Written Answers Nos. 791-811
791. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if, in relation to the sports capital funding programme, she agrees that funding would be best used for sport clubs that are available to all in the community; and if she will outline how common it is for private clubs to be allocated this funding. [37569/23]
View answerThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion.
SCEP funding is only available to organisations that are run on a not-for-profit basis and that are owned and run on behalf of the members. In making allocations, priority is given to organisations that, inter alia, charge modest annual membership fees (typically less than €1,500 per annum) and that do not charge significant (typically over €1,000) once-off entrance fees. All applicants are asked to provide details of these fees at application stage and no allocations were made under the latest rounds to clubs that did not adhere to these limits.
Sports clubs and organisations must also be open for new members and must not have any restrictions on who may join or on who may obtain full membership. As per the application submitted under the 2020 round of the SCEP, the club referenced by the Deputy complied with these requirements. It should also be noted that while the club received a provisional allocation under the 2020 round of the SCEP, no funding has yet been paid out in respect of this grant.
792. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the results of the 1926 census will be published; if she will consider relaxing the 100-year rule in respect of the publication of the census results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37613/23]
View answer796. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will report on progress to collate and index the 1926 census returns. [38350/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 792 and 796 together.
The 100-year rule is enshrined in the Statistics Act 1993 and that legislation is the responsibility of the Taoiseach. Under Sections 33 and 35 of the Statistics Act, information gathered by the census relating directly or indirectly to an identifiable person cannot be released until 100 years after the date the census was taken.
The 1926 Census was taken on the night of 18th April 1926, and is the next full set of census records available in Ireland following the 1911 and 1901 censuses. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) owns census data until it is 100 years old when ownership transfers to the National Archives which is part of my Department. I have provided €5m for the significant volume of work required to prepare the 1926 census for online publication and involves the conservation and the digitisation of the data in the individual 1926 Census forms.
This work has already started by the National Archives in collaboration with the CSO. A provisional index has been formulated using a combination of guidance data from the 1901 & 1911 census in conjunction with information from the 1926 Census Report. Cataloguing of the 1.5 million census returns is currently taking place and data obtained from this activity will be used to finalise the index. It is predicted at this stage that cataloguing will be completed by early 2025.
The National Archives is also developing a new website to enable platforming of the 1926 Census as well as associated bespoke software to enable analysis of data across the 1901, 1911 and 1926 census returns. It is hoped that work will be complete in time for public release at the end of the statute period in April 2026.
In the meantime, the CSO has published 10 volumes of statistical information that was gathered in the 1926 census and it can be viewed at the following link www.cso.ie/en/census/censusvolumes1926to1991/historicalreports/ as indeed can information from all other censuses carried out in Ireland since the foundation of the State.
793. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media whether a club can make an application for a new sports capital grant in the upcoming scheme if the prior successful application or award is not yet completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37745/23]
View answerThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas.
The 2023 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (2023) closed for applications last Friday (8th September). A preliminary examination of the submitted applications is now underway but it is clear that the Programme has again generated a very large number of applications.
Work is now underway on drafting the "Scoring Assessment and Assessment Manual" for the 2023 round and I hope to have this finalised in the coming weeks. Once this is published, the detailed assessment work can commence.
Generally, while it is not possible to provide additional funding in respect of projects (or elements of projects) where work has already commenced, there is no prohibition on applying for funding for the same overall project. The "Guide to Making an Application" for the 2023 round, published on the Departmental website, sets out all of the relevant terms and conditions. Any previous funding provided will, however, be considered when allocation amounts are being finalised.
794. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the current members of Sport Ireland; and the Minister who appointed each member, in tabular form. [38028/23]
View answerDetails of the membership of all State Boards is available on the State Boards website. The names of current Sport Ireland Board members, along with their dates of appointment, expiry dates and the basis of their appointment are available at the following link: membership.stateboards.ie/en/board/Sport%20Ireland/
In all cases, the appointments were made by the relevant Minister with responsibility for sport at the date of appointment / reappointment.
795. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if Fáilte Ireland has plans for a new food and drink strategy. [38029/23]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy and implementation of that policy is a matter for the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, as well as certain other bodies.
