I have received communication from the promoters and have recently informed them of my role and that the administration of grant funding and decisions in this regard are solely a matter for Fáilte Ireland.
In relation to their application to Fáilte Ireland for support under the Innovation Fund, I understand that Fáilte Ireland have informed the promoters verbally and by e-mail that the project did not meet the criteria for funding but that other logistical support would be considered.
]]>These vacancies would, in the absence of the moratorium, have been filled through the Central Applications Facility (CAF) under the decentralisation process, through the Public Appointments Service, Interdepartmental panels or through internal promotion. They would not have been advertised by the Department as it does not recruit directly.
]]>The terms and conditions of the Programme also require that grantees in receipt of funding over a specified level must enter into a Deed of Covenant and Charge in order to protect the Minister’s interest and ensure that the property remains in sporting use. A deed of covenant and charge provides, inter alia, for a refund of the grant in the event of the facility not continuing to be used for the purpose for which the grant was allocated. The Department’s legal adviser, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office – CSSO - deals with the grantee’s solicitor in ensuring that these issues are satisfactorily resolved before grants can be paid. The current position is that the CSSO will write shortly to the grantee in question’s solicitor outlining the outstanding issues to be resolved.
]]>Regarding the particular challenges facing the Mid-West, as the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for developing tourism in specific regions is a matter for the Tourism State Agencies. An extensive range of marketing, product development, festival and sporting events, training and business supports are being put in place by these Agencies this year under the Tourism Services budget of the Department. Including capital allocations for product investment and other tourism development expenditure, the overall Tourism Services Budget stands at over €153m for 2010 - an increase of 3% on 2009. This increased allocation of public resources in the current difficult budgetary situation is clear recognition by Government of the important role that the tourism and hospitality sector will play in Ireland’s economic recovery. €44.25m is being provided this year for the Tourism Marketing Fund. Within this fund, funding for regional campaigns is being maintained at 2009 levels – including the promotion of the wider Shannon Airport catchment. This will allow Tourism Ireland to continue to promote the mid west vigorously and extensively through its ongoing global marketing activity and through specific, additional campaigns undertaken for the region in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Great Britain.
In 2010, Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, will partner with businesses in the Mid West and Shannon region to help them grow their turnover, cut their costs, better manage cashflow and restructure their debt burden through a range of practical business supports. Furthermore, Fáilte Ireland’s range of 2010 activities - a new home holiday campaign, overseas regional marketing in key markets, capital investment in tourism projects, product development, business tourism promotion, festivals and events supports – will benefit tourism in general including the industry in the Shannon region. Finally, the Department’s direct funding to Shannon Development has been maintained at its 2009 level. I am confident that the necessary supports are in place to ensure that the target of returning Irish tourism to growth in the short term will be met and the Mid-west region will also benefit from the positive supports as outlined above.
]]>This Department observes the Department of Finance Guidelines for Engagement of Consultants in the Civil Service. Consultants are only employed by the Department in circumstances where specialised knowledge or expertise, which is not available in the Department or elsewhere in the public service, is required for a temporary period or where a specialist study/project must be completed within a very short time scale. In that context, I am satisfied that the consultants engaged represents good value for money.
