Written Answers Nos. 190-214
190. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is satisfied in the context of the freedom of information publication scheme that all logs are published and up to date in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2014; if not, the reason they are not published; and if he will update them as a matter of priority. [36129/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the Freedom of Information disclosure logs for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are updated quarterly and published on gov.ie.
In this context, details of Freedom of Information requests received by my Department from 2016 up to the end of March 2021 can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/ce2e67-foi-disclosure-log/
191. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount collected on an annual basis since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced in respect of fees attached to freedom of information requests submitted to his Department. [36147/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
I wish to advise the Deputy that as per the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014, fees are only applied in respect of the time spent searching and retrieving records particular to a FOI request for records, and in respect of the copying of such records. Search and retrieval includes time spent in determining whether the Department holds the records requested, locating the records, retrieving the records or documents, extracting the information from electronic or hardcopy files or documents, and preparing a schedule specifying the records for consideration for release.
In most cases, there are no search, retrieval and copying charges where the request relates to the requesters personal records. However, the Act does allow that in situations where the request relates to a significant number of records that a charge may be levied having regard to the circumstances of the requester.
Fees are also applied in respect of requests for internal reviews of decisions on non-personal FOI requests and these are noted separately in table below.
|
Year |
Total amount of Freedom of Information Search and Retrieval fees collected |
Total amount of Freedom of Information Internal Review Fees collected |
|
2014 |
€146 |
€30 |
|
2015 |
€123 |
€60 |
|
2016 |
- |
€300 |
|
2017 |
- |
€240 |
|
2018 |
€100 |
€180 |
|
2019 |
- |
€270 |
|
2020 |
€554 |
€210 |
|
2021 (to date) |
€462 |
€180 |
192. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of freedom of information requests refused by his Department since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced for the reason that search and copy costs would exceed the maximum threshold; the number of requests that were subsequently granted following engagement with the requester to narrow the scope of the request; and the costs associated with same. [36165/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach year, my Department is required to provide an update to the Office of the Information Commissioner on its Freedom of Information (FOI) statistics for the preceding year. This update includes details of the total number of requests processed by the Department, the types of requests, whether personal or non-personal along with details on how many were granted, part-granted or refused, any internal reviews processed and any associated fees charged in connection with the requests and / or the reviews. These statistics are compiled by the FOI Unit in my Department based on the reported final outcome of each FOI request to the unit by the relevant Deciding Officers in the Department.
Section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 sets out the elements of search and retrieval which may be charged for. In most cases, there are no search, retrieval and copying charges where the request relates to an individual’s personal records. However, the Act does allow that in situations where the request relates to a significant number of records, a charge may be levied having regard to the circumstances of the requester.
In general in my Department, where the estimated search, retrieval and copying fees in any request exceeds the maximum threshold, the relevant Deciding Officer engages with the requester to ascertain if the requester wishes to amend or limit the request in order to reduce or eliminate the charges that arise or are likely to arise under Section 27(1). This engagement and any subsequent amendments to the likely charges arising are not formally reported on to the FOI Unit by the Deciding Officers. Only the final outcome is reported on and subsequently communicated to the Office of the Information Commissioner and, therefore, the material request by the Deputy is not captured by the FOI Unit in my Department.
In addition to the above, the following table outlines the amount of Search and Retrieval Fees charged by my Department for processing Freedom of Information requests from 2014 to date.
|
Year |
Total amount of Freedom of Information Search and Retrieval fees collected |
|
2014 |
€146 |
|
2015 |
€123 |
|
2016 |
- |
|
2017 |
- |
|
2018 |
€100 |
|
2019 |
- |
|
2020 |
€554 |
|
2021 (to date) |
€462 |
193. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the €7 million that has been allocated since December 2019 to alleviate constrictions to the flow of water in the Shannon Callows between Athlone and Meelick has not been spent; the reason there is still no plan; the reason no planning permissions have been sought; the further reason no applications for consents and planning permissions have been sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36236/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWork is continuing in progressing the project for the removal of ‘pinch points’ in the Callows region between Athlone and Meelick. A project brief is in preparation for a project consultant to be appointed to identify and manage all of the activities that are necessary to progress through the planning process to enable the commencement of the works. A steering group is in place to oversee this project with its last meeting held on 14 June.
