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SELECT COMMITTEE ON ARTS, SPORT, TOURISM, COMMUNITY, RURAL AND GAELTACHT AFFAIRS díospóireacht -
Thursday, 24 Jun 2010

Estimates for Public Services 2010

Vote 33 — National Gallery (Revised)
Vote 35 — Tourism, Culture and Sport (Revised)
Annual Output Statement 2010

Apologies have been received from Deputy Michael Kitt. The meeting has been convened to allow Vote 33 — National Gallery (Revised), Vote 35 — Tourism, Culture and Sport (Revised ) and the 2010 Annual Output Statement for the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

I welcome the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Hanafin. I wish you the very best in your new ministry. You have already hit the ground running. I also welcome the officials from the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mr. Con Haugh, Mr. Paul Bates, Mr. Donagh Morgan, Mr. Niall Ó Donnchú and Mr. John Kelly.

As part of the budgetary process of reform, initiated by the Minister for Finance in his 2006 budget speech, each Department must now publish an output statement for consideration by Oireachtas committees. In line with that reformed budgetary process, an output statement has been provided and has been circulated to committee members, along with a briefing. This is a very important initiative and is intended to facilitate better parliamentary involvement in the budget and Estimates processes. In his correspondence, the Minister for Finance requested that the Estimates debates should have a particular focus on the outputs to be achieved for the moneys being voted.

I propose that we begin with an opening statement from the Minister, followed by opening statements from each of the Opposition spokespersons, Deputy Mitchell for Fine Gael and Deputy Upton for the Labour Party. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Thank you, Chairman, for your good wishes.

I am very pleased to present the 2010 Estimate for my ministerial Vote group and to have this opportunity to meet the committee to discuss the Estimates for my Department and the National Gallery and related issues.

While not formally part of the Estimates, output statements are an element of the budget and Estimates reform measures announced by the Minister for Finance in the 2006 budget. The output statement is designed to match the key outputs of the main programmes to the financial and staffing resources allocated to them for each year. It shows the output targets which were set out for 2009 at the beginning of that year and how we performed against those targets. It also contains output targets for 2010.

I have responsibility for the Votes of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the National Gallery of Ireland. The total allocation to the Vote group in 2010 is almost €479 million. My remit covers a very wide area including tourism, arts, culture, film and sport. I will confine my comments to a relatively limited number of elements of that extensive brief for which provision has been made in the 2010 Estimates.

On the tourism side of my Department, there is provision in 2010 for expenditure of more than €153 million on tourism services across a diverse range of activities. I am pleased to have taken over responsibility for the tourism sector, given its economic importance, contribution to employment and undoubted potential to contribute to Ireland's economic revival. I have been particularly struck by the scale and reach of what is one of our largest indigenous industries and one of our most important economic sectors, representing almost 4% of GNP and generating foreign revenue earnings of €4 billion and annual tax receipts of approximately €1.3 billion in 2009. While 2010 continues to be a challenging year in respect of overseas visitors, I am heartened that the most recent Fáilte Ireland visitor attitude survey shows that 95% of overseas visitors stated that their holiday either matched or exceeded their expectations. I understand too that there is great latent potential in our key source markets in terms of a positive wish to visit Ireland, which we will work hard to convert into actual visits.

Tourism worldwide has been deeply affected by global economic difficulties and loss of consumer confidence, with Ireland particularly hit by exchange rate challenges. In addition, exceptional weather conditions in the first two months of this year affected Ireland and most of our overseas markets and then we experienced problems arising from the volcanic ash issue in April and May. Despite these difficulties, it is important to remember that millions of people across the world still will take holidays this year and the industry and the tourism agencies are fighting hard for every bit of this business. I have met the key tourism industry groups and the key tourism agencies to get their assessment of current issues facing the sector. We already have in place a strong policy framework that has been developed in partnership with the industry and which we are pursuing energetically. One of my objectives is to bring a fresh approach and renewed vigour to our marketing efforts, both at home and abroad in order to increase visitor numbers. I spent one day on a promotional visit to Frankfurt, Germany, and intend going to London and New York in the coming weeks for a series of engagements with key players in the travel trade and travel media, as well as meeting Tourism Ireland staff. I also will launch the on-line 1901 census returns in the important roots tourism markets of the United States and the United Kingdom. I am convinced that we have an outstanding product and experience here that stands up to best international standards.

On 6 May, I launched a €20 million summer marketing campaign on behalf of Tourism Ireland. This initiative builds on Tourism Ireland's marketing effort earlier in the year and is designed to win as much business as possible for the peak season. This unprecedented drive in key markets in Great Britain, the United States, Germany and France aims to create the conditions for recovery later this year. The new marketing drive was developed in conjunction with hundreds of tourism industry partners, including the air and sea carriers, which have got behind the campaign with a range of value-for-money offers. The tourism agencies are taking every opportunity to remind potential visitors that Ireland is accessible and open for business and there is exceptionally good value when one gets here.

Members are aware of the challenges caused in recent months by volcanic ash. For my part, I met representatives of tourism industry groups, as well as tourism agencies, to discuss responses to the challenges. Subsequently, I announced that Fáilte Ireland would work with the industry to draw up a customer care charter addressing issues such as cancellations, pricing, information, and quality of services for all tourists affected by delayed travel plans due to volcanic ash. The charter has been issued by Fáilte Ireland to all accommodation providers on their database. Fortunately, since the initial widespread disruption, improved knowledge has avoided prolonged closures of controlled airspace and carriers, engine manufacturers and regulators all are engaged in constant refinement of their approaches as they gain more knowledge. Most recently, the volcano has ceased significant emissions but at least we know we would be far better prepared in the event of any future recurrence.

