Written Answers Nos. 193-199
193. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cé mhéad daoine a bhfuil cónaí orthu sa chuid de Limistéar Pleanála Teanga Dhúiche Sheoigheach agus Thuar Mhic Éadaigh atá laistigh de Chontae Mhaigh Eo, agus cé mhéad acu a bhfuil cónaí orthu i gContae na Gaillimhe. [20538/23]
View answerNí choinníonn an Roinn na staitisticí atá iarrtha ag an Teachta. Tá fáil ar shonraí Daonáireamh ar bhonn Limistéir Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta chomh maith le sonraí ábhartha eile maidir leis an bpróiseas pleanála teanga ar an amharcóir mapa a rinne an Roinn a fhorbairt i gcomhar leis an bPríomh-Oifig Staidrimh:
dahg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7090794ee2ca4b53bb785b84c2bd9ad8
Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ar ndóigh ón bPríomh-Oifig féin maidir le gnóthaí Gaeilge trí chéile.
194. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cé mhéad daoine a bhfuil cónaí orthu i nGaeltacht Chontae Mhaigh Eo, agus an bhféadfar é a bhriseadh síos de réir limistéar pleanála teanga. [20539/23]
View answerTá fáil ar shonraí Daonáireamh ar bhonn Limistéir Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta, cinn Chontae Mhaigh Eo san áireamh, chomh maith le sonraí ábhartha eile maidir leis an bpróiseas pleanála teanaga ar an amharcóir mapa a rinne an Roinn a fhorbairt i gcomhar leis an bPríomh-Oifig Staidrimh:
dahg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7090794ee2ca4b53bb785b84c2bd9ad8
Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ar ndóigh ón bPríomh-Oifig féin maidir le gnóthaí Gaeilge trí chéile.
195. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cé mhéad daoine a bhfuil cónaí orthu sa chuid de Limistéar Pleanála Teanga Bhearna/Chnoc na Cathrach atá laistigh de Chathair na Gaillimhe, agus cé mhéad acu a bhfuil cónaí orthu i gContae na Gaillimhe lasmuigh den Chathair. [20540/23]
View answerNí choinníonn an Roinn na staitisticí atá iarrtha ag an Teachta. Tá fáil ar shonraí Daonáireamh ar bhonn Limistéir Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta chomh maith le sonraí ábhartha eile maidir leis an bpróiseas pleanála teanga ar an amharcóir mapa a rinne an Roinn a fhorbairt i gcomhar leis an bPríomh-Oifig Staidrimh:
dahg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7090794ee2ca4b53bb785b84c2bd9ad8
Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ar ndóigh ón bPríomh-Oifig Staidrimh féin maidir le gnóthaí Gaeilge trí chéile.
196. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will detail the total cost to date of Údarás na Gaeltachta's Páirc na Mara project, including staffing, media and communication costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20574/23]
View answerI understand that the development of Páirc na Mara is a priority project that it is central to Údarás na Gaeltachta's current 5-Year Strategy. It is an ambitious proposal, based on viable principles, and demonstrates the commitment of An tÚdarás to the circular economy, which brings together the community, the environment and employment. An tÚdáras has stated that there has been a long and detailed process so far in relation to the planning application for this complex and multi-faceted proposal. Consultants with the most relevant expertise have been hired to develop the project and the cost of the comprehensive work required for the planning application has reached €1.043 million to date. It has been confirmed by an tÚdarás that all studies and surveys that were part of the application are included in this figure, along with any additional services, such as media and communications costs.
Regarding the cost of Údarás staff assigned to the project, an tÚdarás informs me that a number of staff members have worked on the project over a number of years and that a breakdown of that cost is not available.
197. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the large-scale sport infrastructure fund will be open for applications. [20593/23]
View answerThe National Sports Policy was published in 2018 and provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The first call for proposals under the LSSIF closed in 2019 with applications confined to local authorities and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport. All applications were assessed in accordance with the published Evaluation Procedures and Guidelines and the first allocations were announced in January 2020. Thus far, approximately €86.4 million has been awarded to 33 different proposals.
