Written Answers Nos 347-356
347. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details of each non-Civil Service appointment she has made to a role in her Department; the persons appointed; the role, qualifications and salary of each; and the guidelines that apply in respect of party political fundraising. [13155/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince my appointment as Minister on 30 November 2017, and as provided for by the Public Service Management Act 1997, I have appointed two Special Advisers. Mr. John Keogh has been appointed as my Media Adviser from 8 January 2018 and Mr. Cian Connaughton as my Policy Adviser from 15 March 2018. In addition, I have appointed two Civilian Drivers. Both civilian drivers are paid on the Civilian Driver single-point scale, €691 per week.
Mr. Keogh has extensive experience as a senior editor with over twenty years’ experience in both traditional and digital media. He was Director of News at Newstalk for 13 years, Managing Editor of the Network news (which supplies news to every radio station in the country) for 8 years and was a senior producer at Sky News. Over his career he has also worked for TV3 news and many local radio stations both here in Ireland and in the UK. He is paid €91,943 per annum.
Mr. Connaughton has eighteen years’ experience in corporate communications and public affairs. He previously worked as Senior Client Director in MKC Communications and also has previous experience as Communications Advisor in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (on secondment during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union). From 2000 to 2006 he was Policy and Communications Manager in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. He has a Masters of Arts (European Studies) and a Batchelor of Arts in Politics, Sociology and French from UCD. He is paid €88,471 per annum.
Both of my Advisers have been advised of their obligations under the Standards in Public Office legislation. All of the above appointments are made in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Instructions to Personnel Officers – Ministerial Appointments for the 32nd Dáil, which is available on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's website.
348. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé i gceist ag a Roinn maoiniú breise a chur ar fáil ó Mheán Fómhair 2018 chun breis cúntóirí teanga a cheapadh sna scoileanna Gaeltachta agus chun breis uaireanta saibhrithe teanga a cheadú, á chur san áireamh an obair atá ar bun sna scoileanna Gaeltachta ó thaobh an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta a chur i bhfeidhm. [13168/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAr mhaithe lena chinntiú go bhfuil Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga ag feidhmiú ar an gcaoi is fearr is féidir mar thaca don phróiseas pleanála teanga agus don Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta araon, tá mo Roinn ag tabhairt faoi athbhreithniú ar an scéim faoi lathair.
Chuige sin, d'eisigh an Roinn Iarratas Tairisceana ar etenders.ie ar an 5 Feabhra 2018 chun dream a roghnú le tabhairt faoin athbhreithniú. Tá measúnú á dhéanaamh faoi láthair ar na tairiscintí a fuarthas i dtreo tús a chur leis an obair gan mhoill. Ós rud é go bhfuil éileamh thar na bearta ó scoileanna Gaeltachta le bheith rannpháirteach sa scéim, beifear ag súil leis, de thoradh an athbhreithnithe, go mbeifear in ann aghaidh a thabhairt ar ar an éileamh sin nuair atá torthaí an atbhreithnithe faoi lámh ag an Roinn.
Tá sé mar aidhm tús a chur le feidhmiú thorthaí an atbhreithnithe sa scoilbhliain 2018/19.
349. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé i gceist ag a Roinn aon ardú a dhéanamh ar an deontas a íoctar leis na Mná Tí/Fir Tí a choinníonn scoláirí faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge. [13169/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFaoi mar is eol don Teachta, íocann mo Roinnse deontas faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge le teaghlaigh cháilithe a choinníonn foghlaimeoirí Gaeilge ar iostas le linn dóibh a bheith ag freastal ar choláistí Gaeilge aitheanta fud fad na Gaeltachta.
Ós rud é gur ardaíodh an deontas laethúil atá iníochta faoin scéim go dtí €10 in 2017 - an chéad ardú le sé bliana - níl sé i gceist an deontas a ardú arís i mbliana.
350. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta Gaeltachta cérbh iad na hoifigigh óna Roinn, níl ach grád foirne agus teideal á lorg ag an Teachta seo, a bhí freagrach as measúnú a dhéanamh ar na tairiscintí a fuarthas le haghaidh an chonartha chun seirbhís farantóireachta Thoraí a sheachadadh. [13193/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra351. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an raibh moltaí Chomharchumann Thoraí, ó thaobh feistiú thar oíche, i measc na gcritéar ar baineadh úsáid astu chun measúnú a dhéanamh ar na tairiscintí le haghaidh sheirbhís farantóireachta Thoraí. [13194/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra352. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cé a bhí i gceannas ar na critéir mheasúnaithe do sheirbhís farantóireachta Thoraí a leagan amach; ar bronnadh pointí le haghaidh úsáid na Gaeilge; an gcuirfidh sí eolas agus sonraí ar fáil maidir leis na critéir seo. [13195/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra353. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cén fáth a gcuirfear seirbhís bus ar fáil idir An Bun Beag agus Machaire Rabhartaigh mar chuid de sheirbhís farantóireachta Thoraí; an bhfuil imní ar an Roinn nach mbeidh an soitheach ábalta teacht i dtír ag Cé Mhachaire Rabhartaigh. [13196/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra354. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad chuige ar bronnadh conradh le haghaidh sheirbhís farantóireachta Thoraí cé go raibh deisiúcháin de dhíth ar an mbád a roghnaigh an Roinn don turas farraige seo; ar bronnadh conradh mar sin riamh roimhe seo, i. sular cuireadh caoi ar an soitheach. [13197/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra355. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Pearse Doherty den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil ceadúnas ag bád (sonraí tugtha) chun lastas a láimhseáil. [13198/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 350 to 355, inclusive, together.
Maidir le conradh úr farantóireachta Thoraí, is dhá thairiscint bailí a fuair mo Roinn. Mar is gnáth i gcásanna mar seo, chuir mo Roinn coiste measúnaithe le chéile comhdhéanta d’oifigigh ón Roinn. Sa chás áirithe seo, bhí na hoifigigh ag an ngrád Príomhoifigeach, Príomhoifigeach Cúnta agus Ardoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin.
Mar chuid den phróiseas tairisceana, thug mo Roinn éisteacht do phobal Thoraí agus lena mianta. Leag an rannóg cuí i mo Roinn amach na critéir mheasúnaithe agus marcanna dá réir san Iarratas ar Thairiscint agus ar ndóigh, tá an doiciméad sin agus aon leasuithe a rinneadh air foilsithe ar an suíomh, etenders. Ní raibh feistiú an tsoithigh thar oíche mar chuid de sin. Bhí úsáid na Gaeilge mar cheann de na critéir.
Thairg an tairgeoir ar bronnadh an conradh air seirbhísí breise seachas mar a lorgaíodh san Iarratas ar Thairiscint. Ina measc sin, bhí go mbeadh seirbhís bus ar fáil ón mBun Beag go dtí Machaire Rabhartaigh ar ócáidí nach mbeadh an soitheach ábalta teacht le cé ag Machaire Rabhartaigh. Go stairiúil, ar ndóigh, tharlódh seo ó am go ham agus bheadh a leithéid de sheirbhís ina chuidiú do phaisinéirí a bheadh ag iarraidh dul go Machaire Rabhartaigh. Níltear ag súil go mbeidh seo ag teastáil go minic.
Faoi dheiridh, ceadaíodh faoin Iarratas ar Thairiscint sa chás seo agus i ngach ceann de chonarthaí na Roinne do sheirbhísí farantóireachta, go bhféadfaí athchóiriú a dhéanamh ar shoitheach a bheadh ainmnithe don tseirbhís. Iarrtar san Iarratas ar Thairiscint go mbeadh cur síos ar na hoibreacha agus amscála dá gcur i gcríoch. Is ar an Oifig Suirbhéara Muirí atá an fhreagracht maidir le heisiúint ceadúnais do shoithí agus is ag an oifig sin a bheidh an focal deiridh maidir le ceapaíocht paisinéirí agus lastais an bháid atá luaite.
356. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on calls by the Traveller community for a cultural centre to highlight and celebrate Traveller culture; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13227/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I advised in my reply to Parliamentary Questions Numbers 267 of 6 December, 102 of 23 January and 24 of 28 February, my Department is fully committed to supporting diversity and inclusion in its policies and operations and in those bodies under it aegis.
The National Planning Framework and National Development Plan - Ireland 2040 launched on 16 February 2018 by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D., recognises the value and importance of our culture, language and heritage as an integral part of Irish life. In these areas, the headline announcement from the launch is a €1 billion investment in Culture and Heritage over the 10 year period of the plan including;
- €460 million for our National Cultural Institutions,
- €265 million for cultural and creativity investment programme, and
- €285 million for natural and built heritage.
I will shortly launch my Department's sectoral plan entitled Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage. This will cover the Department's investment programme in greater detail as part of the State's overall plan. In due course, details of a similar grant schemes to the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 will be announced in parallel with an application process which will be similar to the application processes operated in the present scheme. On a more specific level, the National Library of Ireland's engagement with Traveller Culture includes a genealogy guide for Travellers to trace their family history and a Traveller heritage photographic exhibition to be exhibited at an Ethnicity Celebration event and subsequently gifted to the Irish Traveller Movement.