I now will turn to sport, for which a provision of almost €118 million has been made in this year's Estimates. This amount includes funding for payment of grants under the sports capital programme and the local authority swimming pools programme, as well as funding for the Irish Sports Council, the national sport campus and the final stage of funding for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road. A small amount also is provided for the final payment of grants to support sport in disadvantaged areas under the dormant accounts funding. The year 2010 is shaping up to be another good year for Irish sport with many thrilling moments and some wonderful successes already achieved. Most recently, there once again has been a remarkable achievement on the part of our amateur boxers, who won five medals in the European Senior Boxing Championships in Moscow. I am sure many more such achievements are yet to come this year and I must mention Graeme McDowell's victory in the US Open in this regard.

One of the highlights of the year thus far for many sport fans was the completion of the new Aviva Stadium at Lansdowne Road, which was officially opened on 14 May. The first sporting event will take place there at the end of July and I am sure that fans are eagerly awaiting their chance to experience this magnificent venue. It is a world-class stadium, as well as an architectural landmark for the city, and a source of pride for the people of Dublin. The decision last year by UEFA to award the hosting of the 2011 Europa League Final to Dublin is a clear recognition by that body of the potential of this new state-of-the-art venue and provides an early return for the Government's commitment to investment in sporting infrastructure. In speaking about the year's highlights, I wish to recognise the contribution to sport made by the late Dermot Earley, who was a tremendous sportsman. He is a great loss both on the field and in his role as Chief of Staff of the Army and I wish to extend sincere sympathy to all his family.

The huge social and economic benefits of sport are acknowledged by the Government and this is reflected in the level of funding invested in sport in recent years. The sports capital programme is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme has been a huge success with the allocation of more than €730 million to more than 7,400 projects since 1998. It would be no exaggeration to state the programme has been of benefit to communities the length and breadth of the country and has transformed the sporting facility landscape. While no decision has been taken on the timing of the next round of the programme, there is an allocation of €48 million in the subhead for this year, which will cover payments still to be drawn down for grants awarded in previous years. Approximately 1,000 payments will be made to projects being undertaken this year across the country. Other sports projects also are continuing, including the current round of the local authority swimming pools programme. Five swimming pools were completed and opened in 2009 and one further new pool is expected to open in 2010. Two more pools are expected to start construction before the end of the year.

The Irish Sports Council is the statutory body responsible for encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and for increasing participation in recreational sport. It has received more than €366 million in funding since it was established in July 1999 and its allocation for 2010 is almost €50 million. Since its establishment in 1999, the Irish Sports Council has been central to developing sporting ability leading to high performance, while at the same time driving participation levels in conjunction with the national governing bodies, the local sports partnerships, the Institute of Sport, Coaching Ireland and the Olympic and Paralympic Councils.

I will now turn to the arts and culture subheads. This year, more than €163 million has been allocated to the arts and culture subheads, including the National Gallery. The arts and culture sectors are vibrant and vital sectors of our economy; the wellspring of many of our creative and innovative enterprises. These sectors are primary economic contributors, real businesses, enduring employers and differentiators of Ireland as a cultural and tourist destination.

Arts and culture continue to be a uniquely powerful door-opener for Ireland internationally, especially in the United States. Following the Global Economic Forum in Farmleigh last year, there has been a special focus at Government level to maximise the opportunities presented by the success of Ireland's artists to use culture as a calling card for Ireland and Irish business. In that context, in March 2010 the Taoiseach appointed actor Gabriel Byrne as a cultural ambassador for Ireland. The position of cultural ambassador is a new one and it is an official means of enhancing the involvement and impact of an internationally renowned artistic figure in the cultural promotion of Ireland abroad. The role involves assisting in promotion, advocacy and providing advice on cultural matters to the Government. It also is a recognition of the important role that arts, culture and film have to play in reinforcing Ireland's position on the international stage. Culture Ireland is working closely with Gabriel Byrne in promoting Irish arts and culture in the United States and, in particular, in planning a major year-long programme of Irish arts, which will take place in the United States in 2011. This year, Culture Ireland has organised a strategic programme of cultural collaborations between Irish and Chinese artists and institutions to mark the Shanghai World Expo. The projects range across music, dance, theatre, film, literature and visual art and are designed to strengthen Ireland's longer-term cultural positioning in China.

Our national cultural institutions continue to attract large numbers of visitors and are an important component of Ireland's tourism product. In 2009, more than 3 million people visited cultural institutions funded by my Department. The National Gallery is in the top 25 galleries in Europe and visitor numbers to the National Museum surpass those of many illustrious contemporary museums in Europe and the USA. I am glad to note that visitor numbers to our cultural institutions are continuing to grow this year. In the month after its re-opening, the Natural History Museum had more than 23,000 visitors.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of launching the 1901 census website. The digitisation of the 1901 and 1911 censuses is one of many projects funded through subhead D4 of the Department's Vote. More than 4.5 million individual records from the returns made by 850,000 households on census night in 1901 are now available free of charge for everyone across the world to access. The project has proven a hit with the public and, with 732,000 visits and 64 million hits to the 1901 census since its launch on 3 June, has surpassed all anticipated reaction. This is even before its official launch in the United States of America next week. The census records represent a valuable part of Irish national heritage and are a wonderful resource for genealogists, historians and other scholars.

