Written Answers Nos. 30-36
30. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of turfcutters on designated bog that have been allocated new bog plots since May 2014; the number and locations that it is expected will be allocated a new plot by the end of 2014 and by 1 June 2015 respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40157/14]
View answerSome 3,017 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, applicable to raised bog special areas of conservation, have been received and acknowledged by my Department. Of these, 814 applicants have expressed an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs. Relocation is a complex process in terms of:
- investigating suitable sites for turf quality and quantity;
- the infrastructure/drainage works required;
- establishing the number that can be accommodated on the site;
- the cost and feasibility of land purchase or lease; and
- possible planning and Environmental Impact Assessment requirements.
Notwithstanding this complexity, progress in relocating turf cutters to non-designated bogs is being achieved in a number of cases and arrangements have been made to date as regards:
- Clara Bog special area of conservation in Co Offaly, where 25 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on Killeranny Bog; and
- Carrownagappul Bog and Curraghlehanagh Bog special areas of conservation in Co Galway, where 23 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on the Islands Bog and Killasolan Bog.
Works have been undertaken on Lemanaghan Bog in County Offaly with a view to facilitating turf cutters from Moyclare Bog. Works are also underway in Cloonabricka Bog in County Galway to facilitate additional cutters relocating from Carrownagappul and Curraghlehanagh Bogs.
It is expected that 12 turf cutters can be accommodated on Lemanaghan Bog and 8 turf cutters can be accommodated on Cloonabricka Bog.
Potential relocation sites have been identified for each of the remaining raised bog special areas of conservation where relocation may be required. When relocation sites have been assessed as suitable, my Department has been seeking expressions of interest from turf cutters with a view to them moving to these sites. Since July of this year, my Department has written to 184 turf cutters from 13 special area of conservation bogs seeking expressions of interest in relocating to non-designated bogs. As many of the factors involved in finalising relocation projects are outside my Department's control, it is not possible to give definitive figures on how many cutters will be facilitated within a given time period.
31. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an mbeidh sí ag déanamh aon idirghabháil le hUisce Éireann le díolúine a lorg do na Mná Tí a choinníonn scoláirí. [40144/14]
View answerTá áthas orm a chur in iúl don Teachta ar dtús go bhfuil i gceist agam leanúint leis an gcúnamh atá ar fáil ó mo Roinnse faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge in 2015 ag an leibhéal céanna agus a bhí ann in 2014. Íocann mo Roinn deontas laethúil de €9.50 i leith an fhoghlaimeora le teaghlaigh aitheanta a choinníonn foghlaimeoirí Gaeilge ar iostas fad agus a bhíonn said ag freastal ar chúrsaí Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Tugann na cúrsaí seo deis do na foghlaimeoirí dul i dtaithí ar líofacht nádúrtha na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Tuigim an ról fíor-thábhachtach atá ag na coláistí Gaeilge i gcur i bhfeidhm na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge agus tugann mo Roinn gach cúnamh is féidir dóibh chun an ról sin a chur i gcrích. Tá sé i gceist agam tionchar na dtáillí uisce ar Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge a choinneáil faoi bhreithniú. Sa chomhthéacs sin, ní miste a lua go raibh mé i dteagmháil leis an Aire Airgeadais faoi tháillí uisce i gcomhthéacs Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge agus go bhfuil sé i gceist agam an cheist a phlé fosta leis an Aire Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Áitiúil agus le hUisce Éireann.
Ní miste a rá, ar ndóigh, go bhfuil an deontas a íocann mo Roinnse faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge saor ó cháin. Ní chuirtear san áireamh ach an oiread é agus iarratais ar éileamh íocaíochta leasa shóisialaigh ón Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí á meas.
32. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will reverse her decision to issue the hare coursing licence in view of her comments that the persecution of wildlife is intolerable. [40044/14]
View answerLicences were issued by my Department on 15 August under the Wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club, on behalf of its affiliated clubs, to facilitate the tagging and capturing of hares for the purpose of hare coursing for the 2014/15 coursing season. The control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Hare coursing is administered by the Irish Coursing Club, which is a body set up under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958.
