Peter Burke
Question:296. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the status of school transport for a school pupil (details supplied). [41630/23]
View answerSchool Transport
Questions (296)
Written answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the beginning of the 2022/2023 school year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The Post Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of children who reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary education centre/school. While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the post-primary school of their choice, eligibility for school transport at post primary level is to the nearest education centre/school, subject to limited exceptions.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.
Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
The family to whom the Deputy refers are not eligible for transport as they are attending their 4th nearest Post Primary Centre.
An application and payment was received on time for this family for the 2023/24 school year however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat for the 2023/24 school year and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
School Transport
Questions (297)
Peter Burke
Question:297. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the status of school transport for a school pupil (details supplied). [41631/23]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The Post Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of children who reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary education centre/school.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
The family in question are not eligible for transport as they are attending their 2nd nearest Post primary Centre and they reside 4.2 km from home to their nearest school.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that an application and payment was received on time for this family for the 2023/24 school year however this family was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
School Transport
Questions (298)
Peter Burke
Question:298. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the status of school transport for a school pupil (details supplied). [41632/23]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The Post Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of children who reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary education centre/school. While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the post-primary school of their choice, eligibility for school transport at post primary level is to the nearest education centre/school, subject to limited exceptions.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.
Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
The family to whom the Deputy refers are not eligible for transport as they are attending their 4th nearest Post Primary Centre.
An application and payment was received on time for this family for the 2023/24 school year however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat for the 2023/24 school year and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
School Transport
Questions (299)
Peter Burke
Question:299. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the status of school transport for a school pupil (details supplied). [41633/23]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.
In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of children who reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the post-primary school of their choice, eligibility for school transport at primary level is to the nearest school, subject to limited exceptions.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.
Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
The family to whom the Deputy refers are not eligible for transport as they are attending their 7th nearest Primary School.
An application and payment was received on time for this family for the 2023/24 school year however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat for the 2023/24 school year and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
School Transport
Questions (300)
Peter Burke
Question:300. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the status of school transport for a school pupil (details supplied). [41634/23]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
There was an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and an increase of 38% in tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The Post Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of children who reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary education centre/school. While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the post-primary school of their choice, eligibility for school transport at post primary level is to the nearest education centre/school, subject to limited exceptions.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.
Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
The family to whom the Deputy refers are not eligible for transport as they are attending their 4th nearest Post Primary Centre.
An application and payment was received on time for this family for the 2023/24 school year however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat for the 2023/24 school year and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
School Staff
Questions (301)
Robert Troy
Question:301. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the recruitment of a NEPS psychologist to service schools in Westmeath; if she is aware that multiple schools in south Westmeath have been informed that they will not have access to a NEPS psychologist for the foreseeable future; and if she agrees that this will have a hugely adverse impact on the possible supports and educational progression of many students in the area. [41649/23]
View answerWritten answers
My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
• Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
• A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
• A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
• Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
Where a school does not an assigned psychologist due to a vacancy, a psychologist from the local NEPS team undertakes the role of advisory psychologist to respond to queries that the school may have. The schools continue to have access to support and development work delivered by the local team, critical incident response, advisory support and pupil casework via the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
Officials in my Department have been examining the matter of how NEPS can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country.
Since January of this year, NEPS is supporting bursaries for students who are enrolled in the University College Dublin (UCD) Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology and the Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick’s Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology for Trainee Educational Psychologists. Those in receipt of a bursary commit to joining NEPS upon graduation. As of September 2023 there are 62 Trainee Educational Psychologists in receipt of a bursary from NEPS who are expected will fill a vacancy in NEPS upon graduation, over the next three years.
The Department is also engaging at a Cross-Departmental Level on workforce planning for psychologists in general in Ireland. This work is being coordinated by the Department of Health.
The Public Appointments Service (PAS) commenced a recruitment campaign for Educational Psychologists for NEPS earlier this year. Interviews have taken place, and panels of psychologists have been created. My Department is actively engaging with PAS to maximise the numbers of psychologists being recruited.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (302)
Steven Matthews
Question:302. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the position regarding a permanent school building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41659/23]
View answerWritten answers
The project to which the Deputy refers is devolved for delivery to the school authority. The project is to provide an extension to the existing school, the demolition of a section of the building and the refurbishment of some of the existing buildings.In April 2023, my Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief in the context of a significant increase in projected new enrolments in the area. This allowed for a project to cater for a 1,000 pupil school plus 6 special education needs classes. The school's design team will therefore submit revised plans to incorporate the increase in advance of the school authority seeking the necessary planning approval. My Department is engaged with the school authority and expects to receive the new design submission shortly.