Supporting cultural development projects is primarily done from subhead D5, which has an allocation of €16 million in 2010. This level of funding will allow for the completion of more projects under the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme, ACCESS. Under this scheme, grants totalling more than €85 million have been awarded for the development of 120 arts and cultural infrastructure projects. These include integrated arts centres, theatres, museums and galleries as well as arts studios and other creative and performance spaces. The ACCESS programme has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in the provision of quality cultural spaces throughout the regions. In 2010, ACCESS projects already completed or nearing completion include the Model Arts Centre in Sligo, the Belltable in Limerick, the Solas cinema in Galway and the Wexford Arts Centre. Work on the next phase of Smock Alley will commence this year. In addition, other projects that have received capital funding in the recent past are the Gaiety Theatre, the Gate Theatre, the Abbey Theatre, the Wexford Opera House, the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Druid, the Lighthouse cinema, the Carlow Contemporary Art Gallery, the Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon and the Theatre Royal in Waterford.

I now wish to discuss subhead D10 on the Irish Film Board, IFB, for which more than €19 million has been provided this year. Once again, I congratulate Mr. Richard Baneham on winning the Academy award for best visual effects for his work on "Avatar". Congratulations should also go to the other four Irish nominations for Academy awards. These were wonderful achievements against the might of the large studios and it is something in which all of the Irish audiovisual industry can take great pride.

Primary responsibility for the support, promotion of and investment in film making rests with the IFB and it is worth pointing out that three of the recent nominations for Academy awards were for projects funded by the IFB. To forge a strategy for the ongoing development of the audiovisual industry, an audiovisual content strategy group was established last year. It will assist in providing a clear vision for the future of the industry and a response to market changes. Following the receipt of the framework report, which I expect to be completed soon, I will bring the recommendations to Government to ensure the audiovisual industry has the required supports and opportunities to develop to its full potential. The size of the industry can double in the next ten years and there are some exciting projects in prospect.

Attracting international productions to Ireland and ensuring the necessary supports are in place play an important part of the role of the IFB. In this regard, it is pleasing that "Camelot", a new ten-part drama series, will be filming in Ireland this summer. This is welcome news and will build on the success of "The Tudors", which was filmed here in recent years. It is once again testament to the excellent talent available in Ireland, both in front of and behind the camera. On a different level, I am pleased to note that the award winning and charming home grown production, "His and Hers", which was supported by the IFB, was released nationwide on 18 June. This is the balance that the IFB is trying to achieve — supporting talented indigenous film makers as well as attracting international productions like "Camelot".

My Vote group also includes Vote 33 — the National Gallery. Of the €10.4 million provided in 2010, more than €8 million is to meet general administration costs. Most of the balance is to fund acquisitions and conservation activity by the gallery. The gallery will mount two major exhibitions this year, "Acquisitions 2000-2010" and "Metsu". The latter exhibition will then travel to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the National Gallery of Art in Washington. The National Gallery had more than 780,000 visitors in 2009 and, up to the end of April, has had more than 250,000 visitors this year. This is another jewel in the cultural tourism mix and continued investment in it is imperative.

The programmes I have mentioned comprise only a few of the many funded by my Department and the organisations under its aegis. I hope this gives a flavour of the range of projects and activities for which I am responsible. I commend the Estimates to the committee and shall be happy to provide additional information or clarifications to members during the course of our discussion.

I thank the Minister for a comprehensive overview of her area of responsibility. It shows her enthusiasm for this position and I wish her well.

Before calling on Deputy Mitchell, I echo the Minister's words of respect concerning Dermot Earley. He was one of our great sporting heroes from his playing days for County Roscommon, having won an all-star award a number of times. The Minister and I served as Ministers of State at the Department of Defence and, like her, I had many interactions with Dermot in his work with the Army. He seemed like a great leader and professional and had a distinguished career, not just in sport but in the Army. In all my dealings with him, I found him to be a tremendous professional and a gentleman. I wish to echo the Minister's words of respect. It is appropriate that, as Chairman of this committee, I convey my sympathies to his nearest and dearest.

I wish to be associated with those words. I welcome the Minister on what I believe is her first visit to the committee and I wish her well. She will be an energetic Minister and we will all be put to the pin of our collars keeping up with her. As I have often stated, this area is underrated and probably undervalued, so it needs a Minister with energy if it is to be put out there.

I do not have an output statement or any kind of statement, only a stream of consciousness. I read the documents, so I will go through the various questions that arose. We have been discussing the tourism budget this week and will discuss it again this evening during Question Time. It is good that much money is being spent on tourism. In a falling market, we must keep spending on marketing. However, that we are spending so much and still seem to be going in the wrong direction is worrying, given the small recovery under way in other countries. Are the policies being pursued by the Department being negated by policies or a lack thereof in other areas? By this, I mean the travel tax, the airport tax, visas and the taxes on wine, the last of which is increasing the cost of food and drink. The money spent on rebranding Ireland does not seem to have provided us with the results for which we were hoping.

I have just read the output statement in respect of tourism. I always find that output statements should get the Booker Prize for fiction. It is not intentional, but I have noted that, if targets are not met in one year, they are dropped for the next year. Reading it logically in any way is difficult. The Minister's Department is not the only one that deals with output statements in this way. Last year, the aim was to have a drop of only 9%, but the actual drop was 11.6%. This year, we are hoping for an increase of 3%. So far, we have had a drop of 23%. The Minister stated that we had bad weather in January, but we always have bad weather in the winter. It is worrying that we are not getting results for the money we are investing. I wonder whether we need to take a hard look at what we are doing. It may not be within the Minister's remit, but she should have an opinion on what needs to be done in this respect.

