Results 141-160 of 24,181 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: We have not compiled any reserve list at the moment. Compiling any reserve list will be contingent on us securing additional funding to be able to do that. That is something we would then look at in the context of having additional funding. There is hope. We want to see more projects move on and more projects built. We intend to continue with this fund and have future rounds of it. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a general approach that they have to use it if they want to keep it. That is the approach we will be taking. However, we are at the stage now where they have been awarded. We are looking to work with them. Some of them are at different stages. We want to see them get to fruition. That is our objective. We will be working with them to try to get drawdown and get them moved on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Not in the short term. We are not going to keep it on the never-never because we do not want funding held up whereby other projects could be proceeding. That is something we will monitor closely. We expect all of those who have received funding awards to get a move on and to move ahead with their projects.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: We want to see everyone participating in sport and having the opportunity to participate. Sport Ireland has published guidelines for national sporting bodies, but there are different approaches taken by sporting organisations internationally as well. It is a role for each national governing body relating to their policy on the issue,as long as they are working in conjunction with the Sport...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: I want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in sport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Sport Ireland has guidelines which each national governing body follows regarding participation around-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: There are not any currently. We want to ensure that everybody gets the opportunity to participate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: That is something we want to see as part of every tournament we host. It is about improving participation. There are benefits for the wider economy and from a tourism point of view. Each time we do something, we want to see it have a wider benefit too and particularly benefit the sport and the participation in sport. We are examining that, for example, in the context of golf at the moment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy is a very strong advocate for the post office network and the impact it has on local communities. He is certainly right. The three-year agreement that is coming to a conclusion at the end of this year has been really important to maintaining the post office network. The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that remains the case. This is going to require continued...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: I cannot get tickets.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: A lot of work is going on. A steering group is co-ordinating across Departments and is also working with Limerick County Council. It is under the chairmanship of a former Secretary General to the Government, Martin Fraser. The group meets regularly and is making progress. Most recently, a director has been employed in the Department to make sure it moves forward. He is taking on the role...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: They have been considering the nuts and bolts of how it would all come together. There is a lot involved to bring all three organisations together, but everyone is committed to it and I have been assured that it is progressing well, and work is continuing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: We met a couple of times to discuss it and go through it thoroughly. We have committed almost €1 million towards an overall audit of where things are at the moment. That will inform how we go forward. That work is ongoing. Auditors were appointed and are engaging with clubs and the FAI across the country to get a full assessment of the current situation. There is undoubtedly a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: It is something we want to consider further particularly in relation to the infrastructure in place. There are gaps in swimming pool infrastructure across the country. I am open to working with the Senator and Deputy Byrne on how to progress that and make sure young people have access to lessons through school system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Sports infrastructure in this country has been transformed in the past generation and bears no resemblance to what it was 30 or 40 years ago. It is incrementally improving at a significant rate but there are significant gaps across different sports. Due to the success we are seeing in participation at underage level but also in lifelong participation and equality of representation, there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Update on Departmental Priorities and Legislation: Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: We are certainly pushing hard to secure additional funding. We have to make sure the projects funded at the moment move on. That is key focus in the short term. We also want to reopen it in as prompt a timeframe as we can and, if we can secure additional funding in the meantime, see how additional projects may be able to move forward but that is subject to additional funding. We are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Swimming Pools (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy was published in August 2024 and it sets out a vision to provide everyone in our country with an opportunity to swim. The working group tasked with developing the Strategy consisted of representatives from my Department, Swim Ireland, Sport Ireland, Active Disability Ireland, Ireland Active and the local authorities. The resultant Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), benefitting over forty sports, as well as multi-sport facilities, throughout the country. This represents the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland. In line with previous rounds of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Events (2 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: One of the first major international sporting events held in Ireland was the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 1998 and I would of course welcome its return to this island at some point in the future. It would be a real showcase for the spectacular scenery that Ireland has to offer, including in the south east. Major international sporting events can play a key role in increasing...