Written Answers Nos. 359-373
359. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has carried out an analysis into the increasing number of gambling adverts on television; if she has considered introducing restrictions in this area to protect the public good; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21633/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister for Justice has policy responsibility for the regulation of gambling and for the establishment of a new Gambling Regulator.
At present, the regulation of broadcast gambling advertising is an operational matter for the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and is not part of my functions as Minister.
The current rules around gambling advertising on broadcasting services are contained in the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s General Commercial Communications Code.
361. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the breakdown of the €12 million allocation under the weatherproofing and outdoor dining infrastructure scheme; the way in which the funding available in excess of €200,000 per local authority will be spent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21665/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe development and administration of the Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. I have referred this question to them for direct reply to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
362. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 262 and 273 of 10 February 2021, if an update will be provided in respect of a grant; the date on which funds may be drawn down by the club in question; and if outstanding issues will be outlined in order to rectify same. [21727/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe club referred to by the Deputy was provisionally allocated a grant of €81,500 under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme (SCP) for the development of an artificial playing surface and a further €83,343 under the 2018 SCP towards the provision of floodlights and non-personal sports equipment.
In accordance with the terms and conditions of the SCP and due to the level of grants received by the club in the past, it is necessary to execute a Deed of Covenant and Charge in order to protect the public investment in the facility.
I understand that the Chief State Solicitors Office (CSSO) is awaiting documentation from the club’s solicitors to complete these legal formalities. The CSSO has recently issued a reminder to the club's solicitor in this regard. It will not be possible to provide formal approval for the funding until the CSSO confirms that all legal formalities have been completed. Once the CSSO confirmation is received, there will be no undue delay in paying the grants subject to the other necessary documentation being submitted by the club.
363. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention or that of Sport Ireland has been drawn to continuing challenges in respect of staff and the recruitment process of same in the context of terms and conditions at an organisation (details supplied); and if she and or Sport Ireland are in a position to intervene and or mediate. [21728/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of recent media reports relating to the issues mentioned by the Deputy. These are matters for the organisation itself as an employer. I have no role in relation to these matters and it would not be appropriate for me or Sport Ireland to intervene.
Furthermore, I note that issues have now been referred to the Workplace Relations Commission and I consider that to be the most appropriate statutory body to deal with the issues raised, in accordance with its statutory responsibilities.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreed between the Government and the organisation in January 2020 provides that the organisation commits to protect all low to middle-income earners employed at the organisation from compulsory redundancy for a period of 18 months, albeit this overriding principle should not constrain any essential restructuring within the organisation, but is envisaged only in exceptional circumstances. The organisation has confirmed to Sport Ireland that there have been no compulsory redundancies as part of its restructuring process.
In accordance with the MOU, the board of the organisation has established an Executive Performance and Remuneration Committee to support it in its responsibilities for, inter alia, determining executive remuneration policy and the pay and benefits policy for staff. As agreed in the MOU, two of the members of the committee are independent directors, one of whom is chair of the committee.
The organisation has confirmed to Sport Ireland that the Executive Performance and Remuneration Committee conducted a thorough review of executive remuneration in 2020.
364. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cad é an difear ó thaobh aschur na seirbhíse nuachta teilifíse i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge ag RTÉ, briste síos ar an líon foirne, ceamraí, amanna craolta, buiséid an réamhthaifead, pá, agus maoiniú iomlán don dá seirbhís teanga. [21848/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra365. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cad é an difear ó thaobh aschur na seirbhíse nuachta raidió i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge ag RTÉ, briste síos ar an líon foirne, treallamh, amanna craolta, buiséid an réamhthaifead, pá, agus maoiniú iomlán don dá seirbhís teanga. [21849/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra366. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an ndéanfaidh sí aon rud chun stop a chur leis na ciorruithe suntasacha atá fógartha ag RTÉ ar sheirbhís nuachta na Gaeilge, nó chun a chinntiú go mbeidh nuacht Gaeilge ar RTÉ agus TG4 fós in ann imeachtaí i mBaile Átha Cliath a chlúdach beo. [21850/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra367. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an dtabharfaidh sí tacaíocht ar leith chun iriseoireacht iniúchta trí Ghaeilge a chothú sna meáin, go háirithe RTÉ agus TG4. [21851/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá sé i gceist agam ceisteanna 364, 365, 366 agus 367 a fhreagairt le chéile.