The budget for product development has increased significantly. The Minister announced some projects during the week. Will all of this large budget be spent? There is a lack of funding in the private sector, but does any project need its backing? It seems to be missing. Are there assurances that the money will be spent? This morning, I listened to how the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan's budget for insulation, which was supposed to be a large part of this year's capital spend, is not being spent. For some reason, it is not being taken up or sold in the way it should be. Money set aside for capital spending should be spent within the year.

The conference centre is to open this year. I went to have a look at it. It is a great building and will be of great benefit to us. Out of whose budget does it come when payments start being made? If the OPW is responsible, perhaps the budget comes under the remit of the Department of Finance.

The Minister made a Freudian slip concerning sports. Is the figure on page 12 correct? It seems high but perhaps it includes the horse and greyhound fund.

The horse and greyhound fund has been transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

The horse and greyhound fund is included in that figure.

How many years will it take to pay off the overhang of commitments? There is a considerable amount of money there. Until that is done, there will not be a new scheme. With regard to swimming pools, I make the same comment, given that there has not been a scheme for over ten years. Swimming pools are a good investment in this country. People of all ages can partake in the sport and they can do it indoors. I would like to see the programme reinstated. I will not comment on the number of GAA pitches but we could do with a few swimming pools. In my constituency, the swimming pool I share with the Minister, Glenalbyn, has been on the refurbishment list for a very long time and it will remain there unless the Minister can persuade someone to move it up the list.

The Irish Sports Council has taken a hit but not a major one. In the privacy of this meeting we can say that the attitude of some of the recipients of public money from the Irish Sports Council is unacceptable. I do not know what it is about sport but it is peppered with prima donnas who think their egos and opinions entitle them to risk and waste public money. They need to be given a wake-up call. They need to realise it is not their money they are messing around with and wasting. There must be some mechanism to show that public money is contingent on demonstrating it is used in the public interest and not wasted as we have seen in a number of cases. Some of the arguments seem so petty that they do not deserve our attention but money is being wasted and reality needs to be brought home to these people through plain speaking.

My favourite topic of the month is the sports campus. I have submitted between ten and 15 questions, all of which have been rejected, trying to find out why we pursued a court case against Dublin Waterworld Limited. I do not hold a brief for anyone. I neither know nor care what Dublin Waterworld Limited is but I know the advice to the Department was not to pursue the case. What has it cost us in pursuing it? The Department lost in the Supreme Court. The Minister answered one question, telling me that the sports campus officials will write to me. I await with interest their detailed information. The day when people can refuse to answer questions about public money is gone. This cannot be swept under the carpet. I do not know whether this dispute was a political matter, a Kerry issue or bloody-mindedness. Perhaps there was some rational reason I do not know about. A considerable amount of money was wasted bringing this to the Supreme Court and it should be brought into the open.

The allocation from the dormant account fund has reduced dramatically. I presume that is because very little money is left. This is a pity because the money went to disadvantaged sports. It is a pity it is happening at a time when it is badly needed. Could some money from the Irish Sports Council be usefully diverted in this direction, where there are fewer egos to be assuaged?

I know I am beating the drum uselessly about the archives but the budget for this has been reduced when we should be pumping money into the archives. The Minister will tell me about the census, which is great. I do not know if the Minister has visited the premises at Bishops Street. Investment has been made to keep the rain off the archives. The archives should, by law, be available for academic and research purposes. I see these archives piled up, completely inaccessible and degrading while held at the incorrect temperature and getting wet. The recent investment is a sticking plaster job but in the longer term I suggest the Minister makes this a priority.

A good sum of money, some €4.5 million, is allocated to cultural projects. It is right we have a slush fund for projects like this. I see the Minister refer to some of the money being spent on Expo 2010, which I understood was successful. In order to maximise value, we must consider the visa issue. Much money must have been spent on this and reports suggest we put our best foot forward, which was essential. If we are to reap the value of the investment, people must be able to get visas. This applies to businesspeople as well as tourists. They should not have to go through these hoops.

I have tabled a question on the Abbey Theatre. Consultants on the Abbey Theatre and the National Concert Hall have become a way of life. No progress has been made. I suspect a considerable amount of money has been committed to the National Concert Hall by those involved in the tendering process, if not the Government. Private sector interests have spent a considerable amount of money on this because it has been going on for years. Will it ever move forward? They must be getting sick of the money they have spent when there is little prospect of the project going ahead.

After members making their contributions, the Minister can respond to the questions together.

I make this point about the Arts Council in this forum because I can never make it by way of parliamentary question. The Minister never answers those questions. Arts Council money has been reduced and I am not criticising the Arts Council in any way. There is a drop in funding for contemporary writers, publishing and the library fund. This is having a detrimental impact on publishing houses, which are closing. The publication of Irish books, other than contracts in train from previous years, has been wiped out. Dublin is about to become a UNESCO city of literature, on the back of success and an association with literature in the past.

The Minister has allocated money to the Dublin Writers Museum. Literature must be a living thing if we are to retain the city of literature designation. There must be investment in contemporary literature. If we are to lose Irish writers, and they go abroad to be published or stop writing, it will be a great shame. The library fund guaranteed a market for Irish publishers but that is now gone. It has wiped out an industry. Will the Minister consider that in her next meeting with the Arts Council? A less draconian drop in the funding would be very much welcomed.

I welcome the Minister and her officials to this morning's committee. I have some general comments. I am talked out on tourism but I welcome the commitment to investment in marketing; it is very important and must be sustained. We are punching above our weight in our sporting achievements, particularly in boxing but also in many other sports where we compete both nationally and internationally. I would like to be associated with the comments about the late Dermot Earley and I convey my sympathy to his family.

