Written Answers Nos. 177-196
177. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she is satisfied with the number of defibrillators located in sports clubs throughout Ireland; the status of the work of an organisation (details supplied) in its development of a State defibrillator database; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55219/21]
View answerThe procurement of defibrillators and subsequent training is a matter for each individual club in the first instance. However, the State provides a number of supports for their purchase and training for their use.
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Grants are available for a wide variety of capital works and non-personal sports equipment including first aid kits and defibrillators.
Defibrillators situated at sports clubs are generally also for community use and funding is also available through the HSE’s National Lottery grants schemes and other Community grants schemes.
At a local level, the network of Local Sports Partnerships throughout the country delivers education and training opportunities across a broad range of areas to local sports clubs and community groups. This includes First Aid Workshops, which typically cover CPR and/or Defibrillator Training as part of the content.
Defibrillators can improve a person’s survival chances following sudden cardiac arrest and their availability can be an important part of the medical response. I would encourage all NGBs to support their clubs in their efforts to purchase defibrillators.
Sport Ireland has commenced work on the development of a National Database of Sport and Recreation Amenities. This GIS-based database encompasses considerably more datasets than was originally envisaged in an audit of sports facilities. As part of this work, Sport Ireland is examining a proposal to include the location of defibrillators in the database. This is a two year project with full implementation due in April 2023.
178. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department is exploring the possibility of a levy or charge on households with subscriptions to streaming services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54655/21]
View answerThe Audiovisual Media Services Directive governs EU-wide coordination of national legislation on all audiovisual media — traditional TV broadcasts and on-demand services. The revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive provides the option to introduce a levy on providers of television broadcasting and video on-demand services available in Ireland to fund the production of European audiovisual content. My Department is currently in the process of transposing this measure through the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill.
That Bill provides that a levy will not be put in place until the Media Commission has assessed whether the introduction of such a levy is a fair and viable source of funding for Irish content. This will ensure that the Commission, as the independent regulator and the body to be responsible for its implementation, has a role in teasing out all the potential impacts involved and ensuring there are no unintended consequences arising from the introduction of such a levy. Preparatory work for the establishment of the Media Commission is ongoing with a view to the efficient and timely commencement of the Commission’s functions. Consideration of the content levy will be among the Commission’s priorities on establishment.
I wish to stress that the proposals set out in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill do not amount to a direct charge on consumers. Should a levy be imposed by the Media Commission, it would be on the providers of audiovisual media services themselves and not the end-user/consumer/household.
179. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on whether the improvement of use of the Irish language by State services should include public communications and advertising by Departments and State agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55128/21]
View answerThe aim of the Official Languages Act 2003 is to increase and improve, in an organised manner over a period of time, the quantity and quality of services provided for the public through the Irish language by public bodies. This includes the matters referred to by the Deputy. A comprehensive list of government Departments and state agencies which are subject to its provisions is contained in the First Schedule to that Act.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 was before the Seanad at Second Stage yesterday. It is hoped that Committee Stage will commence on 24 November and Report Stage in early December. The primary purpose of the Bill is to amend the Official Languages Act 2003 with a view to increasing and improving the provision of public services through the Irish language. In this regard, I proposed additional amendments to strengthen the Bill when it was before Dáil Éireann which address many of the concerns and issues that have been raised following extensive consultation with stakeholders and some 25 hours of debate at Committee Stage. These amendments are consistent with the State’s wider policy ambition to support and promote the use of the Irish language. The amendments will improve the overall operation of the Official Languages Act 2003, ensuring that the relevant legislation continues to act as an effective mechanism to reflect the Constitutional position of the Irish language as the first official language of the State and to ensure that public services in Irish are available to meet the needs of Irish speakers. Among the proposals currently included in the Bill are new provisions obliging public bodies issuing marketing material to the public to do so in Irish as well as English and requiring each public body to carry out at least 20% of its annual advertising in the Irish language and 5% in the Irish language media.
I am confident that these measures will improve the use of the Irish language in the provision of State services in the years to come.
180. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking to promote and develop Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54975/21]
View answerFáilte Ireland develops and promotes the tourism potential of Ireland’s regions in line with the relevant tourism experience brands which, in the case of the midlands, is primarily Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. Accordingly, I have asked Fáilte Ireland to provide the Deputy with further detail on its plans for further brand development and expansion and promotion of the related tourism offering. Please contact my private office if you have not received a reply within ten working days.
182. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the next Sports Capital Programme will be launched; if it will include a large-scale sports infrastructure aspect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55208/21]
View answerThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1st March 2021. By the closing date, over 3,100 applications were submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received.
The scoring system and assessment procedures were published earlier this year and all applications are being assessed accordingly. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on the 6th August.
In relation to the remaining capital applications, assessment work is continuing and every effort is being made to have it completed as quickly as possible. Given the record number of applications received, however, it is likely to take a further number of weeks to have these assessments complete .Once these allocations are finalised an announcement on the timing of the next round of the Programme will be made.
It is not anticipated that the next round of the SCEP will contain a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) element as the LSSIF is a distinct Programme with its own terms, conditions and goals. The LSSIF is designed for projects where the grant sought is greater than the maximum available under the SCEP. The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and thus far, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals. The priority in the short term is to advance all of those projects. As it is now over 18 months since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely to review progress on all projects. My Department is engaging with all grantees in this regard. The timing of any new call for proposals is also being considered and it is expected that the review will be completed shortly.
183. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to encourage the sports for all approach across sport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55120/21]
View answerThe sport for all ethos emphasises inclusion within sport and is entirely consistent with the Government's policies in this area. Our policy approach is aimed at ensuring that all persons have the opportunity to partake equally in sport and physical activity, regardless of age, social-economic status, disability, or membership of, for example, the LGBTI+ community, the Traveller community or other ethnic minorities. Increasing participation amongst these groups is a core objective of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027.
I will soon be launching a Sports Action Plan covering the period to end-2023, which will include a series of actions and initiatives aimed at increasing participation levels across the board. The plan's emphasis will be geared towards increasing inclusion, diversity and equality in sport.
My Department is also funding a wide range of projects from the Dormant Accounts funds that are specifically aimed at increasing participation levels amongst disadvantaged communities and people with a disability. The total amount of funding being allocated for such projects this year is €10M, twice the amount that prevailed a number of years ago. In the recent budget, the government agreed a further increase of €2m in Dormant Accounts funding for sport bringing the total allocation up to €12m in 2022.
Finally, I would also like to emphasise the important contribution that Sport Ireland makes in this area. Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. The Deputy will be interested to note that Sport Ireland is in the process of developing a specific Diversity and Inclusion policy which is expected to be launched by the end of this year.
184. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the supports available to groups such as brass bands, pipe bands, marching bands and choirs in recognition of their cultural contributions to local communities; her plans to expand supports in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54986/21]
View answerThe Creative Ireland Programme is a culture-based programme led by my Department to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. Its core proposition is that participation in arts, cultural and heritage-based activities drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing and achievement. Under the Creative Communities initiative in the Creative Ireland Programme, my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provide funding to each of the 31 local authorities to enable them to implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022. These Strategies were developed in 2017 following extensive local public consultation and are unique to each local authority, reflecting the breadth of cultural and creative work being undertaken in each area as well as the strategic priorities identified by the local community. Within this context many music groups as referred to by the Deputy have received support from their local authorities. Further information is available on www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/creative-communities.
The Department also provides funding to support Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ), which is the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music both at community and national level. Annual funding is provided to CCÉ for its work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture.
Thousands of children and young people develop their musical performance (instrumentation and vocal) skills and appreciation skills at these mentored weekly classes, where the emphasis is oral transmission in an appropriate context. Pre- Covid there were over 1,500 Classes are delivered weekly in community settings.
With over 400 branches, 18 centres, 7 Regional centres and 11 Outreach centres, a wide variety of formal and informal performance opportunities are provided through the Comhaltas structures and Centres. Each Centre has a local performance group which provides appropriate opportunities for young traditional artists (aged 16 upwards) to participate in formal stage performances.
Many of the groups referred to by the Deputy partake in festivals and events nationwide and there are a number of initiatives in place in my Department to support such activities.
The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann which is run by CCÉ as referred to earlier, has record attendance of 500,000 annually with over 6,000 participating in its competition pre Covid.