It should be noted that the first LSSIF allocations were announced just prior to the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic obviously gave rise to significant financial challenges for all grantees with many of them having to reprioritise their own expenditure plans due to reductions in their income streams. In more recent times, the high level of construction inflation has also presented considerable challenges for grantees. In view of these issues, it was considered timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants and meetings with all grantees have taken place. It is encouraging that, based on these discussions with grantees, 21 of the 33 projects should be in a position to draw down funding this year. Accordingly, I expect to see significant progress on many of the LSSIF projects in the short term. As part of the Review, my Department is also considering the timing and funding requirements for any new call for proposals. The review work is at an advanced stage and is expected to be finalised shortly.
198. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of prosecutions made in 2022 for failure to pay a television licence. [20688/23]
View answerPart 9 of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 makes provision for the administration of the TV licence fee system. Total licence fee receipts are comprised of a contribution from the Department of Social Protection in respect of free licences issued under the Household Benefits Scheme, and receipts from direct sales by An Post, who act as my issuing agent for licence fee collection. An Post makes every effort to reduce evasion and issues a number of reminders to evaders. Prosecution through the courts is a last resort.
In 2022, An Post applied to the courts for 14,915 summonses for failure to pay for a TV Licence and the number of cases heard in court in 2022 was 9,610.
199. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will make available the available data the NPWS is using to inform decisions on the review of the Open Seasons Order and transparency as to who the stakeholders are NPWS is engaging with as part of this public consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20486/23]
View answerThe public consultation for the review of the Open Seasons Order is open to all to put their views forward on an individual or organisational basis, and the online survey open until 3 May 2023. A productive stakeholder engagement meeting was held in Dublin on Friday 21 April and stakeholder groups were invited across various interests such as hunting, farming, eNGOs and heritage. All of these interests were represented at the meeting. Further information on Ireland's Open Seasons Order and the public consultation can be found on my Department’s website and that of the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the respective links:
www.gov.ie/en/consultation/c98d4-public-consultation-on-amending-the-open-seasons-order-for-birds/
www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/open-seasons-order
Datasets that inform the review of the Open Seasons Order include those listed below:
Ireland’s Article 12 Report for the period 2013 – 2018
cdr.eionet.europa.eu/Converters/run_conversion?file=ie/eu/art12/envxztxxq/IE_birds_reports_20191031-130157.xml&conv=612&source=remote#A045-A_W
Cummins, S., Bleasdale, A., Douglas, C., Newton, S., O’Halloran, J. & Wilson, H.J. (2010)
The status of Red Grouse in Ireland and the effects of land use, habitat and habitat quality on their distribution
Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 50. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin, Ireland.
www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM50.pdf
Lewis, L. J., Coombes, D., Burke, B., O’Halloran, J., Walsh, A., Tierney, T. D. & Cummins, S. (2019)
Countryside Bird Survey: Status and trends of common and widespread breeding birds 1998-2016
Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 115. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland.
www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM115.pdf
Lewis, L. J., Burke, B., Fitzgerald, N., Tierney, T. D. & Kelly, S. (2019)
Irish Wetland Bird Survey: Waterbird Status and Distribution 2009/10-2015/16
Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 106. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland.
www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM_106_Irelands_Wintering_Waterbirds.pdf
Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS)
irishwetlandbirdsurvey.ie/
Balmer DE, Gillings S, Caffrey BJ, Swann RL, Downie IS, Fuller RJ.
Bird Atlas 2007-11: the breeding and wintering birds of Britain and Ireland
Thetford: BTO; 2013.
The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland: 1988-1991
Author(s): Gibbons, D.W., Reid, J.B. & Chapman, R.A.. Published: January 1993 Burke B, Lewis LJ, Fitzgerald N, Frost T, Austin G, Tierney TD.
Estimates of waterbird numbers wintering in Ireland, 2011/12–2015/16
Irish Birds. 2018;11:1-2. Gilbert, Gillian, Andrew Stanbury, and Lesley Lewis.
Birds of conservation concern in Ireland 4: 2020–2026.
Irish Birds 43 (2021): 1-22.
birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2021/04/BOCCI-2020-2026.pdf