In the arts and culture area, one of the interesting recent achievements has been the placing of historical censuses on the Internet. It is very interesting for us to see how some of our ancestors got younger as they got older, among other interesting incidents. It has been interesting and there has been a positive response from the many people who commented on it to me. These are positive achievements.

My questions relate to the output statements and the Estimates. On the first page of the output statement it is stated that the responsibility for the implementation of policy across the sectoral area primarily rests with approximately 20 public bodies. I know this is by no means peculiar to the Department but this is where the quangos kick in for people like me and it makes it sometimes difficult for us to get direct answers. There will be an ongoing and general issue. With 20 public bodies replying to the Department, it makes it quite difficult to keep tabs on them and get answers as promptly as we would like.

There are problems with the sports capital programme, the arts and culture capital enhancement support scheme, ACCESS, and the local authority swimming pools. The swimming pool scheme has been closed since 2000, the sports capital scheme has been closed since 2008 and ACCESS has been closed since 2006. When are we likely to see any progress with any of these?

With regard to swimming pools, in my own constituency there is an ongoing problem as a swimming pool is to be closed down. It is one of the very few facilities in the Crumlin area. If the capital spend is not going to be available at any stage in future, it would be very demoralising, apart from anything else. If all of these programmes are closed, is the staff engaged in different work that is linked to them? Has there been significant progress in the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall and the National Theatre? We seem to be at the planning stage rather than having any concrete developments.

The Department's primary role is in formulating, developing and evaluating policy for the sectors for which it has responsibility. Will the Minister give some specific examples of what is happening in this respect? It has taken eight years to get our sports facilities strategy, which has not yet been published, and there is a long lead time for some developments, which is a worry.

I refer to the Minister's Freudian slip regarding the Irish Sports Council but this has caused much grief, and the Minister is well aware of the issues. If the Department has a role in ensuring the optimum levels of corporate governance and financial probity are in place in these bodies, we might need to know a little more about what is happening with the Irish Sports Council and the sporting bodies which it has a responsibility to fund. A number of issues have been raised over a period and it is not just a once-off event. We have discussed the matters on a number of different occasions.

Am I right in thinking the sports funding is down 24% in 2010 and, relatively speaking, it seems to be down much more than either tourism or culture?

That is the horse and racing issue.

Is it just because of horse and racing issues? I tried to take that from the figure and it still seemed to be down substantially. Will the Minister comment on the relative funding to the three areas? I am aware that the horse and greyhound funding has been taken out but is it solely responsible for the drop in funding? If that is the case it is understandable but the funding seems to be disproportionately down relative to the other two sectors.

Returning to tourism, has the Department accepted all the recommendations of the tourism renewal group report? Does it form departmental policy? I refer to the airport tax again as it has had an important effect. Is the 3% growth in tourism numbers optimistic, given that the first couple of months in the year have been anything but positive? Is there a need to review the possibility of growth? I appreciate the difficulties and the background but the figures are substantially down in March based on the 2009 figures, with January and February poor as well. I know there are reasons outside the control of any of us, such as the volcano activity, but we need to know where the 3% growth might come from if that is the plan for the rest of the year.

On page 15 of the output statement it is indicated that the sports capital programme will be advertised if adequate funding is available. What is adequate funding and when are we likely to know about it? I mentioned the issue earlier, particularly as it relates to swimming pools but we need to know when the scheme will open again and the funding that will be available.

How much will the Irish arts centre in New York cost, will the State provide all the funding and when will it open? What will be its role? I welcome the new strategy on audio-visual projects and gaming, which will be important. Will the Minister give an update on that and will section 481 tax reliefs apply as they do to the film industry?

When will the artist tax exemption scheme be reviewed and will it be open to submissions and commentary from all of us? In the revised Estimates it is indicated that the postal and telecommunications budget is increasing. With e-mail and other technology, there might be scope to reduce the figure. The figure for office premises also seems to have increased by 35%, so where is the additional cost coming from? It is a substantial increase.

Why must consultants be used to any extent? Is the expertise not available within the Department and could a substantial saving not be achieved? I have forgotten what was contained in that subhead. What contribution do we get from Stormont with regard to Tourism Ireland and is it pro rata?

My final question relates to Lansdowne Road. There is another €4.5 million indicated on top of the €191 million already paid out so what is the extra funding required for at this stage?

There is much food for thought there. I hope the Minister has good note-takers listing all of these questions.

I apologise for missing the start of the meeting; there are a number of select committees taking place this morning, as members know.

I have just left a meeting with the Seán MacDermott Street swimming pool group. It does not make sense that local authorities, for the sake of relatively small amounts of money, are closing social services that are essential in some areas. This is particularly the case in my own area. The maintenance and ongoing running costs of Seán MacDermott Street pool are more than paid for by its effects in other social areas. It is crazy that there is no way local authorities can better manage their budgets to take account of this. Everybody accepts that these local swimming pools are not profitable and that they need to be subsidised, but they are there for an important reason. I suggest that every effort be made to assist local authorities in keeping these pools open.

I welcome the full audit of sports facilities, which we have been seeking for quite some time. When will this be available and what kind of information will be in it?

I do not see mention of community arts groups, although I understand many of these are funded under the Arts Council. Many are under severe pressure, particularly the smaller groups. Again, these provide an essential social service. They cover all age groups and all cohorts of people and they are extremely important. They might be small and not significant overall, but they are important in an urban context. From talking to my colleagues from country areas I know that small community arts groups play a major role. I ask that support for these be maintained. I thank the Minister and her officials for coming before the committee.