Consultancy | Purpose | Year | Expenditure € |
Raymund Burke Consulting | Independent evaluation of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme Expenditure Review | 2006-2007 | €3,355 |
O’Herlihy Communications | PR Consultancy for the Department | 2007 | €15,245 |
Systems Dynamics Solutions Ltd, | To set up a database to record the results of a public swimming pool usage survey. | 2007 | €6,775 |
Séan Cromien | Review of operation of the Heritage Fund Leading to revised updating legislation | 2007 | €8,800 |
Q4PR | PR /Media services for Culture Ireland in the US | 2007 | €15,245 |
CHL Consulting | Review of The James Joyce Centre | 2007 | €17,000 |
Indecon International Economic Consultants | To research and prepare an economic evaluation of the benefits to Ireland arising from the proximity of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games | 2007 | €113,845 |
Jim McCaffrey | Mediation Consultancy | 2007 | €2,000 |
Q4PR | PR and Communications for Culture Ireland | 2007-2008 | €72,000 |
Holohan Leisure | To provide consultancy advice in relation to an analysis of sports facility provision in the development of a strategy for sports facilities | 2007-2008 | €113,740 |
DKM Economic Consultants | Update of the Cost Benefit Analysis for the National Museum at Collins Barracks | 2008 | €3,145 |
Farrell, Grant, Sparks | Review of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund | 2008 | €19,440 |
Raymond Burke Consulting | Evaluation of Irish Sports Council Value for Money and Policy Review | 2008 | €3,265 |
Anne Bonnar | To review the current proposals to combine the National Gallery of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art and Crawford Art Gallery while retaining their separate brand identities. | 2009 | €8,675(excluding VAT) |
DKM Economic Consultants | Economic impact of the Cultural Sector | 2009 | €12,090 |
Arts Council - Price Waterhouse Coopers examination of Artists Exemption Scheme | Consultancy Services | 2009 | €12,150 |
All rates quoted are inclusive of VAT unless otherwise stated
]]>New and Developing Markets, such as India and China, are potentially of significant importance to Irish tourism. Tourism Ireland, which is responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas, conducted a review of New and Developing Markets (including India, China and 17 other markets) that was completed in late 2007. This review found that visitors from these markets stay twice as long as the average holidaymaker, have the highest spend per visit, have a higher propensity to travel throughout the island of Ireland and make significant economic contributions to many elements of the tourism sector. It also highlighted the potential for increased tourism from Asia and the Middle East and set significant targets – to attract a total of 475,000 visitors from New and Developing Markets by 2013. While these targets were set in a very different global economic context, they highlight the long-term potential of these markets.
Obviously, to fully exploit the opportunities presented, Ireland needs to be competitive on all fronts. Visitors from these countries typically require visas to enter Ireland. I am advised that the ability of potential visitors to secure the necessary visas in an efficient and cost-effective manner, when compared with our competitor destinations, is an important element of our competitiveness. In that context, the Recovery Actions recommended by the Tourism Renewal Group in its Framework for Action put forward a number of options to explore, having regard to the complexity of immigration policy and administration.
My Department has engaged with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in relation to these and related issues on an ongoing basis, most recently while following up on the Report of the Tourism Renewal Group.
The Deputy will appreciate that migration and border controls are complex and sensitive, affecting not only tourism of various kinds but also labour market policies and inward investment, within the overall context of sovereignty. However, I am confident that, working in partnership, the immigration authorities and the tourism bodies can ensure that the visitor experiences of Ireland compare with any of our competitors.
]]>Information in relation to the blood donation campaigns is circulated periodically in the Department in Dublin and transportation to the D’Olier Street clinic is organised by the IBTS for staff of the Department who wish to donate.
Posters and flyers supplied by the IBTS are displayed and circulated in the Department’s building in Killarney in advance of blood clinics arriving in the area to encourage staff to donate blood at the clinics.
Staff who donate blood during normal working hours are not required to clock out.
]]>A network of 33 LSPs have been set up throughout the country by the Irish Sports Council (ISC) to coordinate and promote sport at local level especially amongst specific target groups such as older people, girls and women, people with disabilities, unemployed people, and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities. The special dormant accounts funding was in addition to the annual funding provided to the LSPs by the ISC for programmes and initiatives aimed at increasing participation in recreational sport.
Of the €2.5 million allocated from the dormant accounts fund for the SIDO scheme, €800,000 was provided through my Department’s Vote in 2008 and over €1.3 million in 2009. The final provision of €395,000 from the dormant accounts allocation is included in the 2010 Vote of my Department.
The continued funding of the SIDO scheme is being considered by the ISC in the context of the distribution of its budget for 2010.
]]>Primary responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The Arts Council are funded by my Department but are independent in their day to day operations, including funding decisions. The allocation to the Arts Council for 2010 is €68.649m.
Under the ACCESS programme, my Department is responsible for the provision of capital monies for arts centres, galleries, theatres, etc. In 2008 and 2009 €52m was expended in respect of such facilities. A further €16m is allocated in 2010 for regional arts capital projects throughout the country. Many of these projects are already under construction and will be completed in 2010. Under this scheme €580,000 has been allocated to the Lantern Municipal Gallery in Kildare. This project has not yet commenced. A list of the successful ACCESS II projects and the amount of grant aid allocated to each project is available on my Department’s website.
