Results 3,301-3,320 of 5,767 for speaker:Olivia Mitchell

National Aquatic Centre. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 45: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the result of the promised benchmarking of the National Aquatic Centre's performance [i]vis-À-vis[/i] other similar facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8671/09]

National Aquatic Centre. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: The Minister knows my views on this facility. In 2007, the centre received a subsidy of €1.8 million, in 2008 it received a subsidy of €1 million and there is an overhang rates bill of €600,000 that has not been paid and is due. I discovered since we spoke about this last that as a result of a benchmarking process, the centre is entitled to an annual subsidy of €1 million, so I...

National Aquatic Centre. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: What about the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, if it gave the advice in the first place?

National Aquatic Centre. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: This has the potential to become a black hole. I am not going on anecdotal evidence as I went out myself to look at the facility. There were no more than 30 people in the facility, although the leisure facilities are probably relatively well used. The aquatic centre — the pool, diving area and lessons — is grossly under-used, no matter what the Minister is being told.

Arts Funding. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: We all recognise that money is tight and that there will be cutbacks. The purpose of these questions is to ensure that cutbacks will be made in a way that causes the least damage in terms of employment. I accept what the Minister said about the Western Development Commission's report. It is precisely because those jobs are dispersed throughout the country that is difficult to track what...

Arts Funding. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: I agree with the Minister. The importance of the arts goes beyond the importance of the jobs — important as they are. The only good news stories coming out of Ireland in the past six months have been from the arts, including the Oscar awards and the achievements of our writers, which is of great value to Ireland. While it is great that we now have so many regional arts venues, as the...

Tourism Industry. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: I welcome that the Minister is having those meetings because I believe a large part of the future of tourism lies in the cultural area as all the research indicates. I was surprised that so many bodies were involved which makes me wonder whether this area is so fragmented that it is inefficient. In addition I was surprised at the omission of others who would have had a big input into that,...

Tourism Industry. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: I have previously raised the role of the OPW with the Minister. It must recognise that we are all in this together and that these facilities must be made available. One of my colleagues recently went to visit Kilmainham with a bus load of people and was told — owing to the cutbacks I presume — that they would need to wait an hour and a half for a tour with the result that 40 people got...

Tourism Industry. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: While the OPW is not the Minister's direct responsibility, tourism is. I understand the OPW gets a budget to run its facility, pay guides and so on but it does not retain whatever income it takes in at the door so there is no incentive for the sites to either stay open even for the month of April, never mind a full year, or to open late. Will the Minister have discussions with the Minister...

Tourism Industry. (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Not enough people are meeting them.

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Second Stage (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Are there any other pots into which the Minister could dip?

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Second Stage (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Despite the evident lack of interest in this legislation, in many respects it is little short of cataclysmic. We would regard it as such in other times, although at this stage we may consider we have seen it all and cannot be shocked further. This is another sacred cow, self-evident truth and core principle being turned on its head and perhaps jettisoned altogether. I refer to the pensions...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (3 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 224: To ask the Minister for Transport the measures he will take in respect of the bonding arrangements for travel agents here based on the recommendations of the aviation commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8460/09]

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (10 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 184: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the many prospective adoptive parents who have selected Russia as their preferred country for adoption and the 1 May 2009 expiry date of the bilateral adoption agreement with Russia, she will ensure that an interim agreement is in place pending any amendment required under the Hague Convention; and if she will make a...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (10 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 299: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to plans to abolish the faculty of tourism and food at Dublin Institute of Technology, Cathal Brugha Street; his views on the implications for tourism of the fragmentation of this vital body of knowledge; if he has received representations from the industry in respect of this proposal; and if he...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (10 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 560: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to plans to abolish the faculty of tourism and food at Dublin Institute of Technology, Cathal Brugha Street; his views on the fragmentation of this vital body of knowledge; if he has received representations in respect of this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10001/09]

Leaders' Questions (11 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: We will tell the Government but the Government will not tell us.

Written Answers — Sports Funding: Sports Funding (11 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 153: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the annual subsidy to the National Aquatic Centre in each full year since it reopened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10358/09]

Written Answers — Electricity Grid: Electricity Grid (12 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: Question 10: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the motion of the undergrounding of the electricity grid passed at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis. [10458/09]

Pre-Budget Statements (24 Mar 2009)

Olivia Mitchell: It is disrespect to the House.