Written Answers Nos. 306-317
309. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on whether it would be appropriate to organise the national and international famine commemoration days on the same day, the third Sunday in May. [21066/23]
View answerThe National Famine Commemoration Committee, established in 2008, is charged with considering arrangements for the National Famine Commemoration Day.
In 2018, the Government approved the designation of the third Sunday of May each year as the National Famine Commemoration Day, with the arrangements for the holding of the State commemoration on this day or the preceding Saturday, to be decided each year following consultation with the relevant local authority and host community.
This year's National Famine Commemoration will take place on Sunday 21 May 2023 in Milford, Co. Donegal. The annual National Famine Commemoration provides an opportunity for a host community to honour the memory of those who perished or suffered loss during the famine.
The International Famine Commemoration provides diaspora communities the opportunity to remember and reflect on the impact of the famine and the emigration that followed in its wake, and also celebrate the achievements of those who fled Ireland and set up new lives and established thriving communities across the globe.
Proposals are currently being developed by officials of my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs in relation to the 2023 International Famine Commemoration.
There are currently no plans to align the dates of the National and International Famine Commemorations.
310. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if officials from her Department are using an application (details supplied) to conduct business; if her Department has had official meetings regarding the use of the application by officials; if her Department has assessed the risk of using the application by Department officials and the input of Government-related data into the application; if her Department is using or is considering using other forms of artificial intelligence; if her Department is considering banning the use of the application by Department officials; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21093/23]
View answerI am advised that officials from my Department are not using ChatGPT to conduct business and no official meetings have been held regarding the use of the application by officials.
The use of software or applications in my Department must be in line with all relevant Department policies, and consistent with advice provided by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). My Department has not assessed the risk or banning of this application as part of the Department's processes, however my Department would be guided by the NCSC carrying out such an assessment in the first instance.
The Deputy may wish to note that, in relation to other forms of artificial intelligence, my Department funds a data collection project (eStór) aimed at enhancing the operability of Irish for the European Commission’s eTranslation machine translation platform, which is based on neural machine translation, being a form of AI. The eTranslation platform itself may be used occasionally by officials for rapid translation of texts between Irish and English.
311. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he is aware that the increase from 12 to 16 in the number of students that Mná Tí can house has resulted in households being unable to access insurance cover; if so, the action that has been taken to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21128/23]
View answerThe Department recently announced that recognised households within Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge can now seek recognition to host up to sixteen students.
Applications from households already registered within the scheme, and from new households registering for the first time, wishing to host additional students are currently being assessed by the Department.
All households wishing to host students will need to comply with the conditions of the scheme before they are recognised by the Department; this would be standard procedure, households had been allowed to host up to 16 previously. The Department is not responsible for providing insurance.
312. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will detail the consent permit required to transfer raw sewage from one Údarás na Gaeltachta facility to another; the competent authority with the statutory function to grant such consent; the reference number and date of issue of the consent permit granted to Údarás na Gaeiltachta to transfer raw sewage from its industrial estate at An Tulach, County Galway, to a discharge to sea facility licensed to Údarás na Gaeltachta at Ros a' Mhíl, County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21176/23]
View answerI am informed by Údarás na Gaeltachta that the treatment facility in Ros an Mhíl is operating within, and fully compliant with, the terms of its approved discharge licence.
I understand that the discharge is tested twice a month and that the results are made available to Galway County Council. The sewage transfer from An Tulach to Ros an Mhíl is carried out in agreement with Galway County Council and does not require a separate permit. The treatment centre in Ros an Mhíl also processes sewage from An Tulach.
I understand that a planning application is being developed for a new discharge point for the previously permitted treatment plant at An Tulach and that, once the centre is operational, sewage will no longer be transferred to the facility in Ros an Mhíl.
313. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will list all reviews of Acts carried out by her Department in line with the provisions of the Act in question from 2000 to date; if a summary will be provided of any substantive amendments of the Act in question that occurred on foot of each review and the amending legislation, if any, in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21193/23]
View answerMy Department in its current configuration was established in September 2020.
I wish to advise the Deputy that there have been no reviews of Acts carried out in line with review provisions from the establishment of my Department to date.
314. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if Tourism Ireland plans to open new offices abroad; and, if so, where. [21283/23]
View answerThe matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Tourism Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Tourism Ireland for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you have not received a reply within ten working days.
315. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on whether it is appropriate for an organisation (details supplied) to have many high-profile games exclusively available on a paid for subscription service; her further views on whether as a non-professional sporting organisation in receipt of significant Government funding, the organisation should provide all its matches on free-to-air television; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21581/23]
View answerWhile the GAA does receive some Exchequer funding, it is, like all national governing bodies of sport, an independent, autonomous body and is responsible for its own operational and commercial arrangements, including issues relating to sports rights.
Revenue from broadcasting rights is ultimately invested back into the games the GAA promotes, from grassroots to elite level. A challenge for the GAA, and other sports organisations, is how to strike the best balance between revenue generation and making its games available to viewers.
Other than those events formally designated for broadcast as free to air in accordance with the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 2009, the question of which sporting events are broadcast, and how they are broadcast, is a matter for the sports body concerned and their broadcast partner.
Public service broadcasters, such as RTÉ and TG4, are obliged to be responsive to the interests and concerns of the whole community, and to provide a comprehensive range of programmes that cater for the community generally as well as those with special interests. Public service broadcasters are independent in their editorial and scheduling decision making, and as Minister I have no role in this regard.
316. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking regarding the lack of accessibility at a publicly funded tourist attraction (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21686/23]
View answerSpike Island is owned and operated by Cork County Council. Neither I, my Department nor Fáilte Ireland have any involvement with the operation of the attraction or with transport accessibility issues on the island.
317. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the engagement she has had with representatives of the hotel industry regarding room availability; and her views on whether this matter will present difficulties during the tourist season. [21872/23]
View answerThe Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), the key umbrella body for the tourism industry, has submitted a report to my Department on the impact of the Ukraine conflict on tourism supply and on the wider tourism ecosystem.?? The report calls, inter alia, for a reduced dependence on tourism accommodation for humanitarian purposes and a geographically balanced distribution of such usage across the country.
My Department has examined the report and I met with ITIC in December 2022 following its publication. Officials in my Department and Fáilte Ireland meet with representatives of the tourism sector, including the Irish Hotels Federation, on a monthly basis. These meetings, hosted by Fáilte Ireland, focus on the key issues and challenges facing the sector.
The Hospitality and Tourism Forum, of which the Irish Hotels Federation is a member, continues to meet regularly and I co-chair the Forum with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The Forum met most recently on 1 February for a very useful engagement regarding the challenges facing the sector.
The use of tourism accommodation to meet humanitarian needs, while necessary in the short term, could have impacts on downstream tourism and other businesses. I have raised with Government colleagues my concerns about the potential impacts on tourism businesses of a significant portion of the national hotel stock no longer being available to tourism due to humanitarian accommodation needs. I have asked my officials and Fáilte Ireland to do further research on trends in the 2023 season, with particular focus on those parts of the country that are most affected by loss of tourism accommodation, and to assess what mitigation measures could be considered.
The State has invested heavily over the decades in building the tourism sector to become the key employer in large parts of the country and in ensuring a strong pool of tourism attractions, activity providers and related tourism businesses. I recognise the importance of ensuring that such businesses are able to cope with and trade through the loss of business that tourism accommodation displacement causes and I will continue to engage with Government colleagues on this matter.