My Department this year again ran a Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme. The Scheme is designed to support local cultural festivals and summer schools which are not in receipt of other central Government monies, and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. The maximum funding available under this scheme is capped at €5,000. Up to 28 small festival projects were allocated a total of €96,391 in 2021. Details of this allocation may be found at merrionstreet.ie/en/news-room/releases/minister_martin_announces_funding_for_small_scale_local_festivals_and_summer_schools.html. It is currently envisaged that this funding scheme will run again in 2022 and will launch in the first quarter of the year. Festivals and participative events are also an important part of Irish tourism activities and in this context, Fáilte Ireland operate the Festival Innovation Programme Fund, which can be found at this link: www.failteireland.ie/Identify-Available-Funding/Festivals-Innovation-Programme.aspx
Primary support for the arts including music in Ireland is delivered by the Arts Council and it is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council’s strategy recognises the distinctive role of amateur arts practice, its important contribution to the vitality of the arts in Ireland, including music, theatre and musical theatre, and it’s many personal, social and artistic benefits. Earlier this year the Arts Council ran a pilot scheme as a once-off, action-research opportunity, and seeks enhanced engagement, mentorship and advocacy between the amateur and professional theatre, music and musical-theatre sector. Please see link here to the pilot scheme which was designed to enhance engagement between voluntary and professional arts sectors: www.artscouncil.ie/Funds/Amateur-and-Voluntary-Practice-Pilot-Scheme/
For over a decade, my Department has provided funding for the purchase of musical instruments and equipment by way of the Music Capital Scheme. Funding is provided to a wide range of performing groups and talented musicians. Recipients have in the past included brass bands, pipe bands and marching bands as well as community organisations. The Scheme is managed by Music Network on behalf of my Department. I hope to make an announcement on a new iteration of the scheme over the coming months.
185. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the regulations that have been put in place to allow basketball and indoor team sports, particularly at amateur and youth level, to take place at this time. [54851/21]
View answerAt its meeting on 19 October 2021, and following consideration of the public health advice, Government agreed that additional aspects of society could reopen only with the full range of protective measures in place. As such, current restrictions under the Government’s plan state that organisers of indoor and outdoor group activities should ensure that appropriate protective measures are in place. For indoor sports, this means:
- Where individuals have mixed immunity status, pods of up to 6 participants will be permitted (excluding adult coaches/instructors).
- Multiple pods will be permissible subject to protective measures.
- The overall number of pods will have regard to the size of venue and there should be substantial social distance between individual pods.
- For Vaccinated individuals no fixed capacity limits apply to these activities.
- For spectators, the use of the EU Digital COVID Certificate (vaccine or recovery certificate) will be required for accessing indoor sporting activities and events.
- Vaccinated spectators attending indoor sporting events should be fully seated.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Government agreed last week to widen the range of sporting opportunities for young people which enables under 18 indoor sports games and competitions in sports such as basketball to go ahead. On foot of this, updated guidance has been provided by Sport Ireland to sporting organisations to allow children under 18 years of age to participate in indoor games and competition activities according to the ordinary rules and limits of the sport concerned. The full guidance can be accessed on the Sport Ireland website at:
www.sportireland.ie/covid19/return-to-sport-and-physical-activity
186. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans for eco-tourism infrastructure in rural areas. [55162/21]
View answerAs our economy and society begins to open up, we have an opportunity to address sustainable development and management more meaningfully within the tourism ecosystem. Central to developing a more resilient and sustainable tourism sector will be an increased focus on the promotion and development of sustainable tourism practices such as ecotourism. I recently brought a report to Government which identifies a suite of actions that will promote sustainable tourism practices which can be implemented prior to the development of a new national tourism policy. The successful implementation of these actions will shine a light on areas and destinations that are striving to be best in class in terms of sustainability and provide better access to information and tools for the tourism industry and visitors to practice responsible tourism.
I am very aware of the important role that tourism plays as a driver of rural economies and I am committed to a continued focus on the potential of tourism to facilitate the development of our rural areas. As we rebuild our tourism sector we will seek to realise Ireland’s ambition to be amongst the world-leaders in sustainable tourism practices and set out a path for a green transition of the tourism industry and for our destinations to become leading sustainable tourism destinations.