School Facilities
Questions (303)
Steven Matthews
Question:303. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the temporary accommodation for a school (details supplied) that had been due to be in place in advance of the return to school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41660/23]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers was approved for the provision of 6 mainstream classrooms under my Department's Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.
The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme and devolved for delivery to the School Authority. This programme provides project management supports to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and helps to ease the administrative workload for individual schools in relation to the management and delivery of the project. The project manager has sourced appropriate modular units and is currently arranging for their delivery and the required preparation of site works for same. The School Authority, has recently been advised that onsite works have already commenced and are ongoing. While the scheduled project completion date is February 2024, the Department and project manager are working to expedite the work and the PM will update the School Authority on progress in this regard.
Disability Services
Questions (304)
Imelda Munster
Question:304. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to detail the funding streams an organisation (details supplied) can apply to for a mobile wheelchair pool hoist, which costs approximately €12,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41662/23]
View answerWritten answers
In terms of my Department's responsibilities, the 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 grants have been allocated to the Irish Wheelchair Association under previous rounds of the programme. An application for the type of equipment in question would be eligible for funding under the programme.
The latest round of the SCEP closed for applications on Friday 8th September. A preliminary examination of the submitted applications is now underway and 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.
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. Once all allocations are finalised, an announcement will be made in relation to the next call for proposals under the programme.
Departmental Funding
Questions (305)
Paul Kehoe
Question:305. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there are any plans for a disability sport-focused club fund, similar to the funding launched in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40995/23]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that, building on last year's Disability Club Scheme, funding of up to €2 million is again being made available this year to Sport Ireland-recognised National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) specifically to initiate, advance or accelerate local disability initiatives within their Club Networks and Affiliates.
Sport Ireland has recently issued an invitation to all NGBs to submit funding applications by 6 October 2023. It is a great opportunity for sports clubs throughout the country to improve their sport offering for people with a disability and I encourage them to make immediate contact with their parent NGB with a view to putting together proposals and initiatives to avail of this important funding opportunity.
Departmental Funding
Questions (306)
Thomas Gould
Question:306. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media whether she is aware of an Irish-grown app (details supplied); and whether funding is available to increase the availability of the project. [40998/23]
View answerWritten answers
My 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.
Whether Fáilte Ireland could provide support to the product in question is an operational matter for it as the National Tourism Development Authority. Neither I, nor my Department, has any role in decisions by the Authority regarding its operational funding priorities and related expenditure.
Accordingly, I have referred this question to Fáilte Ireland for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
Sports Funding
Questions (307)
Peter Burke
Question:307. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the review of the large-scale sport infrastructure fund will be completed; when the scheme will be open for new applications; what the budget for the scheme is for 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41076/23]
View answerWritten answers
The 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 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.
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 that were allocated grants and meetings with all grantees have taken place. It is encouraging that, based on these discussions with grantees, the majority of them should be in a position to draw down funding in the coming months. While this progress is very welcome, these discussions also confirm that some projects in receipt of LSSIF grants may not proceed in the short to medium term.
Following recent engagement with the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, and in recognition of the challenges faced by some grantees, officials in my Department wrote to all LSSIF grantees inviting them to apply for additional support by 4 August 2023. To be considered for additional funding, grantees were advised that the key elements of the project should remain as set out in the original LSSIF application and that priority will be given to applicants who provide evidence-based documentation to support their application. I hope to be in a position to announce further allocations in the coming weeks with a view to ensuring that all LSSIF projects still proceeding can be completed.
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.
The LSSIF budget available for 2023 amounts to €14.6 million.
