Results 3,421-3,440 of 10,862 for speaker:Matt Carthy

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Matt Carthy: 227. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the allocation to offset the additional cost to farmers resulting from mandatory EID tagging of cattle is intended to fully or partially offset the cost for those farmers who do not reach the schemes cap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59292/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: I thank the Minister for being here. Like a Dublin bus, we have had two visits from the Minister in succession, so I thank him for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: No problem. How is the allocation to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund arrived at? We are all on the record in this committee in agreeing that both sectors are incredibly important. The figure brought before us this year is a reduction on last year, but it in itself was a substantial increase on 2020 and the reason cited was the Covid emergency. The figure is still a €4 million...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: That essentially is my question. Obviously, both organisations would make claims in terms of what they would like to get but I assume there is more depth in terms of the consideration given as to what is actually provided. Am I correct in saying that it would be rare that both organisations would get exactly what they want?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: How is it that on an annual basis the agreed funding to the greyhound board is precisely 20% of the overall funding? I would imagine that both the HRI and Greyhound Racing Ireland would have different priorities in different years. In that context, is it not an unusual circumstance that the funding is divided in such a precise way, regardless of the mitigating factors in one sector or the other?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: It is set in regulation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: The Minister has, under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, the power vary the percentages that are specified by way of regulation. Is that correct:?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: Is the Minister satisfied that the 80:20 ratio should be considered a foregone conclusion on an annual basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: I am not disputing the fact that prize money makes an impact. What I am asking is whether this level of funding could make a greater impact or a more positive impact. No matter what way we set out the figures and the numbers, the facts speak for themselves. A huge proportion of the prize money goes to a very small number of players. I was stunned in recent weeks, when this was raised by...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: I thank our guests for being here. I want to touch briefly on RTÉ. Am I correct that the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is the Department that RTÉ deals with in regard to requests for increases in the licence fee?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: In the discussions around the licence fee are there any deliberations or conversations in regard to the expenditure of moneys that RTÉ is currently in receipt of?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: I am more concerned about the accountability for moneys that are already allocated under the current system, as mentioned earlier by one of Ms Licken's colleagues with regard to, for example, the issue with Revenue. Is the Department happy with the process that is in place? Is Ms Licken satisfied that an adequate process with regard to salary structures, employment status, etc., was not in...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: Ms Licken said "when issues are identified". What process is in place to identify issues, particularly in regard to employment contracts?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: In terms of the governance, how does that work with regard to employment contracts? Would that issue be raised at governance meetings?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: We appear to have lost contact with Ms Murphy. Am I correct that the issue with regard to bogus self-employment did not arise as a result of the governance meeting structure that was in place?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: That is what I am trying to find out. Can Ms Licken point to the annual report wherein RTÉ outlined the issue with regard to the dispute over self-employment status of its staff?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: In terms of the governance structures, which Ms Licken mentioned are in place, including the annual report and the audit reports, can she point to which audit report or annual report highlighted the issue with regard to the potential outlay to Revenue with regard to the employment contracts?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: I thank Ms Licken for that. In that regard, in terms of the current governance meetings, how many times a year would those meetings take place?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: Who attends the governance meetings?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Chapter 7 - Oversight of Funding for the European Capital of Culture 2020 (25 Nov 2021)

Matt Carthy: With whom does that officer meet?