Ireland seems to have recommended that a change in the membership of the Irish Sports Council might help to heal the rift. While I do not know what the Minister's view of that is, I would like to assure him that the absolutely poisonous relationship between the two bodies is affecting some of the sports governing bodies. I have spoken to many people who are involved in various sports, particularly athletics. The strength of feeling and antagonism between the Irish Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Ireland is absolutely staggering. It certainly cannot be conducive to improving participation in sport or performance.
I understand that after the Minister met some of those involved, he felt some progress had been made. I am sure Deputy Upton will agree with me when I say I find that hard to believe in the context of the responses that were received by members of the joint committee after its recent meeting on this issue. There was no sign in the flood of defensive and accusatory letters that were sent to us that bridges had been mended or heads had been put together. The buck stops with the Minister, who is responsible not only for ensuring public moneys are spent for the purposes for which they are allocated, but also for ensuring we get value for money. As I see it, public money is being used to indulge empire-building, ego trips and prima donna behaviour. It is not acceptable. What are the Minister's plans for changing the relationship that currently exists between the Irish Sports Council and other bodies? Is he considering using the appointments that I mentioned in my question to effect some kind of change? I really do not know who is to blame here. The Minister needs to take action to solve this problem.
I thank the Deputy for her questions. She is right to suggest I should consider all these issues in the context of the new appointments. I hope I will have an opportunity to bring better coherence to the relationship between the Irish Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Ireland. I do not have any say in the composition of the Olympic Council of Ireland. Neither the Government nor the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism has a role in appointing anybody to the council. It is a totally separate matter.
I understand.
Other people have a role in that. The only direct role I have relates to the Irish Sports Council. When I met representatives of both bodies, I was fairly blunt and straight in my assessment of the relationship between them. There have been further meetings between some of the people on both sides in recent days and weeks. Every time they meet, I am told everything is wonderful. Like the Deputy, I am aware of certain letters that have been sent. The letters that were sent to the joint committee amplified, rather than helped in any way to remove, the concerns we have about the relationships that exist. As Minister, I share the views of the members of the committee in this regard. This dispute is of no benefit to either of the sports bodies. As Deputy Mitchell said, there are issues with Athletics Ireland as well. This is not a healthy situation. I am considering making a substantial change to the numbers. I understand that seven positions are to be filled before the end of this month. I am actively examining whether the type of membership — the manner in which the membership might be constructed — could help to bring about a much better relationship between the sports bodies.
It has been suggested that a special performance task force will be established to deal with Ireland's involvement in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Does the Minister think he could use the task force as a forum to bring people together? Is there any potential in that? Has he considered that?
There is a range of options. I am trying to think outside the box in terms of what can be done. There are strong personalities involved. No matter what one does in terms of structure at times, it may not have an effect in regard to personal relationships. That is at the core of some of the issues. I have examined the options and there are upsides to some of them but, unfortunately, they also have certain downsides or risks. We do not want to make the situation worse. What might appear to be a good idea could have an unexpected consequence of worsening the situation.
This has been exercising my mind for some time and as we come to the cusp of it, I will have to make decisions; hopefully, they will be the right decisions and will be met with general support from the sporting bodies generally. I put on record that it is my desire to bring about a position that is inclusive as opposed to the way the bodies seem to view matters, which is very much in exclusive terms from both their perspectives. Each seems to be excluded from the other's activities, yet they both want to be involved and complain that they do not have a full role. We have to try to overcome that issue.
40 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will confirm that it is his position that the GAA should cover the cost of the Gaelic players grants scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22724/09]
The funding of the Gaelic players grant schemes is a matter for the Irish Sports Council in the context of the distribution of its budget for 2009. In the agreement reached in November 2007 with the GAA and the Gaelic Players Association, provision was made for the introduction of two schemes through the ISC to recognise the outstanding contribution of senior Gaelic inter-county players to our indigenous sport by meeting additional costs associated with elite team performance and to encourage aspiring teams and players to reach the highest levels of sporting endeavour.
