Results 2,481-2,500 of 5,767 for speaker:Olivia Mitchell

Sports Funding. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 110: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the additional funding that has been made available to the Irish Sports Council to prepare for the Olympics in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4986/08]

Sports Funding. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: While that is a lot of talk, it does not hide the reality that in this Olympic year the Irish Sports Council's allocation, in effect, decreased. While there is a €3.3 million increase in money terms on last year, that figure coincides exactly with the amount of money to go to the GAA players. It had been promised that this money would be additional. In effect, the Irish Sports Council,...

Sports Funding. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: That is all very well. It is possible to do anything with figures. However, can the Minister confirm that the allocation to the Irish Sports Council this year was €3.3 million more than last year, which is the precise amount of additional money to go to the GAA players? In effect the amount of money going to all sports, with the exclusion of horseracing and greyhound racing, has...

Sports Funding. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: I am asking about the allocation to the Irish Sports Council, which funds the Olympic team.

Sports Funding. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: The Minister is being disingenuous.

Sports Funding. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: It is an increase of €3.3 million — exactly what is going to the GAA players, which was supposed to have been additional money.

Sports Funding. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: It is an increase of €3.3 million no matter how the Minister explains it.

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 111: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the role he exercises in ensuring cross-departmental co-operation on issues relating to tourism policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4987/08]

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: I thank the Minister. Utter frustration prompted my question because I have no doubt, nor do I have reason to doubt, that what the Minister stated is true. As far as the Dáil is concerned, however, the reality is that no matter what question is raised in respect of tourism, the reply is that the Minister has no responsibility to the Dáil for the matter or it does not fall under his remit....

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: These questions may never reach the Minister's desk, but it is true that questions on agencies in particular are rejected. In his Ministry, all he does personally — I am not being insulting — is give out lottery money. There is an agency for nearly everything else. If tourism, sports, arts and culture are to be discussed in a real way——

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: I accept that, but we cannot raise these matters on the floor of the House and they are being rejected. I ask the Minister to bear this fact in mind because it is a cross-cutting Ministry that is full of agencies delivering——

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: I am not sure what Deputy Durkan had in mind when he tabled these questions but I think they are interesting as tourism has changed dramatically in recent months, given rising fuel prices, market fluctuations, currency fluctuations and changes in interest rates. Projections for this year have changed, as have marketing plans. At times of economic uncertainty discretionary money, such as...

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: Central Dublin is lacking a big hotel with enough beds to meet demand and this matter has been raised before in the context of the conference centre, which, hopefully, will be ready in the next couple of years. My daughter lives in London and she recently told me that her boyfriend's firm brought 300 young lawyers to Dublin for a bonding exercise, which is something big firms do nowadays....

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: There are enough rooms to cater for large groups but the only single hotel that can do so is Citywest Hotel and it, effectively, is not in Dublin.

Tourism Industry. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: They are all small hotels.

Arts Council. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: I have raised this issue before as have many others and I do not wish to labour the point. The Arts Council cannot plan if it does not have multi-annual funding. If the Arts Council cannot make plans then the groups it funds cannot make plans. The Minister and everybody else will know that any business unable to make plans will be inefficient. The money which the Minister gives the Arts...

Arts Council. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: The Minister seems to be missing the point. It is not that it would be more comfortable but rather it would be efficient. People are questioning why we proceed with building new arts facilities around the country — although everybody wants their own arts facility — when we are unable to provide performances in the existing facilities. Neither can the existing facilities make plans for...

Arts Council. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: I am quite aware of what is meant by current money and capital money. When money is not available for the day-to-day running of the existing facilities why then produce new facilities?

Arts Council. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: I think this is rubbish.

Museum Projects. (12 Feb 2008)

Olivia Mitchell: The question is incorrectly worded. However, this does not take away from the major point. Money from the NDP is earmarked for the Irish Museum of Modern Art. My question is when will this come on stream? When will decisions be made on the real need of the Irish Museum of Modern Art for additional facilities? How will the decision be made on how to proceed? The building in Royal Hospital...