Sports Funding
Questions (308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:308. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason that tens of thousands of children in Ireland are denied access to State funding in the practice of taekwondo due to the exclusive and exclusionary practices of organisations (details supplied). [41110/23]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:309. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason that Sports Ireland has allowed organisations (details supplied) to develop exclusionary practises that exclude taekwon-do practitioners in clubs all over the country from accessing supports from Sports Ireland that they should be entitled to. [41111/23]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:310. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the issues that arose in a report (details supplied) on the audit of Covid and capital grants to IMAC have been remediated to the satisfaction of Sport Ireland (specifically the IMAC procurement process and related party terms that were highlighted in the audit report). [41112/23]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:311. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason that the Sports Ireland NGB model for non-Olympic martial arts has taken a more severe exclusionary approach in the taekwondo area, allowing only one association to join in its entirety, whereas the UK model for taekwondo is much more inclusive and has several groups. [41113/23]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:312. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason that the Irish Martial Arts Commission taekwondo NGB model approach is so different to the IMAC Karate NGB model, which is more inclusive with a membership of multiple different types and styles of karate. [41114/23]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:313. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason that Sport Ireland has not taken a more proactive role in supervising governance and oversight in an organisation (details supplied) that has allowed a situation to develop such that 100+ taekwondo clubs spread throughout the country do not have access to Government grants and other supports for their adult, youth, and child members. [41115/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 308, 309, 310, 311, 312 and 313 together.
Sport Ireland is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. This includes the allocation of funding to National Governing Bodies of Sport, including the Irish Martial Arts Commission. Sport Ireland also has responsibility for the governance oversight of the National Governing Bodies of Sport.
I have referred the Deputy's Question to Sport Ireland for direct reply to the Deputy with regard to the matters raised. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51
Question No. 309 answered with Question No. 308.
Question No. 310 answered with Question No. 308.
Question No. 311 answered with Question No. 308.
Question No. 312 answered with Question No. 308.
Question No. 313 answered with Question No. 308.
Údarás na Gaeltachta
Questions (314)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:314. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the cost of increasing the funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta by 10%, 20% and 50%, in tabular form. [41273/23]
View answerWritten answers
Údarás na Gaeltachta's existing level of funding and the cost of increasing same by 10%, 20% and 50% is outlined in the following table:
|
Capital (C8) |
€14.454m |
|
Current Expenditure (C7) |
€6.750m |
|
Administration (C6) |
€14.199m |
|
Overall Provision for 2023 |
€35,403,000 |
|
Increasing funding by 10% |
€3,540,300 |
|
Increasing funding by 20% |
€7,080,600 |
|
Increasing Funding by 50% |
€17,701,500 |
Tourism Industry
Questions (315)
Alan Dillon
Question:315. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will consider implementing a business support scheme for the tourism and hospitality businesses that have been negatively impacted with reduced footfall and tourist visits due to the State's over-reliance on tourist accommodation in popular destinations in response to the emergency need to cater for Ukrainians and international protection applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41390/23]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
At a meeting of the Hospitality and Tourism Forum in June 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 also 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.
Recently, Fáilte Ireland undertook further research to look at the impact of stock displacement on tourist attraction and activity providers. The overall findings of the survey are that most attractions, experiences and activity providers experienced a drop in business volume compared to 2019 across all markets. The research indicates that competition from overseas destinations is an issue for businesses, especially when trying to attract Irish holiday makers who are able to travel abroad again. The reduced availability of accommodation is also seen as a contributor to the decline, especially in the overseas market. Other key contributors cited included less disposable income.
I will be chairing a meeting of the Hospitality and Tourism Forum on 27 September which will provide a further opportunity for industry representatives to provide evidence on the impacts of stock displacement within the tourism sector and I will also be engaging in meetings with Government colleagues in the coming weeks to discuss Budget 2024, where I will also be raising industry concerns on this and other matters.
Regulatory and Poverty Impact Assessments
Questions (316)
Catherine Connolly
Question:316. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of Bills prepared by her Department in the 33rd Dáil to date; the number and title of those Bills that included a Regulatory Impact Assessment; the title of the RIAs published by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41599/23]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has prepared three Bills in the period specified by the Deputy, which were as follows:
Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022
This Bill included a Regulatory Impact Assessment entitled Regulatory Impact Analysis: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, November 2020 which is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/d8e4c-online-safety-and-media-regulation-bill/
This Bill was passed by the Oireachtas and subsequently signed into law on 10 December 2022 as the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022.
National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) (Amendment) Bill 2022
As this was a technical Bill a Regulatory Impact Assessment was not carried out. This bill was passed by the Oireachtas and subsequently signed into law on 6 February 2023.
National Tourism Development (Amendment) Bill 2022
As this was a technical Bill a Regulatory Impact Assessment was not carried out. This bill was passed by the Oireachtas and subsequently signed into law on 21 December 2022.