I apologise for missing some of the meeting, I was at another meeting.

The Minister is aware of an application from Balbriggan Rugby Club under the local authority swimming pool grant for a public private partnership swimming pool in north Fingal. We have heard about the issues in Dublin city, where local authorities are clearly having difficulty in running swimming pools at a substantial loss, but this proposal is a joint venture between the private sector — that is, the rugby club — and Fingal County Council. There is a technical issue holding up the project at the moment. Despite the dearth of spending on, and provision of, swimming pools in recent years, here is one that is ready to go if we can get over the technical issue. I ask the Minister and her officials to do all in their power to overcome that difficulty.

I concur with my colleague Deputy Cyprian Brady in that the audit of sports facilities is welcome. I mention in particular all-weather pitches. In the good Celtic tiger days many all-weather facilities were built in close proximity to each other by GAA, soccer and rugby organisations, and we have ended up with three facilities in many small towns which are all competing with each other and may now find it difficult to break even as they must pay bills for electricity, maintenance and so on. I would like the audit to identify such areas of duplication so that future funding can be better directed. In addition, we must ensure that individual clubs are not crucifying each other and trying to put each other out of business. There is the issue of all groups wanting the same hours; for example, every group wants the hours of 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but no one wants it on a Monday, Friday or Saturday. I suggest to the Minister and her officials that we analyse the placement of those facilities and how they are competing against each other.

I thank all my colleagues. I would like to mention three issues before we ask the Minister to respond.

Arguments have been made about swimming pools and I support the points made in general. We were lucky, in south Dublin, to get a new swimming pool in Meadowbrook just at the end of the good times. We are all conscious of the benefits of swimming pools in our own communities.

On the broader issue of promoting fitness and well being, although we are in a time when money is scarce, the Minister is bringing a genuine enthusiasm and freshness to her role, as we have seen already. She is well placed to lead the promotion of fitness and well being among our population in general. We have had tremendous successes, as the Minister said, in the areas of golf, boxing and sports. When the Irish Sports Council came before the committee recently, we raised the issue of promoting fitness and health in our communities, especially among children. As the Minister knows, there are great things going on out there, such as the Walk on Wednesday programme in schools. I have seen this programme myself and it is working well. People are using pedometers to measure how far they walk. It is fun, as long as we keep it fun.

There is a need to bring together all the things that are going on, not just in the Minister's own Department but also in the areas of education and transport. I have spoken to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, on this issue, and he is enthusiastic about the Dublin transport initiative. John Henry, who is doing some good work in this regard, also came before the committee. The Department of Health and Children, in addition, is promoting ways of dealing with obesity and so on. In the times in which we are living, the Minister is well placed to bring these initiatives together. Sometimes I feel that within Governments there are little things happening all over the place. We can multiply the activity if one Minister takes things by the scruff of the neck. I ask that the Minister consider this. I know that she is already out there personally giving leadership in this area, and I encourage her to do that.

Deputy Upton mentioned a serious matter. As Chairman of this committee I have learned much in recent times about all the disputes in the various sporting bodies. There are two ways we can deal with this: we can let them sort it out themselves, or we can tackle them. I encourage the Minister to try to deal with some of these disputes. As a previous Minister — I think it was Deputy Fahey — said, the politics of sport is more brutal than the political world in which we ourselves are working and living. That is so true. We have heard time and again, even in my short time as Chairman, horrific stories of back-stabbing, shafting and all sorts of goings on among some people on the management side of these sporting bodies. It is a disgrace; all we need to do is to let our sports people get on with things. They are the people we should be supporting. I encourage the Minister to try to take hold of some of these issues and sort them out.

In the area of culture and tourism, I wish the Minister well with regard to her visit to New York. As members know, I was there recently as Chairman of this committee. There is great excitement about the planned launch of the 1901 census website. This offers major opportunities for our diaspora and the wider community. We have seen much interest here at home, especially among young people. That will be an important event for the Minister. Tourism Ireland is doing great work in this regard and it would value increased funding.

I also wish to mention the Origin Theatre Company and George Heslin, whom I understand the Minister will be meeting. The company is involved in providing opportunities for up-and-coming playwrights and artists. That is the kind of focus we should have with regard to our artistic community. We all know the headline acts and big players in the arts world, those who will make it to Broadway, but there are other kinds of people emerging in the artistic area, particularly playwrights. The Origin Theatre is doing great work and has made a modest case for marketing finances. I wish to encourage that case.

We welcome the Minister to this meeting which has been very wide ranging, with many issues mentioned. The Minister will have had a flavour of the enthusiasm of the committee for the work she is doing. This is a very important ministry, encompassing tourism, culture and sport. We believe it is very significant with regard to the revival of our economy and we wish the Minister well. The committee has seen her commitment to this area and we wish her well in the years ahead.

I thank the members of the committee for all their questions although I am not sure if I will get through all of them. More particularly, I thank them for their interest. Members of the committee have been present at most of the events I attended in recent months, participating and taking an interest, showing exactly the type of leadership the Chairman mentioned. I am not sure I saw them walking the mini marathon——

Our work is a marathon.

—— which I assure them I would not have done if I had not been in this position. It is all about participation and promotion at all different levels.

There were a significant number of issues and I shall try to get through them in the order in which they were raised.

Deputy Upton is doing a full marathon.

It would be fair to say I was roped into it rather than volunteered for it.

I will sponsor the Deputy but I will not run it.

I did ten marathons many years ago. That was about nine too many.

Was that ten full marathons?

I thought I would see the Minister and raise her.

We know now why the Deputy is Chairman of the committee.