The pinch points works can only commence following the completion of the appropriate environmental assessments and following receipt of planning permission. As set out in my previous reply on this matter, the Government has noted the studies by the Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group that support a programme of strategic maintenance to help mitigate flooding along the Shannon and the removal of ‘pinch points’ in the Shannon Callows that can help to delay flooding in the area. The Government has agreed that the OPW will provide €7m for all of these works, of which €4m relates to the removal of ‘pinch points’ in the Callows region.
194. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the proposal for a shared Government data services centre as per the Recovery and Resilience Fund will be publicly run and not contracted out to a private provider. [36239/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe proposed new Government Data Centre will be a purpose-built facility owned and operated by Government. It will be built on state land and will be operated and managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on behalf of the state.
The new Government Data Centre will be developed at the Government’s Backweston Laboratory Campus in Celbridge, Co. Kildare, which currently comprises various facilities for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the State Laboratory.
This project is part of the Government’s ICT strategy which is focused on creating ICT shared services to support integration across the wider public service in order to drive efficiency, standardisation, consolidation, reduction in duplication and cost control. The Data Centre will provide the foundation and platform on which our digital reforms and transformations will be built.
The objective of the Government Data Centre is to deliver high-quality Data Centre facilities which are fit for purpose and are capable of meeting the Government’s requirements now and in the future. In doing so it will support and enable the Civil Service Renewal 2030 Strategy, the Public Service Data Strategy and the Government’s 2021 Digital Strategy and thereby provide a much better experience of Government Services for the people of Ireland.
195. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current plans with regard to flood defences in Leenane, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36465/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address. All Local Authorities may carry out flood mitigation works, using either their own resources, or by applying for funding under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme.
Under this scheme, applications are considered for projects that are estimated to cost not more than €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects. Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit ratio and having regard to the availability of funding for flood risk management. Full details of this scheme are available on www.gov.ie/opw.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Galway County Council has been notified that funding of €198,000 has been approved for an application submitted under the OPW Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection scheme for the construction of flood defence walls in Leenaun Village, Co Galway.
196. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost of placing the Office of Government Procurement on a statutory footing in 2022. [36468/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government has not bought forward legislation to establish the OGP on a statutory basis. Any costs related to placing the Office of Government Procurement on a statutory footing would be addressed within such associated legislation.
197. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount the Hunger Museum tour of Ireland cost the State. [35769/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraQunnipiac University has been a recognized leader in the study and remembrance of the Famine and has a strong record of academic excellence and artistic innovation in this area. In 2018, Qunnipiac University brought its exhibition entitled, Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger to Dublin Castle from March 2018 to mid-June 2018, the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen from late July 2018 through October 2018 and subsequently to Derry in January 2019.
I am advised that the organisers estimated the overall cost of the Exhibition and related programme was in the order of $800,000, some 75% of which was to be raised from private and public sources. While my Department had no involvement in the organisation of this project the organisers were provided with significant Government support as set out below.
In October 2017 the Minister of State for Diaspora Affairs Ciaran Cannon T.D. announced funding of $100,000 for this exhibition to be funded from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s diaspora affairs budget. I am further advised that the Office of Public Works provided material support to the project by their hosting of the Exhibition in the Coach House in Dublin Castle at no charge to the organisers which, while not involving any loss of income to OPW, represented a significant saving for the organisers of the Exhibition. In addition to the above my Department provided €10,000 to support related activities including a series of lectures and family activities, and a panel presentation to explore aspects of the Great Hunger in Ireland and its diaspora.
198. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to the fact that an organisation (details supplied) has gone without a full non-executive board of directors; if her attention has been drawn to any work to fill these vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35782/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAppointments to the board referred to by the Deputy are made by the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) following nominations on a 50:50 basis from each jurisdiction.
There are no vacancies within the roles due to be filled by the Irish Government at this time.
199. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Thomas Pringle den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an mbeadh sí sásta cruinniú a ghairm le coiste (sonraí tugtha) agus chun a fhiafraí dí fosta cén tacaíocht airgid a bheidh ar fáil do na mná tí; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [35814/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMar is eol don Teachta, rinneadh cinneadh i mí Bealtaine nach bhféadfadh coláistí Gaeilge feidhmiú den dara bhliain as a chéile mar gheall ar COVID-19. Rinneadh an cinneadh sin ar bhonn comhdhearcaidh tar éis dom mar Aire Stáit dul i ndáil comhairle le páirtithe leasmhara - idir lucht lóistín an chórais, lucht stiúrtha na gcoláistí agus lucht stiúrtha hallaí pobail ábhartha na Gaeltachta araon. Níor mhiste a lua gur chuimsigh an cur chuige sin ar fad an deis chun aighneachtaí i scríbhinn faoin ábhar a chur faoi bhráid na Roinne ag an tráth sin.
Agus an cinneadh á dhéanamh, tógadh san áireamh an imní shuntasach a bhí le sonrú faoi shláinte phoiblí agus faoi shábháilteacht theaghlaigh Ghaeltachta agus phobail áitiúla i dtaca le COVID-19 dá reáchtálfaí cúrsaí samhraidh.
Mar chuid den chur chuige a bhain leis an gcomhairliúchán agus mar atá luaite agam eagraíodh sraith cruinnithe ar líne a raibh mé féin agus feidhmeannaigh mo Roinne i láthair ann le hionadaíocht lucht lóistín chóras na gcoláistí Gaeilge. Is ar bhonn réigiúnach a eagraíodh na cruinnithe sin faoi leith agus cuimsíodh ar ndóigh ionadaíocht na mban tí atá bainteach le coláistí Gaeilge Ghaeltacht Thír Chonaill.
Ba é cuspóir na gcruinnithe ná tuairimí agus moltaí faoin ábhar a chloisteáil go díreach ó na páirthe leasmhara. In éindí le plé le hionadaíocht na mban tí ó na ceantair Ghaeltachta, bhí plé ann chomh maith ar ndóigh le scáthghrúpa na gcoláistí samhraidh iad féin, CONCOS chomh maith le grúpa ionadaíoch do na hallaí pobail Gaeltachta a mbaineann na coláistí samhraidh leas astu le haghaidh cóiríocht ranga agus siamsaíochta.
Bhí an plé sin ar fad thar a bheith tairbheach domsa mar Aire ags d'fheidhmeannaigh na Roinne agus chabhraigh sé go mór léargas níos fearr a fháil ar na deacrachtaí agus na tosaíochtaí comónta atá ag na páirithe leasmhara in earnáil na gColáistí Samhraidh ó cheann ceann na Gaeltachta.
De thoradh an phlé, tá obair idir lámha faoi láthair ag an Roinn i dtreo ciste cobhsaithe cuí a chur i dtoll a chéile don earnáil faoina dtógfar san áireamh mar is cuí - lucht lóistín, na coláistí iad féin, chomh maith le lucht na hallaí pobail Gaeltachta a mbíonn baint acu leis an gcóras trí chéile.
Maidir leis an ngrúpa a luaigh an Teachta, a tháinig chun cinn tar éis an phróisis thuasluaite, is féidir liom a dhearbhú don Teachta gur labhair feidhmeannach mo Roinne le Cathaoirleach an ghrúpa sin le gairid agus go bhfuil a n-éileamh á bhreithniú.
200. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Catherine Connolly den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán soiléiriú a thabhairt ar úinéireacht an tsuímh atá ar Eastát Údarás na Gaeltachta, ar an Tulach, Baile na hAbhann, i gContae na Gaillimhe ina raibh, Fintrax, an comhlacht a díoladh ar €1.8 billiún le gairid; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [35827/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá tugtha le fios ag Údarás na Gaeltachta go bhfuil an suíomh a bhfuil an Teachta ag tagairt dó in úinéireacht an chomhlachta ó 1998 i leith, tráth ar cheannaigh siad an suíomh ó Údarás na Gaeltachta agus ar thóg an comhlacht féin an foirgneamh air sna blianta ina dhiaidh sin.
201. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of applications for outdoor dining grants in each local authority; and the number of businesses that have received grants to date in tabular form. [35883/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra202. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of applications received and the specific locations involved in each application from each local authority to Fáilte Ireland for the weatherproofing and outdoor dining infrastructure scheme in tabular form. [35884/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together.
The two-strand Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme is being delivered in partnership between Fáilte Ireland and Local Authorities across the country. Part One of the Scheme (Outdoor Seating and Accessories for Tourism and Hospitality Services) is a grants scheme, supporting investment by individual tourism and hospitality businesses on?outdoor seating and accessories, which is administered and evaluated by the individual local authorities. Part Two of the Scheme (Weatherproofing and Outdoor Dining Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme), which is administered and evaluated directly by Fáilte Ireland, provides capital funding to local authorities for direct investment in weatherproofing and outdoor dining infrastructure.
With regard to the Deputy’s request for operational details of applications and grants under this Scheme, I have referred the matter on to Fáilte Ireland for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
203. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide the return to sport protocols for sports (details supplied); the reason for the removal of waste bins on golf courses and tennis courts; and the reason for the non-contact of participants with flagsticks in golf and other course equipment as part of the reopening of the sport. [35921/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile Sport Ireland and the Expert Group on Return to Sport have given guidance and assistance, the protocols to which the Deputy refers have not been developed by my Department. They have been developed by the relevant National Governing Bodies (NGBs), Golf Ireland in the case of golf and Tennis Ireland in the case of tennis, and are available on their respective websites.
The NGBs concerned will be in a position to advise the Deputy in further detail on the current status and specific rationales underpinning these measures.
204. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if emergency funding is available to support a club (details supplied). [35925/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes. Sport Ireland does not provide direct funding for clubs or individuals but channels the funding through the relevant National Governing Body of Sport (NGB). There is no mechanism by which Sport Ireland can allocate funding outside of this process. Sport Ireland also has responsibility for the recognition of sports in Ireland. Pigeon Racing is not a recognised sport in Ireland and accordingly is not eligible for financial support through Sport Ireland.
In relation to funding provided directly by my Department, the Sports Capital and Equipment 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. Full details of the Programme can be found at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie. The Programme does not fund pigeon racing however.
205. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of interest her Department has been charged for savings or other funds on deposit in Irish banks since negative interest rates were introduced by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35942/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe amount of interest my Department has been charged for savings or other funds on deposit in Irish banks since negative interest rates were introduced is NIL.
206. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she has received the 2020 annual report for the National Concert Hall, Screen Ireland and the Arts Council; and when same will be published. [35977/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department submits the annual reports and accounts of all State bodies under its aegis to the Government in advance of their being laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. These State bodies include the National Concert Hall, Screen Ireland and the Arts Council. In addition, it is standard practice that each of these bodies publish their annual report and financial statement once they have completed this process.
The timelines for the preparation and submission of annual reports and accounts of State bodies revolves around the completion of the audit of each body's annual accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) or by other auditors appointed by the C&AG. I understand that, as yet, the C&AG has not completed its audit of any of the three bodies in question.
207. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to the practice of Irish colleges charging administrative fees and retaining deposits of up to 30% in circumstances in which classes are cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions; if advice has been issued regarding the treatment of refunds and fees alongside grants provided by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35986/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has no role regarding the arrangements around fees and deposits charged or refunded by individual Irish summer colleges in respect of courses nor with the terms and conditions pertaining to same. The normal consumer rights in such instances described by the Deputy would apply and, notwithstanding that, parents/guardians experiencing such difficulties would be best advised to engage with the college concerned.
In the context of the role my Department does play in support of the sector, the Deputy may be aware that a decision was recently made by consensus, on foot of a consultation process with relevant stakeholders, that Irish Language Summer Colleges would not operate this summer due to ongoing public health concerns regarding COVID-19.
Preparatory work is in hand on the part of my Department to advance a stabilisation package in the overall interests of ensuring that the sector is enabled, insofar as possible, to make a full return in 2022 - subject to public health advice.
208. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will consider proposals (details supplied) with regard to the live music industry. [36029/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no plans to set up an agency as described by the Deputy. It would not be considered appropriate to seek to eliminate any element or elements of the sophisticated ecosystem that underpins the operation of the live music industry in Ireland. Such an intervention would constitute a State aid requiring EU approval that is unlikely to be forthcoming in the face of almost certain objections from the promoters and advertisers who earn their living in the sector.
209. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she is satisfied in the context of the freedom of information publication scheme that all logs are published and up to date in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2014; if not, the reason they are not published; and if she will update them as a matter of priority. [36133/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department publishes Freedom of Information disclosure logs online on a quarterly basis. To date, all logs up to and including the first quarter of 2021 have been published on my Department's website here - www.gov.ie/en/publication/57a3b-foi-logs/.
The disclosure log for the second quarter of 2021 is being prepared and will be published shortly.
210. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount collected on an annual basis since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced in respect of fees attached to freedom of information requests submitted to her Department. [36151/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra211. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of freedom of information requests refused by her Department since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced for the reason that search and copy costs would exceed the maximum threshold; the number of requests that were subsequently granted following engagement with the requester to narrow the scope of the request; and the costs associated with same. [36169/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 210 and 211 together.
Details of the number of FOI Requests received by my Department and the charging provisions applicable to such requests are available on my Department’s website at www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/42b27-freedom-of-information-foi/
Charges, if any, arising in the case of individual FOI requests are dependent on the nature of the request received. It is the policy of my Department to seek to assist requesters in minimising or eliminating costs where possible with a view to ensuring efficiency in the operation of the FOI legislation to the mutual benefit of the requester and the Department.
Following a review of FOI requests received during the period specified, the information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
Requests where Estimated fees were above the limit |
Requests granted / part granted following refinement |
Associated fees following refinement |
Total fees collected per year (Search and Retrieval & Internal Review) |
|
2014 |
0 |
N/A |
N/A |
€707 |
|
2015 |
6 |
1 |
€0 |
€232 |
|
2016 |
5 |
3 |
€0 |
€190 |
|
2017 |
2 |
2 |
€0 |
€150 |
|
2018 |
1 |
1 |
€0 |
€463 |
|
2019 |
0 |
N/A |
N/A |
€360 |
|
2020 |
2 |
2 |
€0 |
€498 |
|
2021 |
3 |
2 |
€0 |
€120 |
212. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will clarify the requirement for a valid licence agreement as per Criteria 6: Sharing of Facilities with Community and Clubs as part of the application process for the Large Scale Sports and Infrastructure Fund 2019 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36325/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Sports Policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) and the National Development Plan provided a capital allocation of at least €100m over the period to 2027 for the Fund. The first allocations were announced in January 2020 and to date, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals.
Applications were invited under two streams. Stream 1 concerned assistance in the development of detailed plans for projects while Stream 2 provides assistance for the actual construction costs.