Is craoltóirí seirbhíse poiblí náisiúnta neamhspleácha iad RTÉ agus TG4 a bhfuil a sainchúram agus a n-oibleagáidí leagtha amach san Acht Craolacháin 2009 agus, dá bharr sin, níl aon ról agam ina gcuid oibríochtaí ó lá go lá. Foráiltear in Alt 98 go mbeidh craoltóirí neamhspleách i gcomhlíonadh a gcuid feidhmeanna, faoi réir cheanglais an Achta Craolacháin 2009.
368. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if financial supports will be extended into 2022 for tour operators (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21853/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the inbound agents sector and was pleased to make a fund of €10m available for the Ireland Based Inbound Agents Business Continuity Scheme. The scheme has assisted inbound tour operators, destination management companies and professional conference organisers by providing a direct financial contribution to support their business continuity plans.
I am committed to continuing support for tourism through this difficult period and to working towards reopening and recovery. As part of the National Economic Recovery Plan, Government will be outlining how it will help people return to work and further support sectors which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. As part of that plan, along with my colleagues in Government, we will consider more targeted measures to help reboot those sectors, such as tourism, which will face particular challenges during the recovery phase when the economy reopens.
369. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the way in which her Department and agencies under her remit facilitate persons wishing to engage with their services through the Irish language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21912/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra370. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if all forms issued by her Department and agencies under her remit are available in both the Irish and English languages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21930/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 369 and 370 together.
Details of my Department's provisions for the delivery of services through the Irish language, including the provision of forms, are set out in the Department's Scéim Teanga which is available on www.gov.ie at https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/901c1-language-scheme-2016-2019/.
All services and schemes operated by the Department's Gaeltacht Division are provided in Irish, but service in English is available if requested. In other Divisions where a service through Irish is not immediately available at any given time, arrangements are made to respond to requests for such a service. Service in Irish may not always be possible in the case of matters requiring specialist or technical knowledge.
Public information, forms and standard notifications, including relevant supplementary materials, are published in both official languages, other than in the case of documents of a technical, scientific or specialist nature.
The corresponding information in respect of those bodies under the aegis of my Department is published on the individual bodies' websites (see table below).
As the Deputy will be aware the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill which recently completed Committee Stage provides for the establishment of a statutory Irish Language Services Advisory Committee among whose functions will be the publication of a National Plan for the increase in the provision of public services through the medium of Irish. The Bill also includes provision for the replacement of the existing Irish language scheme (Ár Scéim Teanga) regime by the introduction of language standards for public bodies, with higher standards to be achieved by public bodies with greater interaction with the public. In addition to this, Section 9B of the Bill sets out the duties of public bodies regarding official forms. When the Bill is enacted, this provision will provide clarity on the issue of official forms, and ensure that all official forms used by public bodies are published in Irish or bilingually in Irish and English.
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Bodies |
Website |
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Broadcasting Authority of Ireland |
https://www.bai.ie |
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Chester Beatty Library |
https://www.chesterbeatty.ie |
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Coimisinéir Teanga |
https://www.coimisineir.ie |
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Crawford Art Gallery |
https://crawfordartgallery.ie |
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Fáilte Ireland |
https://www.failteireland.ie |
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Foras na Gaeilge |
https://www.forasnagaeilge.ie |
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IMMA |
http://www.imma.ie/ |
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National Archives |
https://www.nationalarchives.ie |
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National Concert Hall |
https://www.nch.ie |
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National Gallery of Ireland |
https://www.nationalgallery.ie |
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National Library |
https://www.nli.ie |
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National Museum of Ireland |
https://www.museum.ie |
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National Concert Hall |
https://www.nch.ie |
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Radio Teilifís Éireann |
https://www.rte.ie |
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Screen Ireland |
https://www.screenireland.ie |
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Sport Ireland |
https://www.sportireland.ie |
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Teilifís na Gaeilge |
https://www.tg4.ie |
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Údarás na Gaeltachta |
https://udaras.ie |
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Ulster-Scots Agency/ Tha Boord o Ulster-Scotch |
https://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/ |
371. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the work her Department is undertaking to support the tourism sector as a result of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21970/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am committed to continuing support for tourism through this difficult period and to working towards the reopening and recovery of the sector. Together with horizontal measures introduced by Government, such as the EWSS and the CRSS, the sector-specific measures I have introduced to date, including the Tourism Business Continuity Scheme, the schemes for Inbound Tour Operators and Coach Tourism Operators, the Covid Adaptation Scheme, and the Outdoor Dining Scheme are key in helping tourism businesses to survive and adapt.