Our overall tourism product offering has led to Ireland being recognised internationally as a year-round, high-quality tourism destination in both urban and rural settings. The further development of our tourism product offering, including any specific plans relating to environmentally sustainable tourism or eco-tourism, are operational matters for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred this question to the agency for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
187. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the plans of her Department to assist the GAA county boards with the upgrade and improvement of county grounds and stadiums; and the amount of finance that has been considered for same. [54850/21]
View answerThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. The GAA and its county boards are entitled to apply directly for Sports Capital and Equipment Programme funding up to a value of €300,000 for assistance to upgrade and improve county grounds and stadiums .
The latest (2020) round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1st March 2021. By the closing date, over 3,100 applications were submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on the 6th August. The remaining applications for capital works are now being assessed. This work is ongoing with allocations for all successful applications expected to be announced in the coming months. Once these allocations are finalised an announcement will be made in relation to the next call for applications.
The Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) is designed for projects where the grant sought is greater than the maximum available under the SCEP. The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and, thus far, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals. Of those 33 proposals, 5 were identified by the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association as being consistent with their national strategies for the development of their sport. Of those 5 grants, 3 are for improvements to county grounds.
The priority in the short term is to advance all of these projects. As it is now over 18 months since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely to review progress on all projects. My Department is engaging with all grantees in this regard. The timing of any new call for proposals is also being considered and it is expected that the Review will be completed shortly.
Details of all allocations, including those made for county grounds, under the SCEP since 2000 are published at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/471ed5-sports-capital-allocations/. Details of the allocations made under the LSSIF are available at: www.gov.ie/en/service/4113b3-large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/.
188. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Mairéad Farrell den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cén dul chun cinn atá déanta maidir le toghcháin phoiblí do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [54837/21]
View answerLuaitear sa Chlár Rialtais go ndéanfar athbhreithniú ar struchtúir fheidhmiúcháin agus rialachais Údarás na Gaeltachta, agus ar an bpróiseas roghnúcháin/toghacháin i ndáil le Bord an Údaráis
Faoin socrú reatha maidir le struchtúr Bhord an Údaráis agus faoi réir fhorálacha ábhartha Acht na Gaeltachta 2012, ainmníonn na hÚdaráis Áitiúla a bhfuil ceantar Gaeltachta faoina gcúram acu cúigear comhalta faoi seach chuig an mbord agus roghnaítear an seachtar comhalta eile tríd comórtas poiblí a eagraítear faoi scáth na Seirbhíse um Cheapacháin Phoiblí.
Ar mhaithe le beart a dhéanamh de réir bhriathar an ghealltanais, rinne an Oifig um Sholáthar Rialtais (OGP) comórtas a reáchtáil ar iarratas na Roinne i mí Iúil 2021 i dtreo sainchomhairleoireacht a aimsiú le tabhairt faoin athbhreithniú ar an bpróiseas roghnúcháin/toghcháin i ndáil le Bord Údarás na Gaeltachta. Bhíothas ag súil leis go bhféadfaí tús a chur leis an athbhreithniú sa tríú ráithe den bhliain agus go gcuirfí i gcrích é laistigh de dhá mhí.
Reáchtáladh an comórtas faoin gcreatlach atá i bhfeidhm ag an OGP do sheirbhísí comhairleoireachta gnó agus bainistíochta. Foilsíodh an cuireadh chun tairisceana (RFT) ar 8 Iúil ach níor cuireadh aon tairiscint isteach don chomórtas seo faoin spriocdháta a bhain leis - an 4 Lúnasa.
Is gá, faoi réir na rialacha lena mbaineann, leasú a dhéanamh ar an gcuireadh chun tairisceana le go bhféadfadh an OGP comórtas nua a reáchtáil faoin gcreatlach. Tá an obair sin idir lámha ag an Roinn faoi láthair i dtreo an OGP a bheith in ann comórtas nua a reáchtáil gan mhoill.
189. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the additional €65 million funding for the sports sector announced in early October 2021 will be allocated to clubs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55122/21]
View answerOn 5th October 2021, Minister Martin and I were delighted to announce that additional current funding of up to €65 million will be available to support the sport sector this year. Allied to the additional current expenditure of €26.3 million already provided to Sport Ireland, a total of €91.3 million will have been allocated in additional current funding to support the sport sector in 2021.
