Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2004
304 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of personnel appointed by his Department in regard to the proposal of the executive survey of the new horizons for Irish tourism to deal with the wider range analytical skills and competencies needed to advance the way executive Government activities are determined or proposed by the survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31388/04]
View answer305 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the action he has taken or proposes to take to address the proposals in the new horizons for Irish tourism executive survey in relation to strategic success driver eight (details supplied) of the survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31389/04]
View answerI propose to take QuestionsNos. 304 and 305 together.
The report of the tourism policy review group was launched on 30 September 2003. The Government agreed that individual Departments should engage in consultations on the actions recommended by the review group that have implications for them.
As regards my Department, the tourism division was restructured, with the establishment and resourcing of a new impact assessment unit that provides the secretariat to the high level group I appointed in January 2004 to oversee the implementation of the first two-year tourism action plan. The two tourism State agencies and the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, ITIC, also support the secretariat.
My Department is using the implementation group consultation process, together with its membership of interdepartmental working groups and consultative fora, as a mechanism for more effective interaction with other Departments whose policies impact on tourism. This process has started well with a particularly productive dialogue developing with the Departments of Transport and Finance during the first six months of the plan.
The Department also made a number of contributions to draft submissions to Government on issues that impact on tourism, for example, the White Paper on Regulation, insurance reform, waste management, housing guidelines and the transport reform agenda, with a view to influencing the wider agenda in favour of tourism development. It has also been agreed that the Department will participate at future meetings of the National Competitiveness Council.
306 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position of the creation of the education committee of the Arts Council; when it will be put in place; the members that will be selected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31406/04]
View answerI have always stressed the importance I attach to the role of arts in education and this is a matter which I propose to pursue further as a matter of priority. I am still considering the establishment of such a committee under the terms of the Arts Act 2003.
307 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of genealogical centres throughout the country; the number employed part-time and full-time in each; the projections for the future of these centres; the financial allocation for 2004; the projected cost for 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31528/04]
View answerIrish Genealogy Limited is in receipt of funding from year to year from my Department. My Department allocated €380,000 in 2004. The financial allocation for 2005 is under consideration. Irish Genealogy Limited provides marketing and information technology support to a network of 35 genealogical centres. It also operates a central index, which is used to direct potential customers to the appropriate centre. I am advised by Irish Genealogy Limited that it employs 51 full-time staff and 20 part-time staff together with 203 trainees. These staff are funded mainly by FÁS with some funding from local authorities. Each centre makes its own arrangement. In addition, there is considerable voluntary input. Neither my Department nor Irish Genealogy Limited has a direct role in employment at the centres. Irish Genealogy Limited has provided the following listing, giving the staff numbers at individual centres. It is understood that there are other genealogical centres, which do not participate in this project. Numbers employed at 35 IGL supported centres:
|
Centre |
Number Full-time |
Number Part-time |
Number of FÁS Trainees |
|
Antrim/Down/Belfast |
|||
|
Armagh |
1 |
0 |
n/a |
|
Carlow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan |
3 |
1 |
10 |
|
Clare |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Cork Central |
2 |
0 |
5 |
|
Cork North |
1 |
0 |
6 |
|
Cork West |
— |
— |
— |
|
Derry |
1 |
2 |
— |
|
Donegal |
4 |
— |
11 |
|
Dublin North |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dublin South |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Fermanagh/Tyrone |
1 |
2 |
— |
|
Galway East |
4 |
0 |
17 |
|
Galway West |
2 |
0 |
10 |
|
Kerry |
1 |
0 |
6 |
|
Kildare |
1 |
0 |
11 |
|
Kilkenny |
2 |
2 |
13 |
|
Laois/Offaly |
2 |
0 |
14 |
|
Leitrim |
2 |
1 |
10 |
|
Limerick |
0 |
0 |
— |
|
Longford |
2 |
1 |
12 |
|
Louth |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mayo North |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
Mayo South |
2 |
0 |
11 |
|
Meath |
1 |
1 |
12 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
1 |
— |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Sligo |
3 |
3 |
8 |
|
Tipp. South |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tipp. North |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
3 |
0 |
8 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
0 |
10 |
|
Wicklow |
1 |
2 |
— |
|
Total |
51 |
20 |
203 |
