Results 24,041-24,060 of 24,065 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: 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: Sports Organisations (3 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). These programmes provide for investment in sports facilities across a wide range of codes including rugby. The funds do not support the purchase of land and I confirm that my Department has not provided funding for the...

Seanad: Post Office Network: Statements (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Members for the invitation to speak on such an important topic. I welcome the postmasters’ representatives to the Visitors Gallery. As we know, the post office and postal network play an integral role in the economic life of our country and in facilitating delivery from SMEs and other businesses to consumers. However, I also recognise that post offices have an...

Seanad: Post Office Network: Statements (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank all the Senators for their contributions. The very large turnout of Senators, the fact so many are still present in the Chamber and the number who came in to contribute to this debate very much reflects the esteem in which the post office network is held, not just in the political system but in the minds of local communities. I also thank the Irish Postmasters' Union...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Facilities (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: The development of football is fundamentally a matter for the FAI, which, like all National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs), is an independent, autonomous body that is responsible for the organisation and development of its own sport. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to explore new mechanisms for the creation of football academies with the FAI and the League of Ireland....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Organisations (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Increasing participation levels in sport among all cohorts is a key objective of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and is a priority for me in my role as Minister for Sport. Increased funding secured for sport in Budget 2025 has resulted in record levels of core funding for sporting organisations. €18.3 million is being invested in the National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs)...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: The Programme for Government sets out an ambitious future for sport in Ireland where equality of access and opportunity is a key theme. Inclusion and diversity is an absolute priority for me in my role as Minister for Sport. Increased funding secured for sport in Budget 2025 enabled Sport Ireland to appoint a Disability in Sport Lead in February of this year. The creation of the post...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Swimming Pools (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy sets out a vision to provide everyone in our country with an opportunity to swim. It includes an Action Plan containing over 50 actions across five thematic strands, focusing on providing improved facilities, increasing access for people with disabilities, improving the culture of inclusion, better coaching supports, increasing safety...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Organisations (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Equality, diversity and inclusion are a key focus for me in my role as Minister of State for Sport. The Programme for Government commits to supporting the sporting ecosystem so more people can participate, reap the benefits of sport, and fulfil their potential from grassroots right up to high performance level. This will be achieved through a range of measures including continuing to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Legal Cases (9 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: The organisation referred to by the Deputy was provisionally allocated €170,259 from the 2023 Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF) towards works for an artificial surface. The club should submit the necessary grant agreement form to my Department in order to progress the grant approval and my officials will engage with the organisation on the grant approval process and on the matter...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Facilities (8 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: The Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) provides that, if the land owner is entitled to apply for CSFF funding in its own right, then the landlord must make the application on behalf of the sports user. In relation to the application referred to by the Deputy, grant funding of €45,981 was provisionally allocated in 2024 to Fingal County Council, as the land owner, under the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Organisations (8 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: In relation to the first part of your question on funding, Sport 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. I have referred this part of the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply in relation to the figures sought by the Deputy. I would ask the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (8 Jul 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory agency with responsibility for planning, leading and coordinating the sustainable development of competitive and recreational sport in Ireland, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes. Sport Ireland does not provide direct funding for clubs or teams as it provides funding to the National Governing...