In regard to his questions, the New York market is very important to us because the American market is very important. I will be meeting the Origin Theatre Company personnel next week. We supported its marketing last year. Next year some of the Culture Ireland money will go towards Imagine Ireland and a big US cultural focus which will greatly support Irish culture while having a built-in tourism potential.

Deputy Upton's related question was on the funding for the Irish Arts Centre. That is split three ways between the city of New York, the Irish Government and business in New York. Next week I will meet Christine Quinn in whose district the centre is. She has been a great driver of this project and there is enormous potential to take a quantum leap in the presentation of Irish culture to New York. As part of that programme, not only will I launch the census but there will be many media interviews and programmes so that we will be able to promote the country and tourism.

Deputy Kennedy is right in that the audit will assist us in looking at duplication; it will also identify the gaps. We all know, for example, there are groups that are exceptionally good at filling in forms and drawing down money while there are organisations which, perhaps because they are in disadvantaged areas or have not had the capacity, have not managed to get as much funding as other sports. This audit will identify duplication and gaps and we should have it in the coming weeks.

Deputy Brady asked about SIPTU. In regard to staffing generally and who does what, there are only 110 staff in the Department to cover the three areas. There are the separate agencies but occasionally one must go to consultants on outside issues. However, these are kept to a minimum and costs are very confined. In all areas where money is being spent, even though we might not have new programmes we have overhangs from programmes. For example, even though we are not announcing new swimming pools one full-time staff member is working on this project.

Deputy Upton mentioned swimming pools as, rightly, did other Deputies. The value of a swimming pool is enormous, especially for young people's health. Effectively, pools need dry facilities as well wet ones in order to be financially viable and this is where the city pools are falling down. When Dublin City Council contacted us recently to seek approval for a loan for the Rathmines pool we returned the matter to it, asking if it could guarantee it would be able to come up with the running costs, given the way in which it made decisions in regard to the other three pools in disadvantaged areas. I am firmly of the view that the likes of the pool in Rathmines should be able to subsidise those in Seán MacDermott Street, Crumlin and Coolock, areas that really need pools. I have met with some councillors from those areas. We provide capital funding and if there were to be a new round of it, disadvantaged areas such as those mentioned would be favourably considered because of their location.

However, the council also must come up to the plate with the running costs. In the previous swimming pool project we completed 45 pools from 57 approved projects. Two others are under construction and a further two are going to tender. The scheme is running well but any decisions in regard to further pools are dependent on what capital funding we have for next year or what is in the envelope for the next few years.

Regarding other capital issues, the two tenders for the National Concert Hall remain but no final decision has been made in that regard. The initial plan was to have a private public partnership but PPP projects are being reviewed by the Department of Finance, not specifically in regard to that project but overall, to ensure we are getting best value for money, etc. We should have the feasibility study for the Abbey Theatre in the next few weeks when we can see what is the best prospect. Even when we get the plans, however, it will all come back to what will be in the capital envelope. We are very anxious to move on some of the major iconic capital projects.

Regarding Deputy Mitchell's question, I am particularly anxious to do something about the National Archives. I accept it is not all about the census and we are working closely with the OPW and the Department of Finance to see what is the best option. I do not want to see a situation in which archives are lost or destroyed or held in poor conditions.

In regard to Deputies' relationships with agencies and getting information, we specifically asked that agencies respond very quickly to Deputies. I know how frustrating it can be if one cannot get answers. If there are any difficulties in that regard I would be very happy to follow up on the matter because it is important for our understanding and discussion that we get answers. However, generally they are reasonably good about giving information.

There was a question about sports capital funding for next year. This is the $1 million question. The call will have to be made. If the amount of money we are allocated is too small one could not make a general call because one would end up with thousands of applications and nobody would get anything. It may have to be very focused. The audit of facilities would help us in that regard but again it is too early in the year to be able to say whether we will have the required level of capital funding.

The Sports Council deals with 70 governing bodies. We hear about difficulties that arise in a small minority of these but in general the relationship is good. I have met with the bodies and have told them it is very important to have good governance at the level of each governing body and that mediation should be used rather than resorting to court cases and fighting out the difficulty in public. Ultimately, in such cases taxpayers' money is being used for something other than sport for which it was intended. I have impressed that upon the council and I realise it is working on a good governance policy with the organisations. While the particular form of mediation might not work for everyone it should always be used in the first instance and it is a policy I have asked them to pursue.

I refer to the questions raised about tourism. The 3% growth rate is probably optimistic at this stage but it was a motivating factor and we are keen to get the whole industry working towards growth. I do not believe it is simply a case of saying we have had bad weather every year. It was not so much that we had bad weather in January but that other people, for example those in the UK, were unable to travel anywhere because conditions were exceptional. It was a particularly difficult time. The sterling exchange rate, etc., was also a factor. While these conditions are all improving now, it is unlikely we will see a 3% increase. At the same time, given that 60% of our visitors come between May and September, undoubtedly there appears to be an upturn and if we can at least get a return to growth for the end of the year then we will be heading in the right direction. We should focus on key markets, including the United States, the UK, France and Germany. No doubt by next year, if Her Majesty the Queen visits and brings a very large group of tourists with her, we will let her corgis go free.

I do not think they spend a lot of money.

They might not count for bed nights. Like all visitors coming from abroad who are over 66 years, the Queen will be able to use the rail network for free.

Her ancestors probably built the railways.

Her ancestors came into Kingstown, as it was called then, and went on to Killarney. That trip effectively started the tourism industry in Ireland because of the beauty of Killarney.