]]>Under the Sports Capital Programme (SCP), which is administered by my Department, and part funded from the proceeds of the National Lottery, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country.
While no decision has been made on the timing of the next round of the SCP, €48 million has been provided in my Department’s Vote in the 2010 Estimates to cover payments to be made from the C1 subhead, out of which grants are paid for the provision of sports and recreation facilities in respect of previously awarded grants. It is expected that all of this funding will be distributed to sports clubs and organisations this year.
As the drawdown of outstanding allocations is dependent on the timely receipt of invoices and other documentation from the grantees it is not possible to predict the exact amount of SCP drawdown from any county during a particular period of time.
The figures for expenditure under the SCP on projects funded under the programme up to and including 2008 for each of the last three years are set out in the table:
Sports Capital Programme | ||
Year | Total Expenditure | Kildare |
2009 | €58,738,337 | €1,654,421 |
2008 | €60,137,146 | €687,451 |
2007 | €63,719,986 | €1,031,964 |
The information sought in relation to the exact amount spent on indoor facilities under the SCP is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.
Under the Local Authority Swimming Pools Programme (LASPP) a provision of €7.5m has been made in 2010 which will be sufficient to meet existing commitments under current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, including payments of €761,842 for projects funded in County Kildare. No decision has been made on the timing of a new round of the programme.
The figures for expenditure under the LASPP for each of the last three years, for County Kildare and for the whole country, are set out in the table:
Local Authority Swimming Pools Programme | ||
Year | Total Expenditure | Kildare |
2009 | €11,670,434 | Nil |
2008 | €20,448,420 | €4,801,336 |
2007 | €27,786,790 | €2,055,250 |
In relation to tourism-related funding for festivals, in accordance with the provisions of Section 8(1) of the National Tourism Development Authority Act, 2003, it is a day to day matter for Fáilte Ireland to encourage, promote and support either inside or outside the State (a) the development of tourism traffic within and to the State and (b) the development and marketing of tourist facilities and services within the State.
In relation to the provision of arts-related funding to organisations involved in festival activity, under Section 24(2) of the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council shall be independent in the performance of its functions.
I am advised by Fáilte Ireland and the Arts Council that the numbers of applications for funding in relation to festivals are as shown as follows:
Number of Applications for Festival Funding | |||
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
Fáilte Ireland – Festivals and Cultural Events Initiative | N/A (1) | National: 47Regional: 152 | National: 47Regional: Not yet available (2) |
The Arts Council – Festivals and Small Events | 335 | 332 | 163 (to date) (3) |
Notes
(1) Figures are not readily available for the total number of applications to Fáilte Ireland under the Festivals and Cultural Events Initiative in 2008. However, the number of festival awards for that year was as follows:
(a) National: 64
(b) Regional: 185
(2) Data on the number of applications in 2010 for festival funding to Fáilte Ireland at regional level is not yet available as the deadline has not yet passed.
(3) Under the Arts Council Festival and Small Events Programme in 2010, 163 applications have been received to date. As round two is still open, no final definitive figure is available.
]]>On 5 April 2007 the contract for the provision of a National Conference Centre in Dublin was awarded to Spencer Dock Convention Centre Dublin Ltd. Under the public private partnership arrangement, Spencer Dock Convention Centre Dublin Ltd, is required to design, build and finance the National Conference Centre and to operate and maintain it for a period of 25 years, after which the facility will revert to the State. In return, once the construction of the Centre is complete and it is open for business, the State will pay the Company an annual charge, the maximum total cost of which over 25 years will be just under €380m in present day values.
]]>All recognised National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) now have access to Garda vetting through the Irish Sports Council. National Governing Bodies are now implementing vetting across their organizations, on a phased basis, based on their own needs and priorities and their capacity to manage the process.
The Irish Sports Council provides support to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to implement the recommendations and policies of the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in Ireland. NGBs are required to comply with these requirements in order to access ISC funding but as Garda vetting is only recently available to NGBs this compliance has not yet been extended to vetting. However, the ISC would hope to make Garda vetting a requirement for NGBs in order to secure ISC funding, in next year’s applications.
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