Written Answers Nos. 197-202
197. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide the cost to the Exchequer each year from 2009 to 2014 of the amount paid by his Department under the terms of settlements which included confidentiality agreements or confidentiality clauses. [26188/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe details requested by the Deputy are being compiled and will be forwarded to him as soon as possible.
198. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding available for vital infrastructure along the Wild Atlantic Way route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26227/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no direct role in relation to the allocation of funding to individual tourism projects including the development of the Wild Atlantic Way. This is a matter for the board and management of Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly I have referred the question to the agency for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
199. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding funding for sports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26231/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails of all allocations under the Sports Capital Programme are available on the Department’s website www.dttas.ie. The Department has not made a payment of sports capital monies to Basketball Ireland since 2006. In 2008 an allocation of €500,000 was made to Basketball Ireland but this allocation has subsequently been withdrawn. The Sports Capital Programme does not fund the cost of the hire of halls.
The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, provides grant funding to Basketball Ireland through its core grant funding programme for National Governing Bodies of Sport. Funding of €564,048 is being provided to Basketball Ireland under this programme in 2014. Core grant funding is used for current expenditure purposes relating to the administration of a national governing body and would include costs such as salary costs, office expenses, insurance, audit, events, programmes, coach education, strategic planning and competition costs.
The Council is providing a further €118,000 to Basketball Ireland from its Women in Sport programme.
200. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts made by his Department to promote indoor sports here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26232/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport. I have referred the Deputy's question to the Council for direct reply in relation to the efforts it is making to promote indoor sports. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Government funding of €13m has been provided to the National Sports Campus Development Authority this year to commence the development of a National Indoor Training Arena at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Blanchardstown. The Arena is one of the few remaining major pieces of national sporting infrastructure for elite athletes which is still outstanding. It will incorporate a National Indoor Athletics Training Centre, National Gymnastics Training Centre and National Indoor Training Centre (multi-sports hall). The arena will cater for approximately 26 national sports and as well as providing world-class training facilities for Irish sport, it will allow smaller sporting bodies the potential to host their competitions at local, regional, national and international levels.
201. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding sports funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26234/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy is not readily available and to compile it would require a disproportionate amount of time. Details of allocations under the Sports Capital Programme are available on the Department’s website www.dttas.ie.
202. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of appointments to State boards under the remit of his Department in each year from 2011 to 2014, inclusive; the number that were publicly advertised; the reason all appointments are not open to public competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26278/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2011, 235 appointments have been made to agencies under the remit of my Department. In 2011 there were 52 appointments, 78 in 2012, 79 in 2013 and 26 in 2014 to date. I have made 228 of those appointments (including re-appointments) since becoming Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Of the 2011 appointments, 7 were made by my predecessors while the remaining 45 were made by me. All subsequent appointments have been made by me.
I announced new procedures for appointment to boards in April 2011 and all appointments that I have made have followed these procedures. None of the 7 appointments made in 2011 prior to my appointment followed these procedures or were the subject of any public advertisement. As the Deputy will be aware, his party Fianna Fáil was in Government at that time. The procedures include an open invitation for expressions of interest in serving on the board of any of the agencies under the remit of my Department. This invitation was renewed in January 2013.
Details of all appointments and vacancies are published on http://dttas.ie/corporate/english/state-board-membership-and-approved-fees and I currently have a database of more than 500 individuals who have expressed interest. Given the importance of ensuring the right mix of skills and experience on every board, appointments are not necessarily confined to those who have made such an expression.
In every case where expressions of interest are concerned, I give close consideration to individuals who I consider appropriate to promoting good governance at board level, and with experience or qualifications in finance (including audit capability and/or project assessment), law, corporate governance, marketing, IT, or with experience relevant to the transport, tourism and sports sectors.
While over half of my appointees have come through this process, I have also re-appointed people such as Gay Byrne (Chairman of the Road Safety Authority). There is no requirement for them to reply to the advertisement just for the sake of it. I have, on occasion, approached people to sit on a board because of their particular skills or experience. Kathryn O'Leary Higgins is an example of such a person who was approached to sit on the board of the Shannon Group. Ms O'Leary Higgins was a former member of the United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from 2006 to 2009, she also served as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labour from 1997 to 1999 and also served in the White House as Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Cabinet from 1995 to 1997. Another example is Michael Cawley, whom I recently appointed Chairperson of Fáilte Ireland. He was previously the deputy chief executive and chief operating officer of Ryanair.