The matter raised regarding a new food and drink strategy is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred this question to them for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
797. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media what research has been carried out by her Department as to the financial and jobs impact on the tourism sector of the use of hotel rooms to house asylum applicants and Ukrainian refugees; if she will estimate the value to these two specific impacts; how many hotel rooms there are in Ireland; how many of these hotel rooms are currently in use as accommodation for asylum applicants and Ukrainian refugees; and if she will provide a breakdown, by county, of these two figures. [38427/23]
View answerThe war in Ukraine, combined with the high number of international protection applicants has resulted in the largest humanitarian effort in the State's history.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is engaged across Government concerning temporary accommodation for those in need of shelter and is responsible for all contracted accommodation used to house Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP) and other International Protection (IP) applicants.
In June 2023, Fáilte Ireland carried out a detailed analysis of data provided by DCEDIY concerning the bed stock under contract to accommodate BOTPs and IPs and established that 13% of registered tourism stock nationally, or just under 30,000 beds, was under contract to DCEDIY, of which 25,059 were hotel beds. I understand that an additional quantum of tourism-type accommodation that is not registered with Fáilte Ireland is also contracted to DCEDIY. This analysis also identified the number of contracted beds in Fáilte Ireland registered hotels on a county by county basis and this is set out in the table below.
On 28 June, I convened a meeting of the Hospitality and Tourism Forum and I invited all stakeholders to provide evidence on the impacts of stock displacement within the tourism sector to enable me to make a considered evaluation of the matter. I have asked my officials and Fáilte Ireland to continue to engage with tourism interests and operators on the ground around the country to better understand the full impacts of stock displacement within the sector, including economic activity and employment.
Fáilte Ireland has carried out an analysis of the potential tourism-related revenue that may be at risk owing to the impacts of stock displacement. This estimate of the economic impact of displaced registered tourism accommodation is €700 million per annum on the basis that for every €1 spent on tourism accommodation a further €2.50 is spent in the wider economy. This analysis is available on Fáilte Ireland's website:
www.failteireland.ie/FailteIreland/media/WebsiteStructure/Documents/Publications/update-on-government-contracted-accommodation-stock.pdf?ext=.pdf
Number of contracted beds in Fáilte Ireland registered Hotels (only) on a County by County basis as per the data provided by DCEDIY in June 2023:
|
County |
No of FI Registered Hotels |
No of Bed Spaces in DI Registered Hotels |
BOTP & IP Bed Occupancy in FI Registered Hotels |
|
Co. Carlow |
9 |
1,378 |
60 |
|
Co. Cavan |
14 |
2,034 |
342 |
|
Co. Clare |
45 |
6,631 |
2908 |
|
Co. Cork |
78 |
11,745 |
1722 |
|
Co. Donegal |
52 |
7,591 |
1672 |
|
Co. Dublin |
162 |
55,134 |
7460 |
|
Co. Galway |
78 |
11,895 |
1031 |
|
Co. Kerry |
78 |
13,546 |
2107 |
|
Co. Kildare |
22 |
3,376 |
0 |
|
Co. Kilkenny |
18 |
3,427 |
425 |
|
Co. Laois |
10 |
1,423 |
157 |
|
Co. Leitrim |
8 |
563 |
310 |
|
Co. Limerick |
28 |
5,597 |
620 |
|
Co. Longford |
3 |
225 |
201 |
|
Co. Louth |
12 |
1,856 |
175 |
|
Co. Mayo |
47 |
6,239 |
1,835 |
|
Co. Meath |
21 |
2,877 |
314 |
|
Co. Monaghan |
9 |
943 |
33 |
|
Co. Offaly |
7 |
916 |
195 |
|
Co. Roscommon |
6 |
463 |
45 |
|
Co. Sligo |
17 |
3,242 |
581 |
|
Co. Tipperary |
23 |
2,180 |
156 |
|
Co. Waterford |
24 |
3,713 |
519 |
|
Co. Westmeath |
15 |
2,751 |
551 |
|
Co. Wexford |
26 |
4,109 |
415 |
|
Co. Wicklow |
23 |
3,489 |
1,225 |
|
Grand Total |
835 |
157,343 |
25,059 |
798. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the large scale sports infrastructure grant scheme will open in 2023 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38514/23]
View answerThe aim of the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP). The latest round of the SCEP closed for applications last Friday (8th September) and not surprisingly there has again been a huge volume of applications. The detailed assessment work has now commenced and I look forward to announcing the allocations as soon as possible.
The first call for proposals under the LSSIF closed in 2019 with applications confined to local authorities and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport. The first LSSIF allocations were announced in January 2020 and, to date, approximately €86.4 million has been allocated to 33 projects.
With regard to a possible new round of the LSSIF, Minister Martin and I will continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, in relation to the additional funding required and the timing and terms and conditions of any new round of the LSSIF will be announced in due course.
799. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for an update on the progress towards a centre of excellence in boxing in Cork. [38544/23]
View answerThe development of a Centre of Excellence for boxing in Cork is primarily a matter for local boxing clubs and/or the relevant NGB in the first instance. I understand, however, that Sport Ireland and the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) met with Cork City Council earlier this year to discuss the possibility of developing such a facility. I am assured that Sport Ireland is happy to engage further with both organisations to see how such a centre could be advanced.
In relation to capital support, my Department provides grant assistance for sporting facilities through the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).
The SCEP is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas. The latest round of the SCEP closed for applications last Friday (8th September).
With regard to larger projects, the National Sports Policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of the LSSIF. The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the SCEP. The first allocations were announced in January 2020 and approximately €86.4 million has been allocated to 33 projects.
With regard to a possible new round of the LSSIF, Minister Martin and I will continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, in relation to the additional funding required and the timing and terms and conditions of any new round of the LSSIF will be announced in due course.
800. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has taken advice in respect of the use of artificial intelligence, AI, within her Department; if any section of her Department currently makes use of AI, and if she will outline the purposes it is utilised for and costs associated with same; and if she has consulted with any consultancy firms in respect of the use of AI. [38576/23]
View answerMy Department will be guided by the National Cyber Security Centre in relation to any concerns about the use or operation of artificial intelligence.
All applications and platforms used or operated by my Department must be in line with relevant policies and be consistent with advice provided by the National Cyber Security Centre.
801. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when section 51 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 will come into effect. [38597/23]
View answerSection 51 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, amends the Broadcasting Act 2009 by inserting a new section 155A into that Act. Pursuant to this section, Coimisiún na Meán shall prepare and submit for my approval, as Minister, a scheme or schemes to make grants to local and community sound broadcasters for the purposes of supporting and promoting good professional journalistic practices and standards in local and community sound broadcasting. The Act provides that any such schemes made under this section shall be funded under Part 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, meaning that it shall be funded by 7% of net licence fee receipts.
The commencement of section 51 will provide the legal basis for An Coimisiún to prepare and submit a scheme, or schemes, for my approval as Minister and to make and carry out any approved schemes. Under the Act, any scheme made by An Coimisiún is required to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas, where it will be subject to a negative resolution procedure.
It is my intention that section 51 will be commenced in due course, following consultation with Coimisiún na Meán, who may need to carry out research and consultation to determine the most appropriate basis for preparing a scheme and to ensure alignment and consistency with the new initiatives that Coimisiún na Meán is bringing forward to support the sector.
I recognise the essential role that the local and community media sector plays in sharing reliable and relevant local news and bringing communities together. The media sector in Ireland, which is a vital element of our democracy and society as a whole, is undergoing fundamental change. In line with the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission as adopted by Government, Coimisiún na Meán is progressing work on the detailed design and implementation of a Local Democracy Reporting Scheme and a Courts Reporting Scheme. State Aid approval may also be required from the European Commission and work on this is being progressed in parallel. As the schemes are to be administered on a platform neutral basis, local and community radio will be eligible to apply for funding from the schemes once established.
Furthermore, the objectives of the Sound and Vision Scheme include developing local and community broadcasting, and the Broadcasting Act 2009 also makes further provision that An Coimisiún, in preparing a scheme, may have regard to the development needs of community broadcasters.
In this context, a new funding initiative was established in 2021 under the Sound and Vision Scheme with the purpose of supporting the development of the community broadcasting sector. The objective of this funding measure, the Social Benefit Fund, is to provide the social benefits as set out in the Social Benefit Framework for community broadcasters, published on the 19th of June 2020. This funding aims to facilitate better representation and diversity of local communities, communities of interest or of special interest in their respective community radio or TV station.
To date €1.5m was made available for two social benefit rounds which were awarded by Coimisiún na Meán/BAI in 2021 and 2023. Further supports, in which some operational funding is eligible, are also offered to the community sector through the open rounds of the Sound and Vision Scheme. In addition, a further community benefit round is expected to be announced by Coimisiún na Meán later this year.
802. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount that Fáilte Ireland has spent on projects under Ireland's Hidden Heartlands in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [38598/23]
View answerMy role and that of my Department in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy development and in securing resources to assist the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in implementing that policy.
With regard to specific expenditure by Fáilte Ireland from its Exchequer funding allocations, such decisions are an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland, as the National Tourism Development Authority.