It was agreed that the schemes would be funded through the ISC and the implementation of the schemes was a matter for the ISC and the GAA. An amount of €3.5 million was provided to the ISC in 2008 to fund the schemes. That agreement also provided that the "schemes will be additional to, and will not negatively impact on, existing funding or any future funding, provided by the Government to the GAA through the ISC".
As the Deputy is aware, the ISC has statutory responsibility for encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and for increasing participation in recreational sport. The council provides annual funding through the national governing bodies of sport and the local sports partnerships for programmes and initiatives aimed at achieving these objectives.
The Deputy will also be aware that, in addressing the public finances, all areas of expenditure have been examined and the budget in relation to sport, like all areas, has been impacted following this process. Nevertheless, the huge social and economic benefits of sport are acknowledged by the Government and are reflected in the unprecedented level of Government funding for sport over the past number of years.
As I indicated to the House on 28 April of this year in response to Priority Question No. 79, the drastically changed economic circumstances mean that the taxpayer cannot continue to fund the entire cost of schemes such as this as we no longer have the resources required. I have discussed this matter with the GAA which fully accepts the difficulties the Government is facing in terms of funding sport. However, the GAA has made its position clear in regard to the Gaelic players schemes and I fully accept and must respect its position.
In light of the current economic constraints and the reduction in the ISC's allocation of funding in the 2009 Estimates, I am having ongoing discussions with the council on optimum funding options in order to maintain its existing programmes while building on recent progress. The future funding of the Gaelic players schemes is being considered in that context and a final decision on the matter will be made shortly following discussions I intend to have with the GPA shortly.
I welcome the Minister's last comment that he hopes to meet the GPA and that the matter will be resolved.
I told both bodies I would meet them. I have met the GAA and I will meet GPA.
This issue is similar to that relating to the Irish Sports Council and, as matters stand, the GPA is left in limbo. I recall that when these schemes were introduced initially, the Minister disagreed with me that €3.5 million was ring-fenced for it, but that amount was set aside within the Irish Sports Council's funds.
It was an additional sum of money. That is where the core problem arises.
That is the real problem. The moneys available for the schemes have now been withdrawn or put into the general pool of funds. It appears that everybody is looking after their own little patch and nobody is willing to compromise on this. Hopefully, the Minister will arrive at some resolution of it fairly quickly because, as matters stand, the Gaelic Players Association is being left in limbo.
I am sure we would all agree that the contribution that Gaelic players make to sport in this country, particularly the sports in which they participate, is significant. The difficulty is that the €3.5 million which was given was over and above the funding provided; it came from a different pot and was simply given to the Irish Sports Council to pay out. The problem I have is that this year I do not have that sum of €3.5 million to start with. All I have is the Irish Sports Council grant, having regard to the reduction in it compared to last year's grant. The GPA players rightly say they will take a 10% reduction like everybody else but I do not have the sum of €3.5 million. If the money were to come out of the funds, it must come from the GAA or the IRFU and the FAI and they are not disposed towards providing it. The latter two sporting bodies do not see why they should fund players in a different association. They do not see that as being their role. There is no question but there is a difficulty here. I met the president and secretary general of the GAA and they made their position clear that they see no role for themselves in funding their own players.
Initially, it took an awfully long time to get this issue resolved. The views of those on all sides of the dispute were put on the table and eventually a resolution was reached. It appears now as though that resolution is falling apart. That is partly because the €3.5 million that was provided initially is no longer available. In fairness to the GPA and its players and, as the Minister rightly pointed out, given their commitment to the social and cultural life of the country, it is important we find a method or a route to fund the GPA players, as this initiative came from the Minister's Department. That is the bottom line.
That is what I said in my reply to the Deputy. I am trying to resolve this issue in the context of the overall budget I have. That is not easy because I am not being given much assistance by anybody in terms of their funding allocations to assist in this process. All the messages to me from all involved has been clear. They do not see or would not accept in any way that their funding should be reduced to compensate for creating a fund for the GPA players. That is the position. I have met the GAA and its view has been made clear to me, and I respect that. I will now talk to the GPA.