This package is intended to support National Governing Bodies of Sport and sports clubs arising from the significant impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the sports sector, by providing specific funding support for the following sectors:
- Field Sport funding to support the main field sports, i.e. the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU;
- A Resilience Fund to support the other National Governing Bodies of Sport;
- A Sports Club Resilience Fund to support clubs from all sports;
- A Swimming Pools/Facilities Fund;
- A Resumption of Sport and Physical Activity Fund.
The funding will be invested through new grant schemes developed by Sport Ireland and the funding will be disbursed through the National Governing Bodies of sport.
Following the announcement, Sport Ireland invited applications for funding from the National Governing Bodies of Sport and Local Sports Partnerships. The applications are now being reviewed by Sport Ireland and funding allocations will be announced in December.
191. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the supports that will be available for small-scale festivals in 2022; the criteria for applications; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55112/21]
View answerMy Department this year again ran a Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme. The Scheme is designed to support local cultural festivals and summer schools which are not in receipt of other central Government monies, and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. Events which are funded by the Arts Council and/or Fáilte Ireland are not eligible. The maximum funding available under this scheme is capped at €5,000. Full details of this year’s scheme, including the application criteria, are available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/89595-small-scale-local-festivals-and-summer-schools/
28 small festival projects were allocated a total of €96,391 in 2021. Details of this allocation may be found at:merrionstreet.ie/en/news-room/releases/minister_martin_announces_funding_for_small_scale_local_festivals_and_summer_schools.html. It is currently envisaged that this funding scheme will run again in 2022 and will launch in the first quarter of the year. Further, it is expected that the eligibility criteria will be broadly the same as the 2021 scheme. Applicants are typically given 4 weeks to apply under the scheme and all applications are subject to a competitive evaluation process.
The all-of-government Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022, led by my Department, seeks to enable each citizen to realise their full creative potential. Under its Creative Communities initiative, annual funding is provided to the 31 local authorities to enable them implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022. In implementing their respective 5-year strategies, some local authorities have utilised their funding allocation to deliver small-scale festivals. To date since 2017, over €843,000 has been invested delivering 144 festivals. My Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will continue to allocate funding to support local authority implementation of their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies during 2022. Also under the Creative Ireland Programme’s Creative Climate Action, my Department in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, will provide funding to a number of festivals in 2022 to engage the public on the need for climate action and lifestyle and behavioural change.
The Arts Council also offer a wide range of financial supports across art forms and arts practices, including festivals. The Arts Council sees festivals as key producers and presenters of the arts and are critical to engaging large and diverse audiences.
The Arts Council also provides financial support to a number of single art form festivals (e.g. theatre, dance, film) and such festivals are supported within the policy context of those art forms. The Council also supports many multidisciplinary arts festivals, meaning those festivals that programme across different art forms, including literature, music, street arts, theatre, visual arts and different areas of arts practice. Their Festivals Investment Scheme, for example, is specifically designed to offer support to local/voluntary organisations to develop arts festivals. The larger festivals regularly supported by the Council include the Wexford Festival Opera and the Galway Arts Festival.
Fáilte Ireland supports local authorities in the development of tourism in their area including funding for capital investment, festivals and events. Such supports are an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have asked the agency to provide further information directly to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
192. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán faoina plean maidir le tascfhórsa a bhunú chun scrúdú a dhéanamh ar sholáthar seirbhisí teaghlaigh agus óige sa Ghaeltacht, mar a bhí molta ag Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [54836/21]
View answerD’fháiltigh mé féin agus mo Roinn roimh an taighde is deireanaí ó Thuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta “Staidéar ar theaghlaigh atá ag tógáil a gclann le Gaeilge laistigh de na Limistéir Oifigiúla Gaeltachta”. Is píosa tábhachtach taighde atá anseo, a sheol mé féin go pearsanta ar son Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta níos luaithe i mbliana agus tá neart moltaí suimiúla ann.
I measc na moltaí, tá moladh go ndéanfaí breis taighde maidir le teanga an teaghlaigh sna limistéir pleanála teanga - go sonrach taighde ar an gcúis go roghnaíonn teaghlaigh teanga amháin thar teanga eile agus bheadh mo Roinn báúil do fhéachaint ar conas go bhféadfaí sin a chur i gcríoch.
Idir an dá linn, tá neart gníomhaíochtaí á chur i bhfeidhm ag mo Roinn a thacaíonn le seirbhísí teaghlaigh agus óige sa Ghaeltacht. Tá béim ar leith ar sheirbhísí teaghlaigh agus óige sna pleananna teanga atá á bhfaomhadh ag mo Roinn trasna na limistéir pleanála teanga le roinnt blianta anuas.