While I understand that there are many individuals opposed to hare coursing, there is no current evidence that coursing has a significant effect on hare populations and the decision to issue the licences took into consideration the favourable conservation status for the hare, as detailed in the Report on the Status of European Union Protected Habitats and Species in Ireland provided to the European Commission in 2013.
33. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on the development of the national monument on Moore Street, Dublin 1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40151/14]
View answerRevised designs for the restoration of the national monument buildings at Nos. 14-17 Moore Street, and the creation of a commemorative centre to the Leaders of the 1916 Rising on the site, were approved by my predecessor under the National Monuments Acts on 30 April 2014. Consent has been granted to the owners under those Acts for the full repair and conservation of the monument buildings. Consent had previously been refused for the demolition of any structures or the removal of any material from the site that dated from or before 1916. Plans for an underground car park within the boundary of the national monument site or for the demolition of the Moore Lane facades of Nos. 15 and 16 were also ruled out.
I believe that the decision made on the revised designs provides the means to secure the future of the national monument. The conditions attaching to the consent will also ensure that the restored buildings will have a standard of finish and appearance that befits their historical importance. However, it is important to note that advancement of the project, which itself relates to a previous grant of planning permission, is a matter for the owners to progress in consultation with Dublin City Council.
In this regard, I understand that the National Asset Management Agency has approved funding for the proposed works to the national monument and that related proposals are currently under consideration by Dublin City Council.
34. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to address the funding challenges of the National Museum of Ireland and the National Library; if she will outline the Oireachtas grant-in-aid to those institutions in tabular form from 2011 to date in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40147/14]
View answerIn the recent Budget, I was pleased to be able to maintain funding for 2015 for the National Cultural Institutions, including the National Library and National Museum, at the same level as 2014. All of the National Cultural Institutions have unavoidably taken cuts in their allocations in recent years, as the Government worked to rebalance the public finances. I wish to acknowledge the part that the institutions played in that difficult process, and the difficulties that they had to overcome in dealing with cutbacks whilst still providing excellent services to the public and protecting our national collections. The staff of our national institutions are to be commended for their commitment in such straitened times.
I am pleased that we have now been able to bring an end to the cycle of cuts. I believe that the funding secured for 2015 gives more certainty to the institutions and will allow them to continue to deliver on their core objectives, while attracting large numbers of people through their doors, including overseas and domestic tourists.
I can assure the Deputy of the Government's interest in, and continuing support for, our National Cultural Institutions and I remain hopeful that, notwithstanding the continuing pressure on the State's finances, it will prove possible in the coming years to ease the resource constraints on the institutions even further.
The tables set out the Exchequer grant funding provided by my Department to the National Library and the National Museum since 2011.
National Museum of Ireland
|
Year |
Current |
Capital |
Total |
|
2011 |
€12,240,000 |
€2,000,000 |
€14,240,000 |
|
2012 |
€11,585,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€12,585,000 |
|
2013 |
€10,769,000 |
€905,000 |
€11,674,000 |
|
2014 |
€10,500,000 |
€958,000 |
€11,458,000 |
|
2015 |
€10,500,000 |
€958,000 |
€11,458,000 |
National Library of Ireland
|
Year |
Current |
Capital |
Total |
|
2011 |
€7,084,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€8,084,000 |
|
2012 |
€6,620,000 |
€500,000 |
€7,120,000 |
|
2013 |
€6,153,000 |
€452,000 |
€6,605,000 |
|
2014 |
€5,912,000 |
€428,000 |
€6,340,000 |
|
2015 |
€5,912,000 |
€428,000 |
€6,340,000 |
35. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide in detail the plans for the centenary of the 1916 Rising; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40152/14]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my earlier reply to Question No. 6 today. I am committed with my Government colleagues to ensuring that the commemorations to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising will be inclusive, appropriate and respectful.