41 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when it is envisaged that the Natural History Museum will reopen; the nature of the work to be carried out before its reopening; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22796/09]
The position, as stated in my reply to parliamentary question No. 90, on 28 April 2009, is that a programme of works for the Natural History Museum has been agreed between the National Museum of Ireland, the Office of Public Works and my Department. This programme of works is designed to facilitate the reopening of the museum in September of this year and includes work to facilitate appropriate fire evacuation procedures, the reinstatement of the stone staircase, the introduction of a ramp to the front door and works of a minor nature relating to decoration and presentation.
The Deputy may also wish to note that an exhibition of artefacts from the Natural History Museum opened in the Riding School at Collins Barracks on 6 May this year. This exhibition showcases key items from the Natural History Museum's collection, thereby allowing the public access to some of the collection in advance of the reopening of the Natural History Museum in Merrion Street in September.
This is the third summer our Natural History Museum, one of our major attractions, will be closed. There has been a disappointing lack of activity in respect of it, which has landed us in a position where we are worse off than we were previously. The replacement of the staircase that collapsed was postponed in order to include additional work to improve access, namely, to provide access for people with disabilities to toilets on the second floor, and to provide a coffee shop. It is now planned to reopen the museum but the Minister failed to mention that 35% less exhibition space will be available than was available before this work started due to the need to address fire and safety risks.
Does the Minister agree it is a travesty that less exhibition space will be available when the purpose of this work and the debate on all the cultural institutions has been on increasing exhibition and storage space? Despite the €15 million that was provided in the national development plan for this work alone, less exhibition space will be available in the museum. Funding for it has fallen to €1.5 million and most of it, as the Minister said, has been used to provide fire evacuation procedures. Effectively, there has been no net increase in the exhibition space or in anything to attract people to the museum. Even the museum's biggest attraction, the Dodo skeleton, will not be accessible because it is in part of the exhibition space that will be cut off. There is more activity from the Dodo than there has been from the Minister's Department on this project.
Will the Minister be in a position to give a guarantee in writing that the staff will require to ensure that when this greatly reduced facility is opened it will be safe to open from both the staff and the public, bearing in mind that the reason it closed in the first place was the collapse of the staircase?
This is the first summer in which I have had direct responsibility for the Natural History Museum, and I am glad to say a major exhibition is open in Collins Barracks and is going very well. I opened it myself and it is quite significant. It is better than nothing.
I am aware of it, but it is a pathetic excuse for a natural history museum.
I would not consider what the National History Museum does as pathetic in any way. All its exhibitions are fairly good.
It is a poor substitute.
I did not say it was a substitute. I was rebutting the point that there is nothing happening and nothing available to the public. The opposite is the case. Many people who are committed to the Natural History Museum have put much work into making it happen.
The Deputy is right in saying that the major project has not started. I do not want to wait around until it happens, so I moved the project on so that we could get the Natural History Museum reopened, albeit as a more scaled-down effort.
The Deputy mentioned a reduction in the amount of space. I do not have a note on that so I am not in a position to say definitively what the space requirements will be. However, if the Deputy goes out the back of this building she will see people working on the project, and I am happy to say the work will be completed in time for the museum to reopen in September in its original home.
It is a fact that 35% of the exhibition space is being lost for safety reasons.
I mentioned the issue of disabled access to the toilets on the second floor, which was an urgent project even several years ago. Is it legal to reopen a public building without access to toilets for disabled people?
The information I have is that a ramp is being added to the front door to facilitate the people to whom the Deputy refers. I do not have the information the Deputy requires before me but I will try to get it.
42 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress that has been made in relation to the development of the new national theatre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23070/09]
Progress is ongoing on the new national theatre project. The project is complex and, as the Deputy knows, there is a myriad of technical, procedural and legal factors to be addressed. The successful delivery of this project is a priority for the Department and the Government in the programme for Government and the national development plan.
Arising from the original Government decision, an inter-agency steering committee was set up to oversee the project. This committee is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives of the National Development Finance Agency, the Office of Public Works, the Abbey Theatre and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. A project team chaired by the Office of Public Works and comprising representatives of the same agencies as the steering group has also been established and has met more than 20 times. It is overseeing the executive and procedural arrangements for holding the international design competition, which was one of the conditions of the offer of the site by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, and advancing the PPP process. The complex technical documentation for the competition is almost complete and a jury has been appointed.