Faoin bpróiseas pleanála teanga chomh maith, tá an Roinn ag tacú le Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta, Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta agus Ealaín na Gaeltachta chun tacaíocht ar leith a chur don taiglach agus don aos óg.
Is faoin gClár tacaíochtaí Pobail agus Teanga de chuid na Roinne a chuirtear idir airgead caipitil agus reatha ar fáil le cabhrú le feidhmiú foriomlán an phróisis pleanála teanga sa Ghaeltacht. Faoin chlár Reatha, cuireann na heagrais seo a leanas seirbhísí d’ ardchaighdeán ar fáil do theaghlaigh agus óige na Gaeltachta ar mhaithe le saibhriú agus cuimsiú teanga; Clár an gCluichí Gaelacha, An Clár Aclaíochta, Ealaíon an Gaeltachta, TechSpace, Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga agus Coláiste Uisce.
Tá clár oibre comhaontaithe idir mo Roinn agus Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge chun clár teanga agus oiliúna á fhorbairt don réimse luathoideachais. Faoin gcur chuige atá aontaithe leis an Acadamh i mbliana, ceapfar duine le PhD sa Luathoideachas nó i réimse ghaolmhar le ceardlanna a reáchtáil sna hIonaid, modúil a fhorbairt don BA sa Luathoideachas i gcomhthéacs an ghaeloideachais do chleachtóirí luathoideachais atá ag obair i naíonraí sa Ghaeltacht agus taobh amuigh di.
Is tríd an clár caipitil a chuireann mo Roinn tacaíocht airgid ar fáil do sheirbhísí réamhscoile. Tá an céatadán deontais is airde atá ag mo Roinn, deontas suas le 95% ar fáil do na forbairtí agus áiseanna seo. Tá réimse tacaíochtaí ar fáil faoin gclár seo do chlubanna óige agus ionad pobail chun trealamh agus uirlisí a cheannach d’óige na Gaeltachta chomh maith.
Is fiú nótáil nach hé mo Roinn an t-aon Roinn Stáit atá gníomhach sa réimse seo. Go sonrach, tá ról ag an Roinn Leanaí Comhionannais, Míchumais, Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige mar a bhaineann sé le seirbhísí óige a chur ar fáil. Tá sé curtha in iúl sa tuairisc ar dhul chun cinn an Phlean Gníomhaíochta 2018 – 2022 don tréimhse Iúil 2019 - Nollaig 2020, a fhoilsíodh le déanaí, gur tháinig méadú ar an méid infheistíochta i seirbhísí Luathfhoghlama agus Cúraim (LFC) le blianta beaga anuas. Tá maoiniú breise dírithe ar inacmhainneacht a fheabhsú do thuismitheoirí, ar chaighdeán soláthar seirbhíse a fheabhsú agus ar chuimsiú páistí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta acu a thacú. Tá na tacaíochtaí seo ar fáil do sheirbhísí luathfhoghlama agus cúraim trí mheán na Gaeilge agus an Bhéarla araon.
Tá tacaíocht á gcur ar fáil do sheirbhísí teaghlaigh agus óige taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht freisin, agus é ráite sa Phlean Gníomhaíochta go gcruthófar dhá phost Gaeilge i réimse na Luathbhlianta laistigh den Roinn Leanaí, Comhionannais, Míchumas, Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige chun tuilleadh forbartha a dhéanamh ar an soláthar Gaeilge in earnáil na luathbhlianta i gceantair taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil céimeanna tógtha anois ar mhaithe leis an ngealltanas seo a chomhlíonadh sa ghearrthéarma.
