Written Answers Nos. 270-280
270. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in light of the Gymnastics Ireland scandal and the promise from Sport Ireland to introduce anti-racism training in the NGBs; if she will can outline what percentage of the fund going to the twenty nine local sports partnerships will be ringfenced for this training; who will carry out the training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53204/23]
View answerIn May 2022 Sport Ireland published its Diversity and Inclusion Policy and developed an action plan to support the implementation of that policy. Included in that action plan is detailed support for building capacity in the sport sector, including training and education.
I have referred the Deputy’s question to Sport Ireland for direct reply with regard to the actions it is taking on anti-racism training for the sector. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
271. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status update on the provision of a water activity hub, in Carlow town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53210/23]
View answerThe National Sports Policy, which was published in 2018, 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 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.
I understand that it is the intention of Carlow County Council to apply for Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Funding for the proposed water activity hub in Carlow Town.
With regard to a possible new round of the LSSIF, Minister Martin and I are determined to see continued investment in sports facilities in order to ensure we achieve our ambitious targets for sports participation across the country. Accordingly, we will continue to engage with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the timing of the opening of a new round and the funding required to underpin such a round.
272. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of vacant WTE posts by job title that have yet to be filled at Coimisiún Na Meán, it tabular form. [53229/23]
View answerSection 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, as amended by the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, states that Coimisiún na Meán shall be independent in the performance of its functions. As such, the Minister has no role in the day-to-day operations of Coimisiún na Meán and the information sought by the Deputy is an operational matter for that body.
273. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the names of businesses that applied for a scheme (details supplied); how much has been allocated to each of the successful applicants in County Louth, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53247/23]
View answerI launched the Noise Mitigation Grant Scheme in July this year to support late night venue owners to take pro-active steps to implement noise mitigation measures to better control and reduce sound emissions from their premises, especially in those areas where it has the potential to impact on residents.
The scheme was developed in consultation with representatives from the Night-Time Economy sector, members of the Taskforce Implementation Group, the Association of Acoustic Consultants of Ireland, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The scheme is operating with a limited fund of €2 million and will fund 70% of the cost of the capital works carried out. Applicants are required to fund the remaining 30% of the works. A maximum allowable grant of €70,000 will be funded. Any costs exceeding this maximum amount will have to be met by the Grantee.
I am advised that we have received one application for Louth but this has yet to be processed. Therefore, no funds have been allocated to date.
Due to the high volume of applications received, the scheme was closed on the 28th November 2023 for new applications.
274. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she can confirm receipt of an application for grant-aid under the sports capital programme from a club (details supplied) in County Mayo; and when it is expected funding will be allocated to these applicants. [53274/23]
View answerThe latest round of the SCEP (2023) closed for applications on Friday 8 September 2023. A preliminary examination of the submitted applications demonstrates that the Programme has again generated a large number of applications, including one from the club referenced by the Deputy, and it is evident that the total number of applications will exceed the previous record of 3,106 applications submitted under the last (2020) round.
Work is now underway on finalising the "Scoring and Assessment Manual" for the 2023 round and I hope to have this published shortly. Simultaneously, I also plan to publish the full list of all applications received by county including the relevant sport type for each application received. Once these documents are published, the detailed assessment work can commence. In this regard, it is planned to assess the "equipment-only" applications first and announce these grants in the coming months. Work will then commence on assessing the capital applications with the allocations likely to be announced later in 2024.
275. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to provide the level of Exchequer funding received by Tourism Ireland in each of the years 2022 and 2023. [53293/23]
View answerTourism Ireland is funded through the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland. The level of exchequer funding received by Tourism Ireland in 2022 from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media amounted to €92,428,200. The amount allocated for 2023 is €82,751,500.
The breakdown of the total Exchequer provision for tourism services from my Department's vote is available in the annual Revised Estimates Volume (REV) for Public Services, which is published by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and is available on that Department's website.
276. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to provide the level of Exchequer funding received by Fáilte Ireland in each of the years 2022 and 2023. [53294/23]
View answerDetails of the annual funding allocation provided by my Department to Fáilte Ireland are available in the annual Revised Estimates Volume (REV) published by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and are available on that Department's website. The subheads of relevance to Fáilte Ireland are A3, A6, A5 (shared with Tourism Ireland) and A8. Further detail is available in the Agency Statement for Fáilte Ireland under Vote 33.
277. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her role in hosting major sporting events such as the European finals; what co-operation is engaged in with other agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53346/23]
View answer295. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which endeavours continue to be made to host international sporting events in this country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53869/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 295 together.
Ireland has consistently demonstrated ambition in terms of attracting to the country large scale sports events that can make a positive return under a range of headings including in terms of the economy and tourism, wider participation in sport, and general wellbeing. This is evidenced by the Government’s decisions to support events, including:
• The US College Football Classic series from 2022 – 2026
• The UEFA Europa League football final in 2024
• The Ryder Cup in 2027 in Limerick
• Co-hosting of the UEFA Euro 2028 football championship with the UK
• Proposed co-hosting of the 2030 T20 Cricket World Cup with the UK
My Department's key roles in this regard is to:
(a) develop a policy and a strategy for bidding and hosting Major Sports Events and an assessment model for State financial support, and
(b) manage and coordinate State support for bids for and the subsequent hosting of Major Sports Events and to protect and promote the State’s interests in the delivery of events.
In so doing the Department assesses the economic, sporting and social case for supporting a bid to host a Major Sport Event. Where a positive case exists, Minister Martin and I will seek Government approval to bids for Major Sports Events by sporting organisations, in particular in relation to the provision of necessary Government guarantees and the provision of specific public services. The Department will then co-ordinate Government support in the hosting and delivery of events, as appropriate, with particular regard again to Government guarantees and the provision of public services.
To that end, officials in the Department engage closely with a range of bodies including National Governing Bodies of Sport, local authorities, An Garda Síochána, other Government Departments and agencies in evaluating and delivering major sports events.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, a Major International Sports Events Policy is currently being developed by my Department. The aim is to establish whether and how Government should support major international sports events, the benefits it should seek to derive from such events, the supports it could offer and the kind of events it should prioritise for support. This will provide the basis for a strategy to support and attract major international sports events and an assessment model based on the identified priorities. Mechanisms and channels to support events will also be developed.
Focused consultations with key stakeholders have been held and a public consultation has been completed. Research, including consideration of the policies and strategies in place in other countries, has been undertaken.
My Department has prepared a high level policy paper which is currently the subject of consultation with other Government Departments. It is intended thereafter to submit the policy to Government in the coming period.
278. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has provided financial support for the staging of any major sporting events over the past ten years; to list in tabular form, each event, the amount allocated, for what measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53347/23]
View answerIn addition to the regular major sports events organised by the various National Governing Bodies of Sport, Govenment input has played a role in the hosting of major sporting events of varying sizes across many sports since the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 1998.
These events have included events with a strong focus on tourism such as the US College Classic American football games which attract tens of thousands of visitors from the US and beyond, high performance sports events that give Irish athletes a chance to compete at the top level on home soil and develop their potential such as the 2021 European Cross Country Championships and larger events with a wider impact that require more significant State support that goes beyond sport and tourism such as the Special Olympics in 2003 and the Ryder Cup in 2006.
These events were supported and delivered through a number of different agencies, Government Departments, Local Authorities, National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs), State Agencies and other bodies. Support has included direct funding and assistance with issues such as policing and transport.
In addition to direct support from Government, Fáilte Ireland and Sport Ireland, two agencies that come under my Department's remit, have supported a range of major international sports events. With regard to specific expenditure by Fáilte Ireland or Sport Ireland on such events, these are operational matters for Fáilte Ireland, as the National Tourism Development Authority, and Sport Ireland, as the National Sport Development Authority. Neither I, nor my Department, has any role in decisions by the Authority regarding its operational funding priorities and related expenditure.
A centrally coordinated government approach to the hosting of major events was formalised with the establishment in 2019 of a dedicated Major Events Division in the Department. The establishment of this Division built on the experience of both the bids and hosting preparations for major events such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017, EURO 2020 and Ryder Cup 2027 and the bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The Division has responsibility for the co-ordination of Government support and input into bids for major sports events and the delivery of support for the delivery and hosting of major events.