Accordingly, I have referred this question to them for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
803. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has a policy statement on the practice of naming State buildings after notable Irish people. [38884/23]
View answerThe provision of office accommodation for my Department, and responsibility for State buildings more generally is a matter for the Office of Public Works. Any questions in relation to the naming of State buildings should therefore be directed to that office.
804. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount carried over by her Department's allocation in each of the years 2020 to 2022 inclusive, in tabular form. [38949/23]
View answerDetails pertaining to monies carried forward by my Department are published the Revised Estimates Volumes (REV) at www.gov.ie/en/collection/e20037-revised-estimates/. The REV for a given year also provides the carry over amount for the prior year.
805. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media where the results of the national swimming strategy survey that was done in 2022 can be accessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39000/23]
View answerBoth the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and the Sports Action Plan 2021-2023 commit to the development of a National Swimming Strategy. A public consultation on its development closed in October 2022 and work on the analysis of the very large number of responses is now complete.
Work on developing the National Swimming Strategy is nearing completion and I hope to be in a position to publish it before the end of 2023. A report detailing the findings of the public consultation process will be made available in tandem with the publication of the Strategy.
806. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when a decision will be made on a sports capital application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39084/23]
View answerThe 2023 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (2023) closed for applications last Friday (8th September). A preliminary examination of the submitted applications is now underway but it is clear that the Programme has again generated a very large number of applications including one from the organisation to which the Deputy refers.
Work is now underway on drafting the "Scoring Assessment and Assessment Manual" for the 2023 round and I hope to have this finalised in the coming weeks. Once this is published, the detailed assessment work can commence. In view of the volume of applications received, however, it will take several months to have the assessment process complete. In this regard, it is planned to assess the "Equipment-only" applications first with a view to announcing these grants in the coming months. Work will then commence on the assessment of the capital applications with the allocations likely to be announced later in 2024.
807. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the registration of short-term tourist letting Bill 2022; the timeline for the establishment of a short-term tourist letting register; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39085/23]
View answer808. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when she expects the short-term tourist letting Bill to complete its First Stage in Dáil Éireann. [39094/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 807 and 808 together.
On 7 December 2022 the Government approved the priority drafting of the Registration of Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill and publication of the General Scheme of the Bill which provides for the registration of short-term tourist lettings with Fáilte Ireland in line with the commitment under Housing for All, the Government's housing policy.
On 21 December the proposed STTL Bill was submitted to the EU Commission pursuant to the Technical Regulations Information System (TRIS) EU Directive 2015/1535 that requires EU Member States to notify the Commission of any draft technical regulations concerning products and information society services before they are adopted in national law. Such a notification triggers a standstill period of 3 months during which the proposed Bill cannot be enacted. On 22 March 2023, the Department received a communication from the EU Commission which extended the standstill period until 22 December 2023.
The EU Commission extended the standstill period as it considers that the STTL Bill concerns a matter covered in part by the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of 7 November 2022 . This Proposal is currently in the early stages of negotiation by the Union co-legislators and officials from my Department and Fáilte Ireland are participating in an implementation group comprised of the Commission and other interested EU Member States.
As part of the ongoing engagement with the Commission, officials from my Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and from Fáilte Ireland held a constructive meeting with representatives of the Commission in Brussels on Friday 23 June.
Further engagement with the Commission on the Registration of Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill, as well as the Commission's proposal for a Regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services, will inform the timeline for the legislation and the establishment of the register.
809. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an bhfuil i geist méadú substaintiúil a dhéanamh ar an íocaíocht a fhaigheann teaghlaigh atá ag coinneáil scoláirí atá ag freastal ar na Meán Scoileanna ar na hoileáin len é a dhéanamh níos tarraingtí do tuilleadh teaghlaigh na scoláirí a choinneáil de bharr an tabhacht a bhaineann leis an scéim seo do inmharthanacht na nOileán; an bhfuil i bhfuil i gceist freisin an córas iocaíochta a leasú le go mbeidh réamh íocaíocht a dhéanamh le na teaghlaigh gach mí le costais a chlúdach; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [39293/23]
View answerTá maoiniú á chur ar fáil ag mo Roinn don scéim ÁRAINN Gaeltachta i gcomhair costais lóistín do 30 scoláire ón mórthír a dhéanann freastal ar na iarbhunscoileanna ar na hoileán Árainn don scoilbhliain iomlán. I 2019, ba ráta de €27 a bhí á íoc ag an Roinn in aghaidh an scoláire leis na teaghlaigh seo – ardaíodh é seo faoi dhó in 2022, go €30 i Márta 2022 agus go €33 i nDeireadh Fómhair 2022.