The target is for some 7 million or 8 million visitors this year but the 3% growth in visitor numbers may well be optimistic. The tourism renewal group carried out a wonderful report and, with the exception of the air tax, we are implementing or making good progress on the five survival recommendations that the report contains and on the recovery recommendations as well.

The air tax is a matter for the budget and the Department of Finance. I have met with Aer Lingus, Aer Arann and, yesterday, with Michael O'Leary of Ryanair to discuss the issue, to establish how it is impacting on the airlines and if they can offer a perspective in the coming months of what the impact has been for the decisions they are making with regard to capacity. This is probably the real issue rather than simply the numbers coming because it is affecting their margins. We have held some good discussions which will feed into any budgetary discussions that take place.

The contribution to the tourism budget from Northern Ireland was adverted to and it is approximately €17 million. Marketing the island of Ireland works very well and the members of the North-South Ministerial Council work together very well. We held a meeting in Armagh last week.

I refer to business tourism and the convention centre, for which there is great potential. A number of major international conferences are already lined up, including those involving international lawyers and the pharmaceutical industry. The centre will open on 7 September.

The project is a PPP, public private partnership, but it is being done through the OPW Vote. However, as some Deputies have remarked, we will benefit from it because it will have a great knock-on effect for the whole city. In advance tours, we have tried to bring people outside Dublin, for example to Killarney, Kilkenny and the Lakelands and we have suggested that they might wish to extend their visit, which is important as well.

Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are pulling out all the stops in marketing, new markets and product development. A sum of €21 million is in the budget for this year and, some weeks ago, we asked Fáilte Ireland whether it would be spent. I took the view that it was rather late to give approval. For example, I refer to the three cases of recent days. One case involved a project in New Ross, which is a lovely development on the quayside. It will link in with the Dunbrody famine ship, the John F. Kennedy memorial site and the Ross tapestry. There is a wonderful tourism product there. I visited on Monday but the money will not be spent until next year. They will only get the ground work done this year and they informed me they will not be drawing down the funds until next year. I am keeping a close eye on the project and all the others to ensure the money is spent. However, we should bear in mind that there must be matching finance from local councils and this is making it more difficult to mobilise the funding. It is being spent well, a good list has been drawn up and we will try to mobilise them into spending more.

I refer to the marketing of Tourism Ireland and tourism generally. The general view is that one continues to market strongly during the downturn because then one reaps the benefits in the upturn. It is money well spent. I refer to the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report for 2009. According to its assessment, Ireland is rated eight of 133 countries in its effectiveness of marketing and branding, which is some achievement for a small country with a small budget.

Where is the beef? Where is the proof of it?

We are getting our message out. International factors are affecting tourism everywhere.

One can have so many hits on the Internet but what if people do not visit as a result? I am sorry, I should not interrupt.

It is the case that business in Malta, Cyprus and Greece is down and they are countries which always had a very significant tourism industry. They are suffering more than us. There is a general downturn in tourism, especially from the UK. At the end of this year we will review how we are getting on but it is important to continue marketing.

I refer to arts matters. The audiovisual strategy will be very important because it is a significant economic strategy as well as being linked to arts. The potential in this area is vast and we look forward to seeing it develop. Section 481 incentives apply to the gaming industry. I refer to the arts exemption review. It was considered last year in the context of the budget to determine whether it is still giving good value for money. Some 90% of the people who benefit from it earn less than €30,000 per year and the measure continues to encourage people to engage.

With regard to the point made by Deputy Mitchell regarding literature a new arts strategy is being developed and this is important because we wish to continue to build on what we have and on what we are doing in the area of contemporary writing. This sector must be supported. We also support the Dublin Book Festival. Although there was no State funding for it, the Dalkey Book Festival was held last weekend and it was remarkably popular. It was not possible to get into any of the free events and all the paying events were booked out as well. That was on the hottest day of the year. This shows the interest that exists and these are the type of events that will attract even more visitors. We are also involved in the Ireland Literature Exchange, one of the largest funding partners of Culture Ireland. We work closely with Dublin City Library, especially with regard to the UNESCO designation.

I refer to a specific question on finance. Postal and telecommunications costs are down 46% on the 2009 Estimate. It is up on the outturn but down 46% on the Estimate for last year. A new landline telephone contract is going out which will give better value. The money for Aviva was the balance of the money kept back on retention.

What is the position with subhead A6?

Again, it is a reduction of 18% on the 2009 Estimate. Deputy Mitchell referred to the court case regarding Campus Stadium Ireland. The advice has been that at all stages it followed the advice of the Attorney General and the legal advisers McCann FitzGerald. The Deputy might have received an early document following a freedom of information request.

We will be dealing with it later.

The Minister did say the information would be sent to me. I await it anxiously.

We will be deling with it later during Question Time.

The Minister has covered a lot of questions.

A lot of questions were asked. On Culture Ireland being a slush fund, a comment which I am sure was not meant that way, the money will be used to promote it next year in the United States. It is also used to send Irish performing artists abroad.

I understand that. I was not being derogatory. I completely support it and it is a great idea.

That completes our work. I thank the Minister for answering all the questions and her officials for attending the meeting. I welcome, in particular, the way she is dealing with the travel tax issue, something which has arisen at the committee. There are genuine concerns about it, including some I have as Chairman. The manner in which the Minister is dealing with it, namely, meeting the airline community and discussing it with them in a clinical way is correct and we will be very anxious to hear the results of her deliberations.

This concludes the select committee's consideration of Vote 33 — National Gallery (Revised); Vote 35 — Tourism, Culture and Sport (Revised); and the annual output statement 2010.

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