The Programme for Government provides for the development of a strategy to identify the type of major sporting events that we can and should bid for, and how these events can be used to increase sporting participation, encourage domestic and international tourism, and promote Ireland. Officials in the Department are currently developing proposals for a Major Sports Events policy and strategy. Minister Martin and I intend to publish the policy in 2024.
In terms of the funding that has been allocated to such major sporting events since my Department was established in its current configuration in 2020, the details of the funding and its purpose are set out below in tabular format.
|
Years |
Project |
Amount in Euro |
Purpose of funding |
|
2020-2023 |
Ryder Cup 2027 |
€19,147,407 |
Hosting fees, Support for PGA European Tour events in Ireland, Marketing fees |
|
2023 |
Euro 2028 |
€262,961 |
Budget Assurance Report, 50% of Bid costs to date for the Irish portion of the overall bid |
279. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to provide urgent consideration to an issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53365/23]
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. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas.
I fully recognise the increasing pressures that our sporting organisations are under. Under Budget 2024, this Government has announced an overall budget allocation of €183.3 million for sport. That is an increase of €8 million compared to this year.
Recognition of the increasing pressures sports clubs face was also reflected in the significant additional grants allocated under the last round of the SCEP. Under that round alone, €166.6 million was allocated – the highest level of funding for any single round of the Programme.
With regard to future allocations, the latest round of the SCEP (2023) closed for applications on Friday 8 September. A preliminary examination of the submitted applications demonstrates that the Programme has again generated a large number of applications and it is evident that the total number will exceed the previous record of 3,106 applications submitted under the last (2020) round.
Work is now underway on finalising the "Scoring System and Assessment Manual" for the 2023 round and I hope to have this published shortly. Simultaneously, I also plan to publish the full list of all applications received by county including the relevant sport type for each application received. Once these documents are published, the detailed assessment work can commence. In this regard, it is planned to assess the "equipment-only" applications first and announce these grants in the coming months. Work will then commence on assessing the capital applications with the allocations likely to be announced later in 2024.
In relation to the management of existing grants and the processing of payment requests, the Department will continue to facilitate the payments of grant claims up to year-end.
280. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if funding is to be provided by her Department for co-operation with the Northern Ireland funding scheme for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53520/23]
View answerI am conscious of the importance and the need for cross-border cooperation and how funding projects of this nature celebrate the artistic, cultural, musical heritage of the Island of Ireland on a North/South basis. I recognise also, the challenges involved in arranging projects shared, which often involve significant financial outlay and a great deal of voluntary contribution. In that regard, my Department runs the Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme. Funding available under this scheme was capped at €15,000. Full details of this scheme are available on my Departments website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/071b7-co-operation-with-northern-ireland/.
The Scheme is designed to support small self-contained projects which seek to enhance, celebrate or commemorate the artistic, cultural, musical, film or heritage of the Island of Ireland on a North/South basis. Projects funded under the Scheme must have a clearly demonstrable North/South Element and should meet a specific cultural need. Projects should be creative and innovative, and examples of projects which could be considered for funding under the scheme include, but are not limited to, projects which:
1. Promote co-operation and joint initiatives between organisations and institutions on a North/South basis;
2. Promote cultural tourism on a North/South basis;
3. Promote the provision of cultural outreach programmes on a North/South basis.
The 2023 Co-operation with the Northern Ireland Scheme was open for applications on the Department’s website until the 9th June. Under this scheme in 2023 I approved allocations amounting to €187,015 to support 16 cultural projects with significant cross-border elements. The successful applications are in final stage of payment. In 2022, I allocated over €169,233 to 15 projects across the country which was an increase on the previous year's funding.
It is currently envisaged that my Department will run the Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme again in 2024 and I plan to launch this in the first quarter of the year. In this context, it may be useful to monitor my Departments website and apply upon the announcement of the scheme. This scheme is subject to a competitive assessment process.