The Tourism Recovery Taskforce presented the Tourism Recovery Plan 2020 – 2023 to me on September 30th last. The Plan makes a number of recommendations to help tourism businesses to survive, stabilise and recover from the COVID pandemic. Those recommendations have provided significant input into Government deliberations in considering measures to assist the sector.
The Tourism Recovery Oversight Group presented its first report to me in February, setting out progress to date in the implementation of the Tourism Recovery Plan, as well as areas it identified as requiring attention. The Oversight Group noted and welcomed the progress that has been made to date, both in terms of the broader employee and business supports and the tourism-specific measures I have introduced. The reports produced by the Group can be accessed on www.gov.ie/tourismrecoverytaskforce.
I continue to engage with the sector on a regular basis and in particular through the Hospitality and Tourism Forum. This forum was established by the Tánaiste and I last year in order to provide a platform to assess the continuing impact of the pandemic, to help improve understanding and responses to the crisis and to discuss ideas for recovery measures, thus assisting the Government in formulating its on-going response to the crisis. The Forum has met three times to date and is scheduled to meet for the fourth time next month.
As part of the National Economic Recovery Plan, Government will be outlining how it will help people return to work and further support sectors which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Along with my colleagues in Government, I will consider more targeted measures to help reboot those sectors, such as tourism, which will face particular challenges during the recovery phase when the economy reopens.
372. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reasons the National Concert Hall received €11.824 million in 2021 compared to €3.062 million in 2020 from her Department; and the way the €11.824 million in Exchequer funding for the National Concert Hall will be spent in 2021. [21986/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Concert Hall was allocated an amount of €11.824 million in 2021 compared to an amount of €3.062 million in 2020. This included an amount of €8m to provide for the proposed transfer of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra from RTÉ to the National Concert Hall in 2021. The remaining amount is for the day to day running of the National Concert Hall in 2021.
373. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans for Gaeltacht courses for summer 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22002/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra395. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the level of engagement of her Department has had with Gaeltacht summer colleges; the work that has been undertaken to maintain and preserve the continued operations of this sector; the actions proposed to maximise support for promoting Gaeilge and the Gaeltacht communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22046/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 395 together.
In the context of the Department’s role in supporting the Irish Language Summer Colleges' sector and in order to provide clarity insofar as possible in the current circumstance regarding the general COVID-19 safety measures required on the part of key players in the sector, my Department published draft COVID-19 Guidelines for the sector last week.
The guidelines are primarily aimed at the directors of the Irish Colleges and the qualifying Gaeltacht households who provide accommodation to students attending any of the 40 or so accredited Gaeltacht colleges.
These guidelines are subject at all times to change on foot of emerging circumstances, regulations and overall public health advice. The guidance is, therefore, a live draft document.
I have held a series of online meetings with representatives of the households that provide accommodation to the students and a meeting was also held by my officials with the representative body of the Gaeltacht summer colleges, CONCOS, in order to hear their views and suggestions on the draft guidelines. The discussions also served to inform both me and my officials as to whether it would be possible or prudent to seek to organise courses in the current and anticipated circumstances.
I am very grateful to all those who participated in the consultation process. It was an important and useful exercise to hear directly from key stakeholders about their shared concerns.
It remains to be seen whether the Irish Language Summer Colleges will be able to proceed this year due to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation and my Department continues to monitor developments with a view to making a final decision at an early date in consultation with stakeholders and in the best interests of all concerned.