As I have previously outlined to the House, the commemorations to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising will be a major event in a programme that has been developing since 2012 to commemorate the key events leading to the proclamation of the Irish Republic. These have included:
- the introduction and progress of the third Home Rule Bill in the Westminster Parliament;
- the formation of Volunteer movements;
- the 1913 Lockout and the role of suffragettes; and
- the outbreak of World War I.
In the coming year, alongside the continuing experience of World War I, the programme will address the Cultural Revival in Ireland, which reflected the strengthening sense of national identity and determination to achieve autonomous government.
As part of the 2016 commemorations, arrangements have been made for a number of flagship capital projects for which funding of €22 million is being provided in 2015. These projects include the new GPO visitor facility, the restoration of Kilmainham Courthouse, a dedicated facility for the Military Pensions Archive at Cathal Brugha Barracks, the provision of visitor facilities at Pearse's Cottage in Ros Muc, refurbishment works at Richmond Barracks and the development of a Tenement Museum in Dublin - as well as the commencement of refurbishment and development works at the National Archives and the National Concert Hall's Kevin Barry Rooms.
This capital programme will be complemented by an integrated national plan focused on the 2016 Commemorations, for which an allocation of €4 million is being provided to my Department in 2015. This allocation will help support a wide range of activities and events by interested groups, including local community groups and the arts. There will also be a special emphasis on education projects, as recommended by the Expert Advisory Group. There will also, of course, be an appropriately solemn component to the commemoration.
My Department has been working to finalise the draft programme for 2016, which it is intended to publish in the coming weeks to allow for widespread public consultation. The overall programme will be brought forward in partnership with government departments, State agencies, local authorities and other key players, including 1916 Relatives' Groups.
I will be keen to encourage and facilitate the involvement of ‘ground-up’ initiatives to ensure local communities can put their own shape on the commemorations as we move towards 2016. This process will build on the contacts that have been made, as part of the ongoing commemorative programme since 2012, with a wide range of bodies and community groups throughout the country, who are already engaged in preparing their own projects and contributions to the 2016 commemorations.
36. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures currently in place to prevent and manage the introduction and spread of invasive alien species into Irish wildlife. [40050/14]
View answerThe European Communities (Habitats and Birds) Regulations 2011 make it an offence to release or allow the spread or dispersal of invasive alien species listed in the Regulations. In addition, I expect to be able soon to bring Regulation 50 of these Regulations into effect, which deals with the sale of invasive species. In this regard, my Department has been carrying out risk assessments of those species which may currently be traded but which are considered to be invasive. My Department is active in the control of invasive species on its own land, for example through the control of rhododendron in National Parks and also through supporting local efforts, where appropriate. Inland Fisheries Ireland has been very active in recent years in prevention and control of aquatic invasive species. The National Roads Authority has produced guidelines, which can assist local authorities, on “The Management of Noxious Weeds and Non-Native Invasive Plant Species on National Roads”.
Combating and eradication of invasive species are key targets in the National Biodiversity Plan “Actions for Biodiversity 2011 - 2016” and the EU Biodiversity Strategy. My Department has also worked with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to fund and manage the Invasive Species Ireland Project since 2006. This initiative provides advice and guidance on the management of a range of invasive species which can negatively impact on the environment and on property on the island of Ireland.
Information on the distribution of invasive species can be found on the National Biodiversity Data Centre website at http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/
My Department will continue its efforts to engage with stakeholders and work to the prevention of escape of invasive species into the Irish environment, as well as enhancement of measures for control and eradication, where necessary.
In should be noted that a new EU “Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species” will also commence in January 2015, although many of its provisions will not take effect until the following year.
My Department will commence the development of policy in relation to the implementation of this Regulation, in conjunction with other relevant public authorities and stakeholders, over the coming months.