One of the goals of the LSSIF is to maximise widespread community use of the projects being funded. It should be noted that the provision of license agreements was not mandatory for any application and the sharing of facilities was only one of the criteria used to assess applications. Of the 33 projects awarded provisional funding, 8 had a swimming pool element and one of these pools is located in Wicklow. Full details of the scoring system is available on the Department's website. It was to be expected that license agreements were more likely for Stream 2 applications as they were at a more advanced stage of planning. It should be noted however, that the two streams were assessed independently with separate allocations made under each stream. This meant that Stream 1 applications were competing with other such applications when the overall funding was being allocated.
While it is not proposed to open the LSSIF for new applications at present, my Department is currently undertaking a Review of the LSSIF. This Review is considering progress on all existing grants and whether any additional grants should be awarded including to previously unsuccessful applications. The timing of any new call for proposals is also being considered along with any possible changes to the assessment methodology. Any new allocations or a new call for proposals, will be dependent on receiving additional funding for the LSSIF following the completion of the review of the National Development Plan. It is expected that my Department’s Review of the LSSIF will be complete in the coming months.
213. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason live music has been banned; if she has considered reviewing the decision and providing additional supports for musicians and businesses in the music industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36361/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCOVID-19 is a highly infectious disease, which spreads when individuals and groups come into close contact with one another, enabling the virus to move from one person to another. In certain settings, such as live performances, higher noise levels due to music, can force people into close proximity or require them to raise their voices or shout to communicate thus increasing the risk of spreading virus to others. Such activities present a higher risk of transmission of COVID-19. Accordingly live music is not currently permitted. As the Deputy is aware however, Government will be reviewing COVID restrictions before the 19th of July and I secured the agreement of Government last month to review the restrictions on performances at licensed venues, such as restaurants, pubs and hotels.
In addition to reviewing the position in relation to live entertainment, on Friday May 28th the Government agreed pilot events will take place in June and July, depending on the epidemiological situation at the time and subject to the roll out of the vaccination programme.
My Department has worked with the Arts Council and a number of stakeholder engagement structures in place to support the development and delivery of those pilot events. The following events have taken place to date:
- Music concert in the Iveagh Gardens in collaboration with the National Concert Hall;
- Chamber Orchestra at University Limerick;
- Music Concert at the INEC in Killarney, and;
- Music Festival at IMMA;
Further events will take place across the course of the summer. These events will assist in safely charting a path back to greater levels of activity in line with developments in public health guidance over the coming weeks and months. Pilot events are necessary as a proof of concept for the safe management of events whilst COVID-19 is still circulating in our communities and in order to evaluate and build confidence in the COVID-19 guidance and event management protocols developed by the culture and sports sectors.
I remain firmly committed to the full return of all live entertainment at the earliest possible date, having regard to public health developments, and the pilot performances, together with a wide range of horizontal and direct supports for the sector, are all part of a suite of measures designed to sustain and support the sector in its recovery.
214. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 23 June 2021, if a list will be provided of each arrangement in place regarding the ownership and copyright of items of national cultural importance held in the national collections and by third-level institutions and private bodies in the State (details supplied) in tabular form.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36462/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra216. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 23 June 2021, the details of the process and bodies involved in deciding that an item is of national cultural importance and in entering and agreeing an arrangement regarding the ownership and copyright of items of national cultural importance held in the national collections and by third-level institutions and private bodies in the State, as referred to in her response. [36464/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 216 together.
Cherishing our cultural heritage is one of three core principles underpinning Culture 2025: the Cultural Policy Framework to 2025, published in January 2020.
In this regard each of the national cultural institutions under the aegis of my Department has its own policies in relation to the acquisition, ownership and copyright of items of national cultural importance held in the national collections.
My Department does not have responsibility for the day to day operation of the national cultural institutions and details of the policies in place can be obtained directly from the institutions.
Similarly my Department does not have responsibility for policies in relation to the acquisition, ownership and copyright of items of national cultural importance held by third level institutions. Details in relation to these policies can be obtained directly from those institutions or, where appropriate, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