The Office of Public Works has been working on drafting output specifications in collaboration with the Department, the Abbey Theatre and the National Development Finance Agency. Technical, legal, insurance and financial advisers have been appointed to guide and advise the inter-agency teams in the procurement of this iconic and important project. A theatre consultant and acoustic consultant have also been appointed. In accordance with Department of Finance guidelines, a process auditor has been appointed.
I am smiling to myself as the Minister has just read out the answer he gave me last March. However, I can go back to well before last March. The former Minister, Deputy John O'Donoghue, announced approval for a design competition for the new Abbey Theatre. The late Deputy Brennan, when he was Minister, announced that a design competition would be held, and in a press conference in October 2007 stated that he expected the whole job to be completed in 2008. Last June the Minister told me a design competition would be announced before the end of the summer and that the details were almost ready. Now, a full year later, the details still have not been announced. The members of the jury were announced in 2007 so I hope they have not been holding their breaths ever since. If preparing the competition, never mind the competition itself, has taken so many years, is there any prospect that the project will ever be completed?
My other question is about the cost to date. The Minister keeps telling me all the people who have been appointed. In March there were 21 meetings of the project team. In addition, technical, legal, insurance and financial advisers and theatre and acoustic consultants have been appointed and site investigation work is planned. How much has been spent, and will it ever come to anything? The last time I asked this question the Minister told me how much had been spent and I would be interested to know what has been spent to date and what commitments have been made for a project that may never get off the blocks.
I would not agree with the Deputy. The project will get off the blocks. It is a PPP project and there is commitment to it. The Deputy may be aware that there have been enormous technical problems with regard to the site and issues have arisen with regard to the type, shape, style and engineering of the building on the site that has been offered. There has been constant reconfiguration and this is at last coming to a conclusion. To date, €183,748 has been spent by my Department on various professional services, including legal, architectural and engineering services, which is not a huge expenditure given the period of time involved and the scale of the project. This and the National Concert Hall are the two major PPP projects from my Department and I have every confidence they will go ahead.
I hope the technical issues will be resolved quickly. They have taken an inordinate amount of time, but this is not unusual in the context of a site such as this and what must be done in terms of public procurement. The people appointed have had a major input, which has slowed down the project. For example, the acoustics experts had a considerable input on the acoustic side, which is why they were brought in, and this gave rise to another round of configuration changes — it does not work as well there, it works better that way, it should be centred on the site but not in that way. These are the general issues that have arisen. I am not a professional acoustic engineer or any type of engineer. I urge those involved to bring the process to a conclusion. However, the key people that will make the final decision want to get it right and they want to have the best possible outcome for the Abbey Theatre.
What is the nature of the PPP that is envisaged? Will there be a private operator or will it be turned over to the State when completed? When does the Minister expect the project to be completed and when will the State start paying?
It will be a build, finance and maintain project.
So the State will be paying from the day it is built. When does the Minister expect this?
To give an honest assessment, it will probably be a four-year project.
From now?
Yes. I hope that will be possible. From the project's point of view that is a good thing because it gives it an excellent chance of actually proceeding.
I do not understand that.
If it were to start tomorrow there might be pressure but because the project will not be completed for a few years it is to be hoped we will be well out of our economic difficulties by then.
Is the design being delayed?
Please allow the Minister to move on.
I assure the Deputy that is not the case. It has been more to do with technical problems.
43 Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will review the sports capital grants programme, which operated on an annual basis until 2009; when a decision will be made on its future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22958/09]
The sports capital programme, which is part-funded from the proceeds of the national lottery and administered by my Department, is the primary vehicle for Government support for the provision of sports facilities and equipment. Since 1998, the Government has invested over €725 million in more than 7,400 separate sporting projects. This investment has transformed the Irish sporting landscape, with improved facilities in virtually every village, town and city. The facilities funded range from basic sports facilities and new equipment for the smallest clubs to regional integrated multi-sport centres and national centres of sporting excellence.