Ina theannta sin, tá dul chun cinn á dhéanamh faoi láthair ar na tacaíochta atá ar fáil do sheirbhísí poiblí i nGaeilge, seirbhísí don teaghlach agus don óige san áireamh. Faoi forálacha Bhille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019, ullmhóidh Coiste Comhairleach atá le bunú Plean Náisiúnta chun seirbhísí poiblí a sholáthar trí Ghaeilge agus tabharfaidh sé comhairle do chomhlachtaí poiblí maidir leis an gcaoi ina bhféadfar seirbhísí nach soláthraíonn na comhlachtaí trí mheán na Gaeilge faoi láthair a sholáthar amhlaidh. Sa chomhairle seo, díreofar ar chomhairle a thabhairt do chomhlachtaí poiblí maidir le straitéisí a fhéadfaidh siad a úsáid (lena n-áirítear an chaoi a mbainfear an úsáid is fearr as acmhainní atá ar fáil do na comhlachtaí) ionas go bhféadfar seirbhísí na gcomhlachtaí poiblí lena mbaineann nach soláthraítear trí mheán na Gaeilge a sholáthar amhlaidh. Féadfaidh an Coiste Comhairleach comhairle a thabhairt do chomhlachtaí poiblí freisin i leith a bhfeachtas earcaíochta agus an chuspóra chun líon na gcainteoirí Gaeilge a mhéadú laistigh den tseirbhís phoiblí agus soláthar cainteoirí Gaeilge a chinntiú in oifigí atá suite i limistéir Ghaeltachta nó atá ag freastal orthu. Fanfaidh an plean i bhfeidhm ar feadh tréimhse sé bliana agus déanfar tuarascálacha faoi dhul chun cinn maidir lena chur i ngníomh a sheachadadh ar an Aire, ar an gCoimisinéir Teanga agus ar an Rialtas gach ré bhliain.
I bhfianaise na hoibre seo uile atá ar bun agus beartaithe, is é mo thuairim mheáite nach bhfuil gá le tascfhórsa a bhunú chun scrúdú a dhéanamh ar sholáthar seirbhísí teaghlaigh agus óige sa Ghaeltacht.
193. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the pilot basic income guarantee scheme for artists including its planned scope; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55113/21]
View answerI was delighted that as part of the National Economic Recovery Plan, I secured a commitment from Government to prioritise the development of a Basic Income Guarantee pilot scheme for the arts and cultural sector. As Minister with responsibility for Arts and Culture, I am conscious of the value that this sector brings to all Irish citizens. The importance of Irish culture, Irish art and Irish productions as a whole cannot be understated - it contributes to individual and societal well-being, as well as contributing to Ireland's reputation as a country with a rich cultural history and output. The intrinsic value of culture and the arts to society was particularly evident during the pandemic.
Against this backdrop, and my own experience of the arts, funding for the Basic Income Guarantee Pilot Scheme was a key priority of mine for Budget 2022 and I secured €25m to realise the pilot scheme next year.
In relation to the timeline for the launch of the pilot the Deputy will appreciate that this is a major policy intervention requiring significant resources to develop a coherent policy and to operationalise. This work is ongoing and my ambition is to open the scheme for applications early in Q1 2022. The Oversight Group continues to meet regularly and met yesterday with a representative from SIPTU.
The selection process for recipients of the basic Income will be finalised following the stakeholder engagement early next month, however, I can confirm the following:
- Participation in the scheme will not be based on a means test.
- It will be a non-competitive process, therefore once a person satisfies the eligibility criteria they will be included in a randomised selection process.
- A number of unsuccessful applicants will be invited to participate in a control group to facilitate a comprehensive ex post appraisal of the pilot in due course.
- Proposals for the parameters of the scheme will be finalised in light of the stakeholder engagement.
I believe the Basic Income Guarantee pilot scheme will bring new life and support to the Arts and Cultural Sector and I hope it will provide an important legacy for our artists and creatives.
194. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to expand the mobility of collections scheme to support loans from the national collections for display in public buildings across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53580/21]
View answerMy Department is currently operating a Mobility of Collections Scheme to support greater regional and local access to material held in the National Collections. The purpose of this scheme is to facilitate the display of pieces from the National Collections, with specific local and regional interest, direct to those communities, and to facilitate the display of cultural artefacts and relating exhibitions outside urban centres into rural areas. The Scheme provides funding towards the transport, cost of insurance and exhibiting costs.
This Scheme is demand driven and the lending institution must satisfy itself that the criteria of their loan policies are met by the borrowing body to ensure safe display of any objects and artefacts loaned. Once agreement has been reached between the lending institution and the borrowing body, an application to the Scheme can be made. Of course, like many areas, the COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on this demand over the last two years.