Tá leasú déanta ar córas íocaíochta na scéime seo ó tús na scoilbhliana 2023/24. Faoin socrú nua seo, beidh trí tráthchuid a n-íoc in aghaidh na scoilbhliana, in ionad íocaíocht chuile dhá mhí, mar a bhí á déanamh roimhe seo. Tá socaraithe go ndéanfar dhá réamhíocaíocht – ceann ag tús na scoilbhliana agus an dara ceann i mí Eanair - agus déanfar an fuílleach a íoc ag deireadh na scoilbhliana bunaithe ar éileamh íocaíochta a bheidh le seoladh ag an scoil chuig an Roinn.
Tá an chéad réamhíocaíocht de €2,200 in aghaidh an scoláire déanta ag an Roinn cheana féin le gach teaghlach atá ag cur lóistín ar fáil don scoilbhlian 2023/24.
Is ar bhonn phiolótach atá an socrú nua i bhfeidhm agus déanfar athbhreithniú air ag deireadh na scoilbhliana reatha.
810. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the estimated full-year cost of extending the basic income for artists to all those working in the arts who would be eligible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39414/23]
View answerThe Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot was a key priority for me as Minister with responsibility for arts and culture. Covid highlighted both the precarious nature of working in the arts and the importance of the arts for us all. The BIA is a support to help artists develop self-sustaining self-employed creative practices.
There are no current data providing exact measures for the number of people working in the arts. However, there were 8,209 eligible applications received for the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme. To pay each eligible applicant a weekly amount of €325 would cost approximately €139 million per year. To extend this beyond those who met the eligibility criteria would increase the cost further.
The BIA pilot is a research project consisting of a longitudinal study with six monthly surveys. Survey data will be compared against a baseline survey which took place before payments began to the cohort of 2,000 eligible applicants who were chosen at random. The ambition of the pilot is to assess the impact of providing the security of a basic income, on artists and creative arts workers and on their ability to increase their earnings from their creative practice as a self-employed artist/creative.
The scheme and research programme we are conducting will provide a significant evidence base to inform future Government policy in the arts and has the potential to change the landscape of the arts in Ireland and how we fund it.
811. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, in light of the judgment (details supplied), he will provide in tabular form a list of all the areas where the court found there had been a failure to designate them as special areas of conservation, SACs, also indicating if they have been designated since the EU Commission issued its reasoned opinion and on what date they were designated; a list of all the Irish SACs for where there are no site-specific conservation objectives and-or conservation measures; and to indicate where these have been provided subsequent to the reasoned opinion from the Commission; what date they were made; the timeframes envisaged where gaps still persist in respect of designation or provision of site-specific conservation objectives and conservation measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37190/23]
View answerThe judgement of the European court was delivered on 29 June 2023.
It is important to note that the findings of the Court relate to the position on 9 January 2019, and do not take account of actions taken since. Significant progress has been made by Ireland in the meantime, across all areas of the case.
The appointment by Government of a Minister of State for Heritage and the subsequent approval in May 2022 of the Government’s dedicated Action Plan for the NPWS has supported significant progress in recent years across all aspects of the case.
More than 92% of our SAC sites (406 sites) have now completed the full, formal designation process by statutory instrument, with the remainder progressing rapidly and on-schedule to be delivered within the next six months.
Site-specific conservation objectives (SSCOs) have been published in respect of all 423 sites in the case.
While there is undoubtedly more work to do on conservation measures, there are Activities Requiring Consent and/or Notifiable Actions in place for every site. These are protective measures to prevent damage, but additional proactive and restorative measures to return habitats and species to favourable condition for all sites will also be required. With the restructuring of the NPWS, a new functional structure has been in place for some 15 months now, including a committed Nature Conservation Directorate.
They are currently developing and rolling out a comprehensive Conservation Measures Programme that is linked to the Conservation Objectives and underpinned by incentives, supports and a collaborative approach. Conservation measures are specific to each site and can involve a wide range of actions – from invasive species removal, woodland management, bog restoration, etc – depending on the habitat and its condition. The overall aim of the programme is to restore and maintain the favourable conservation status of species and habitats across the entire Natura 2000 Network, in accordance with national and international obligations.
The table at the link below lists all sites mentioned in the Case with links to the statutory instruments and site specific conservation objectives for all sites along with the dates that they were published.
www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/SAC%20quick%20reference%20table(1).pdf