This investment is evidence of the importance the Government places on sport. Sports facilities that are well planned, built and managed can act as focal points for a community and allow more people to get involved in healthy activities. Participation in sport is important for many reasons. For individuals, participation has health benefits, builds confidence and gives people a sense of their own worth. For society as a whole, sport can reduce anti-social behaviour, while sporting success has the ability to lift the spirits of whole counties and even the whole country.
Two expenditure reviews of the sports capital programme have been carried out to date; the first covered the period 1988 to 1998, while the second covered the period 1999 to 2002. Work on the national sports facilities strategy, which will provide an improved policy platform for any future rounds of the programme, is at an advanced stage of preparation in my Department. It is my intention to publish the strategy once it has been completed and considered by the Government.
I am aware that a review of the sports capital programme has been undertaken. My question is whether the Minister will indicate a timeframe within which the suspension of new applications under the programme will be reversed. The Minister stated in the Dáil in January, in response to a parliamentary question I tabled, that no new applications would be accepted in 2009. He referred to budgetary constraints and said it was time to pause and consider how best to secure value for money and avoid duplication of services in various locations. I accept that this must be done.
However, Members on all sides of the House are in agreement that the sports capital grants represented a successful deployment of resources in the last ten or 15 years in communities throughout the State. I accept that we must be careful to ensure there is value for money in the allocation of this funding but it is my understanding that the sporting budget has been reduced to a greater degree than any other budget. The Minister will likely refer to the completion of the Lansdowne Road stadium as one of the reasons for this reduction. However, the reality is that sports capital grants have been withdrawn altogether. People working in communities on a voluntary basis cannot understand why this was done. Moreover, banks are refusing to give loans because lottery grants are no longer available. As I said, the provision for other services has been reduced, but sports capital grants have been removed entirely. There is much talk about the Government and politicians not connecting with the people. The public wants to know whether this funding will be reinstated in 2010, 2011 or at some later stage.
An allocation of €56 million has been made to the sports capital programme this year, which is similar to the provision for last year. What is different this year is that a new applications round has not been opened up. However, some 800 projects have been approved for funding this year, representing a very substantial allocation for individual projects throughout the State. Like all Members, I am keen that a new round be opened in the near future. The reviews of the sports capital programme and the findings of the national sports facilities strategy will inform our future approach in this area.
One of the key issues involved is to determine the regional balance of services and facilities, that is, whether there is an over-provision in one region and an under-provision in another, in a broad rather than a micro sense. The exercise undertaken as part of the national sports facilities strategy will provide a picture of facilities in the various sporting codes, including, soccer, GAA, boxing, rugby and so on, at regional and club level. That review is close to completion and will inform our approach in terms of the criteria for accessing funding into the future.
The Minister referred to the €56 million in funding available for projects approved before this year. In a previous reply he mentioned that some clubs, organisations and committees are in difficulty and will be unable to draw down funding allocated to them because they are unable to secure supporting finance from banks. If some of this allocated funding is not drawn down, might new applications be accepted in order to avail of it?
The Minister has stated that for every €1 allocated in the sports capital programme, €3 is generated locally. Such funding helps to provide employment at local level. Moreover, a club or organisation that would have received €50,000 two years ago would get much more work done now for the same amount. I ask the Minister, on behalf of the sporting clubs and organisations, to offer some hope that the grants will be reinstated sooner rather than later so that they can plan ahead for the facilities they wish to provide for young people in this State.
I can offer the Deputy all the hope he requires. These grants have not been done away with. We have not opened another applications round this year, but money is available to deal with the programmes that are already approved. I am confident that all the money allocated for this year will be drawn down in full, because the overhang is greater than the current allocation. Therefore, there is no possibility that any of that allocation will be left over. I recognise there is an anxiety and desire on all sides of the House to ensure this programme continues into the future. My colleagues have spoken to me regularly about the issue. I am keen to have a new programme in place as soon as possible. I hope the strategic framework we will shortly have in place will indicate how best that can be done.
