Results 20,441-20,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Abbey Theatre (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Deputy Upton almost contradicted herself. We are awaiting the results of the feasibility study because we want to discover whether the relocation might be possible. There are issues which arise in the context of size and scale. There is also the fact that approximately 25 retail units are located in the GPO and these all have commercial leases. All of these issues would require to be...

Arts Funding (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Question Nos. 11 and 16 together. I wish to reassure Deputies that the Government appreciates the importance of the arts, culture and creative industries to Irish society and to our economy. We are conscious not only of the role of the sector in providing vital opportunities for self-expression and participation but also of the economic potential of the arts and creative...

Arts Funding (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I accept all the arguments made by the group. The campaign was designed not just to protect the budget but also to inform public opinion and unite all the arts groups. They had not done this in the past but they were challenged to do so by the McCarthy report last year, and this has been a benefit both to the groups and everybody else. Instead of seeing each other as competitors, the...

Arts Funding (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: We do not need to carry out such an assessment as we recognise that approximately 50,000 people are employed in the sector, either directly or indirectly. It is about the economy and the contribution to society. I will certainly be making that case for the budget. I am going to Ballaghaderreen in the morning to speak about culture, the European Market for Tourism at lunch and the GAA...

Arts Funding (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Yes.

Job Creation (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Haughey, Minister of State with responsibility for lifelong learning. I would like to thank the Deputy for raising the matter. He referred to a specific case on which I am not able to comment. In the prevailing economic circumstances, the Government's priority in response to the number of people who are unemployed has...

Written Answers — Sport and Recreational Development: Sport and Recreational Development (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I am currently considering the draft National Sports Facilities Strategy 2010-2015 which has been completed within my Department. Prior to finalisation, the draft strategy was circulated for comments to relevant Government Departments and other bodies and has been amended to take into account the comments received. A decision on the publication of the strategy will be taken when I have...

Written Answers — Genealogy Archives: Genealogy Archives (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The National Archives has now completed the digitisation of the 1911 and 1901 Census. The mammoth project involved digitising the census returns for those years and background material and making it searchable on-line by all of the available data fields, such as name, address, occupation, religion, relationship to head of household, etc. The project has been developed in several phases - the...

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Since the publication of the Report of the Tourism Renewal Group in October 2009, my Department has been driving progress on key measures in line with those in the Framework for Action, focusing initially on the Survival Actions, in conjunction with the tourism agencies and other relevant Departments and bodies. For example, building on the Renewal Group's Framework for Action along with...

Written Answers — Arts Plan: Arts Plan (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I am acutely aware of the potential, impact and importance of the culture sector, in its widest sense, as an economic driver. Culture represents an essential element of our identity, profile, confidence and place in the world. As I have stated before, on assuming this portfolio, my general policy on the arts, culture and the creative industries is to promote and strengthen them, and increase...

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Question Nos. 17, 24, 42, 188, 189 and 195 together. It is the policy of the Government to develop and support the tourist industry in partnership with those bodies, such as the Irish Hotels Federation, the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, that represent tourism businesses. Despite the difficulties in our public finances the...

Written Answers — Sport and Recreational Development: Sport and Recreational Development (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The national audit of sports facilities is currently being finalised. Phase one of the audit focused on national and regional sports facilities and has been completed. Phase two involves the compilation of a list of facilities at local level, which is a more complex undertaking. Phase two commenced in 2008 with the assistance of local authorities in conjunction with an audit of arts...

Written Answers — National Aquatic Centre: National Aquatic Centre (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: A lease for the operation of the National Aquatic Centre, which was constructed by the former Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited (CSID), was agreed in April 2003 between CSID and Dublin WaterWorld Ltd. As was provided for under the VAT legislation in force at that time, a VAT invoice for €10,254,600 was issued to Dublin WaterWorld Ltd. upon the creation of this lease. As this...

Written Answers — Video Game Industry: Video Game Industry (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 26 together. A Strategy Framework Group for the Audiovisual Content Production Industry was established by my Department last year. This Group will assist in providing a clear vision and strategy for the future of the industry and a response to an ever-evolving market place. The computer and video games sector is an important subsector of the...

Written Answers — North-South Co-operation: North-South Co-operation (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Promotion of particular regions as tourist destinations is a matter for the relevant tourism agencies. The work is primarily undertaken by Tourism Ireland in respect of overseas promotion and Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in respect of domestic promotion. In terms of meetings between Government Ministers from the North and South, these meetings take place on a...

Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 34 and 44 together. Under the Sports Capital Programme, funding is allocated to sporting and to voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Given the current budgetary situation and the high level of outstanding commitments it was considered prudent to pause prior to announcing the next round of the...

Written Answers — Broadcasting Services: Broadcasting Services (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is statutorily required to consult with me before making an order or amending an order to list events of major importance which must be available on free television service. I have made a written submission to the Minister on this issue and I intend to engage further with the Minister prior to the Government taking a decision on...

Written Answers — National Archives: National Archives (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: As I have explained in response to a similar question on 29th September 2010, the position is that the National Archives has the three following travelling exhibitions in store. · "A Nation and not a Rabble" – Ireland in the year July 1921 – June 1922 · "The Calamitous Fire" – the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland, June 1922 · "Lovers of Liberty?" - 100...

Written Answers — Cultural Events: Cultural Events (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Culture Night 2010 took place on the 24th of September last in 20 locations throughout the country, with some 500 cultural venues remaining open until late in the evening to provide the public with free access to the various collections, workshops and other events. Culture Night has grown from a relatively small scale cultural event staged only in Dublin in 2006 to the significant national...

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 31 together. The current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, operated by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport provides grant aid to a maximum of €3.8m to Local Authorities, towards the capital cost of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. Where a project is being undertaken by an organisation other than...