Results 41-60 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Sporting Facilities. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I agree with the Deputy. There is great value for money available at the moment. Facilities that might have cost X plus Y a few years ago will only cost X today. That is to the benefit of those who are building them and to the Exchequer.

Irish Horse and Greyhound Racing Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I refer the Deputy to Question No. 64 in the name of Deputy Upton in which I outlined my views on the future funding options for the horse and greyhound racing sectors. I have provided a copy of the Farrell, Grant, Sparks review of the horse and greyhound fund to the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, of which the Deputy is a member.

Irish Horse and Greyhound Racing Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: When we recently spoke about this at the committee, I said to the Deputy that the French Government is involved in the same process and we are liaising with them to come up with a solution. It is very hard to disentangle, because the process is the very same whether gambling takes place over the telephone or on-line or wherever. Everybody in the industry has been willing to make a...

Irish Horse and Greyhound Racing Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy smiles and she is right. While a tax on turnover may be somewhat onerous, the figures that have been suggested to me for a contribution in comparison to what is bet bear no resemblance whatsoever. That is just not acceptable and we must be realistic. It is in the interests of the industry to work with this and come up with a solution. Some members of the industry are coming to...

Irish Horse and Greyhound Racing Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I would be keen to do that, but I need a firm workable proposal to put to them in order to do that. I met with them all and I have heard their ideas-----

Irish Horse and Greyhound Racing Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I am sure we have all received the same documents and messages. I would be open to tweaking some proposal in way that is acceptable to the industry in general. It is a very important and successful industry, and it will have to make its contribution to its own funding. The general Exchequer funding cannot continue to do that. We are still getting substantial funds for the industry, but...

Film Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 70, 80 and 85 together. I take this opportunity to congratulate the five Irish nominations for academy awards which were announced recently. This is a wonderful achievement of which all of the Irish audiovisual industry should be proud. It is also worth pointing out that three of the nominations were for projects that were funded by the Irish Film Board....

Film Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: The industry had a role in the sense that the audiovisual sector, which embraces the entire film sector, receives a strong mention in the programme. I envisage opportunities to develop film distribution and associated activities into something akin to the International Financial Services Centre, albeit not on the same scale. One of our foremost film directors, Jim Sheridan, indicated to me...

Film Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I have no difficulty agreeing with the Deputy. It is extraordinary that the chap who has been nominated for an Oscar was nurtured and his skills incubated in Ballyfermot. This shows that the sector has the ability to reach across all sections of society and that enormous talent is available. We must, however, find pathways for people to access the necessary training and education skills....

Film Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy raises an interesting question. The use of tax breaks can be very positive, although they have not always worked and may have been available for too long in some areas. Nevertheless, it is wrong to take a general view that no tax breaks should be provided. I agree with Sir Gerry Robinson that we must be able to compete internationally, as we do through section 481, and must be...

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 148 together. The development of a new national theatre project is a complex undertaking. There are a myriad of technical, procedural and legal factors to address in making progress on it. The successful delivery of this project is a priority for my Department and the Government in the renewed programme for Government and national development plan. A...

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: It will have to if it is to meet the target date because it will very much form part of the 2016 celebrations. We have an obvious target date. The main reason for moving it, and I have looked at many aspects of it, is the type of training facilities a modern national theatre needs. It needs a minimum of two theatres for training etc. as well as all the ancillary facilities. The...

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: It was felt strongly by those in the Abbey Theatre that they would like to move to a greenfield site or a new large site that affords a fresh start with all of the necessary facilities. Ironically, the GPO has that because there is only the shell at the front and the side; the rest of it is an enormous space that can be made available and demolished. It is a significant space. It was not a...

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I had a figure; I thought I gave it on the last occasion. It was not-----

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: Yes. It was not overly significant and as I said, the specification and everything else has been agreed, and that was scaled. There was an enormous amount of changes, argument and debate about scale, size, what was and was not required etc. and all of that has been completed. At this point I would hope to have this report very quickly. I want it. I have asked the Office of Public Works...

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: The general view of people in the Abbey Theatre comes back to what Deputy Mitchell said. The bottom line is that they want a new theatre with all the modern facilities, and they want it done. If it is to be done in the GPO I have had no huge objection expressed to me about. There is a rationale for it and the bottom line is that we should get on with it and build it because we have been...

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: Absolutely.

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: That would be the intention, Deputy.

Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I have not had a negative view expressed to me in discussions. It is a State company. I have no doubt that a nostalgic view would be taken with regard to the GPO but we must make the right decision for the country. I believe everyone would accept there is no need to have a post office of that scale in the middle of O'Connell Street but historically it has a role in that location. I agree...

Tourism Industry. (17 Feb 2010)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 73, 75, 76, 84 and 153 together. The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show a reduction of 12% in the number of overseas visitors to Ireland for the first 11 months of 2009 compared with the corresponding period of 2008. Tourism worldwide saw a significant downturn in the second half of 2008, which continued into 2009, due to the global...