Written Answers Nos. 540-557
540. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the National Concert Hall will receive an additional funding in 2021 separate from the funding for the National Symphony Orchestra. [33202/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAdditional funding of €0.762m has been allocated to the NCH for 2021, in addition to the €8m of which relates to the proposed transfer of the RTÉNSO from RTÉ to the NCH.
541. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the way in which the €3 million additional funding promised to the National Cultural Institutions in Budget 2021, separate from the National Symphony Orchestra transfer, will be allocated. [33203/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAdditional funding has been allocated to the National Cultural Institutions as part of Budget 2021 as follows:
|
National Museum of Ireland |
€719k |
|
Irish Museum of Modern Art |
€396k |
|
Crawford Art Gallery |
€234k |
|
Chester Beatty Library |
€762k |
|
National Concert Hall |
€379k |
|
National Gallery of Ireland |
€624k |
|
National Library of Ireland |
€468k |
|
National Archives |
€400k |
543. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the additional funding for the Arts Council announced as Covid-19 contingency funding in Budget 2021 is a one-off allocation for 2021 alone; and if there will be an increase made to the core funding upon which future budget allocations will be based. [33206/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe allocation to the Arts Council in 2021 is €130m which is equivalent to an increase of €25m on the final 2020 allocation of €105m.
The increase reflects Government's acknowledgement of the important role that arts and culture play in our economy and society and recognises the devastating impact COVID-19 restrictions have had on the sector. Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is independent in its funding decisions and therefore I as Minister cannot intervene in the Arts Council's decisions on how it spends its allocation.
Decisions on future allocations to the Arts Council will be considered as part of the annual estimates and budgetary process in the normal manner.
545. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if an organisation (details supplied) can register for funding under the sports capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33245/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sports Capital Programme is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country.
Grants are available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs and community groups such as the organisation referred to by the Deputy.
I would recommend that any organisation planning to make an application under the next round of the Programme register on the Department's online application system - OSCaR (www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie) as soon as possible as applications are only accepted through this channel. I expect a new round of the Programme will be open for applications in the coming weeks and all registered OSCaR users will receive an email notification in this regard.
546. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of contracts approved in her Department in 2019 and to date in 2020 without competitive tender; the details of the contract; the company awarded the contract; and the full value of the contract in tabular form. [33281/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department strives to ensure that there is an appropriate focus on best procurement practice and that procedures are in place to ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines to the greatest extent possible.
Where exceptions do arise, as provided for under the provisions of Circular 40/02, the Department provides the details of such instances to the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The details of instances that arose in 2019 are included in the Statements on Internal Financial Control which forms part of the Annual Appropriation Accounts published by the Comptroller and Auditor General at https://www.audit.gov.ie/en/Find-Report/Publications/Appropriation%20Accounts/Appropriation%20Accounts%202019.html
Details pertaining to any instances which may arise for 2020 will be contained in my Department’s 2020 Annual Appropriation Account which will fall to be published by the Comptroller and Auditor General in due course.
Procurement within the bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for which the bodies themselves are responsible.
549. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33389/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Scheme to which the Deputy refers namely Scéim na mBóithre Áise, by which my Department provided grant assistance to Local Authorities to undertake remedial works on qualifying access roads in Gaeltacht regions, has not operated since December 2011.
In general, responsibility for the maintenance of local access roads such as that referred to by the Deputy rests with the relevant local authority and, accordingly, my Department has no function in the matter.
550. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when applications for the sports capital grant will be opened for the next round of funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33492/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sports Capital Programme (SCP) 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. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCP and to prioritise the investment in disadvantaged areas.
The most recent (2018) round of the SCP attracted a record 2,337 applications. Allocations were announced in January, May and November of last year with a total of over €56 million awarded to 1,648 different projects. All unsuccessful applicants were given the opportunity to appeal the Department’s decision. In relation to the capital grants announced in November, a total of 122 appeals were submitted by the December deadline. The review of these appeals was completed in April with six new allocations approved.
With regard to future rounds of the programme, a full Review of the 2018 round of the SCP has now been completed and the terms and conditions of the next round of the programme will be based on the recommendations in the Review. Work on these terms and conditions is now being finalised and an announcement in relation to the timing of the next round and the funding available will be made in the coming weeks.
551. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the Fáilte Ireland adaptation grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33654/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe administration of the Covid-19 Adaptation Grant scheme for tourism businesses is an operational matter for the Board and management of Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to them for further information and direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
552. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the names of golf clubs that have availed of grants during the Covid-19 crisis administered by an organisation (details supplied); and the amount received by each club in tabular form. [33742/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra553. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the names of boxing clubs that have availed of grants during the Covid-19 crisis administered by an association (details supplied); and the amount received by each club in tabular form. [33743/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 552 and 553 together.
On Monday 2 November, I announced details of an €85 million funding package for the Irish sport sector, which has been significantly impacted by the various COVID-19 restrictions imposed since March 2020.
This funding package includes COVID-19 funding of €70 million, which will provide support for the three main field sports organisations (the FAI, GAA and IRFU), a Resilience Fund to support the National Governing Bodies of Sport, a Sports Club Resilience Fund to support clubs, and a Sports Restart and Renewal Fund. It also includes an additional €15 million to the GAA, Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association specifically for the running of the 2020 Inter-County Championships.
The funding, which is being allocated by Sport Ireland, will address the existential threat to National Governing Bodies and their club networks, allowing sports organisations to offset significant losses incurred in recent months and add a semblance of certainty to planning for 2021.
The significant investment will reach all levels of the sport sector with National Governing Bodies, Local Sports Partnerships and thousands of grassroots clubs across Ireland set to benefit.
The funding is being invested through grant schemes with Sport Ireland’s recognised funding partners, including the National Governing Bodies of Sport, Local Sports Partnerships and other funded sporting organisations. Sport Ireland will not provide funding directly to sports clubs, this funding will be accessed through programmes established by each of the National Governing Bodies in receipt of funding. It is expected that the National Governing Bodies will publish details of funding allocated to clubs under these programmes in due course.
Details of the funding allocations announced on Monday, including the amounts allocated to the organisations mentioned by the Deputy, are available on Sport Ireland's website: www.sportireland.ie
554. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of data protection breaches identified within her Department in 2019. [33854/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that six data protection breaches were identified in the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht during 2019, two of which met the threshold to be referred to the Data Protection Commission and were resolved to the satisfaction of that office. The remaining four were assessed as being of low or no risk and were managed internally with steps taken to ensure that similar breaches would not reoccur.
555. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding the agreement to proceed with elite GAA championship matches; if it was planned in this approach that second teams, that is, intermediate teams in inter-county championship under the banner of the GAA would find their competitions cancelled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33877/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the Government-approved “Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19” during the period of application of the current Level 5 restrictions all matches and other sporting events must cease. A limited exemption is set out in the public health regulations for certain elite and professional sportpeople and sporting activities, including certain games in camogie, football and hurling.
In this context, the Government's decision to exempt some Gaelic Games recognises the unique place that the Gaelic Games championships occupy in Irish life. However, given the current epidemiological situation with the disease, which requires the minimisation of both travel and contacts to prevent the spread of the virus, not every competition, team or grade in the sports concerned can be accommodated.
In normal circumstances, in certain competitions, counties enter teams at different ability levels, but this year, recognising that we are dealing with a global pandemic, this exemption only applies to each county fielding just one team in the All-Ireland competitions for each code – camogie, hurling, gaelic football and ladies gaelic football. This requirement means that no county team can play in two competitions nor can counties field a second team in another division or branch of an All-Ireland competition structure. During the Level 5 restrictions, there can be no scheduled matches other than those that form part of the All-Ireland competition and there can be no practice or training matches other than between players on the panel that form part of the existing team training structure. Once teams are eliminated from the competitions they must thereafter cancel all training sessions.
The exemption approved by Government applies to a very small number of sports and is also designed to limit the number of teams that will be participating in Gaelic Games competitions. Within the confines of the available exemption, it is a matter for the national governing bodies concerned and their constituent county boards to decide on the actual teams to represent their counties in the championships.
The Government has reaffirmed to the Gaelic games associations the importance of all participating teams adhering fully to all relevant public health guidance and the return to play protocols developed earlier this year, at their matches and training sessions.