Projects previously funded under the Mobility of Collections Scheme include the following:
- In 2019 over €10,000 was allocated under the Scheme to facilitate the display of the Tullydonell Hoard of gold rings in Donegal County Museum and 15 artefacts from the National Museum of Ireland to Galway City Museum for an exhibition entitled “Keepers of the Gael: Gaelic Ireland 1200-1600A1.” - In 2018 a total of €9,122 was allocated to some of Ireland's museums in order to facilitate important exhibitions , including the loan on a 1790 glass chandelier from the National Museum to the Waterford Museum of Treasures, and several works from the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork to the Hunt Museum in Limerick.
A full list of all projects funded under this Scheme are available to view on my Departments website, www.gov.ie/en/publication/6acdc-cultural-projects-funding/
In addition to the Mobility of Collections Scheme, my Department provides funding to the digitisation of national and significant collections to provide an online offering to the public outside location challenges. An initial allocation of €2.339 million was awarded in October 2017 to support a range of digitisation projects in Ireland’s national cultural institutions and organisations with collections of national significance. Of this €2.119 million was awarded to 7 of Ireland's National Cultural Institutions.
The funding was granted to applications that related to some or all of the following funding objectives:
- ensure collections are correctly catalogued and digitally captured;
- develop the software required to provide access on-line to their Digital Collections; - ensure that the on-line data is of the highest quality using international metadata standards;
- allow for the display and discoverability on-line of more of collections;
- enhance the Institutions outreach and education programmes through greater access to the collections held;
- increase the potential for tourists to gain greater knowledge of the collections held in Ireland and in particular the National Cultural Institutions;
- increase the quality and quantity of metadata that Ireland shared on the Europeana platform;
- provide for the re-use of digital material;
- work in partnership with other organisations to support digitisation projects of collections of national significance; &
- leverage philanthropic support.
Nearly all of the projects funded have been completed and the results are available to view on my Department website at:www.gov.ie/en/publication/b1eab-creative-arts-grants-and-funding-previous-schemes/
195. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the way her Department plans to support the Irish speaking community in County Clare to secure a future for a facility (details supplied). [54696/21]
View answerI refer the Deputy to the answer I gave to Parliamentary Question 242 on 5 October 2021 on this matter. As I outlined in that answer, I had the opportunity, when visiting the area recently, to hear in person about development plans for the college to which the Deputy refers. It should be noted, that this college is recognised as one of seven residential summer colleges for the purposes of funding under my Department's Scéim na bhFoghlaoimeoirí Gaeilge.
I understand that the college authorities are in the process of undertaking a feasibility study with a view to making a formal application for capital funding under my Department's Clár Tacaíochtaí Pobail agus Teanga and that the college authorities were also in communication with a number of other potential funding organisations.
While my Department has not received a funding application to date, the Deputy may be assured that any such application for assistance under the aforementioned programme - encompassing a business plan which aligns with the requirements set out in the Public Spending Code - will receive careful consideration in the context of competing priorities and available resources.
196. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if clarity will be provided for indoor sports following the latest regulations from Sport Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54712/21]
View answerAt its meeting on 19 October 2021, and following consideration of the public health advice, Government agreed that additional aspects of society can reopen only with the full range of protective measures in place. As such, current restrictions under the Government’s plan state that organisers of indoor and outdoor group activities should ensure that appropriate protective measures are in place. For indoor sports, this means:
- Where individuals have mixed immunity status, pods of up to 6 participants will be permitted (excluding adult coaches/instructors).
- Multiple pods will be permissible subject to protective measures.
- The overall number of pods will have regard to the size of venue and there should be substantial social distance between individual pods.
- For Vaccinated individuals no fixed capacity limits apply to these activities.
- For spectators, the use of the EU Digital COVID Certificate (vaccine or recovery certificate) will be required for accessing indoor sporting activities and events.
- Vaccinated spectators attending indoor sporting events should be fully seated.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Government agreed last week to widen the range of sporting opportunities for young people which enables under 18 indoor sports games and competitions in sports such as basketball to go ahead. On foot of this, updated guidance has been provided by Sport Ireland to sporting organisations to allow children under 18 years of age to participate in indoor games and competition activities according to the ordinary rules and limits of the sport concerned. The full guidance can be accessed on the Sport Ireland website at:
www.sportireland.ie/covid19/return-to-sport-and-physical-activity
