Results 3,621-3,640 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Sports Capital Programme. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I am not an expert in contract law. However, normally contracts are binding unless the contract provides - as it sometimes does - a method of withdrawing from it.

Sports Capital Programme. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I could not tell the Deputy what precedents exist.

Sports Funding. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 110 together. Since 2001, Government support for the horse and greyhound racing industries has been provided under the horse and greyhound racing fund, which was established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001. In 2004, the Government put in place regulations to increase the limit of the horse and greyhound racing fund from €254 million to...

Sports Funding. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I cannot pre-empt what further decisions will be made on either tax or funding in the context of the budget and Estimates. I am certainly well aware of the arguments the Deputy has put forward. If she is expecting me to mark her card as to exactly what will happen, I regret I am unable to do that.

Sports Funding. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I can really only note what the Deputies have said and report it back to the Minister. Of course the equine industry is very important to the entire country. As the Deputy observed, it is particularly important to County Tipperary. Together the two industries employ approximately 27,500 people with approximately 80% in the horse industry and 20% in the greyhound industry. I was formerly a...

Arts Funding. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I presume the Deputy is referring to the commitment in the programme for Government in the context of retaining existing jobs and supporting viable but vulnerable businesses. This commitment is to continue the apprenticeship programmes at the national cultural institutions. The national cultural institutions operate various internship, apprenticeship and placement programmes, having regard...

National Library and Archives of Ireland. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The Deputy will be aware of the 2009 budget announcement of the rationalisation of agencies under the aegis of this Department to include the amalgamation of the National Archives and the Irish Manuscripts Commission into the National Library of Ireland to become the National Library and Archives of Ireland. In the case of this merger, the structure will become clearer when the necessary...

National Library and Archives of Ireland. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Broadly speaking, I accept the points being made by the Deputy, in particular, that the National Archives is under pressure, although it has had tremendous successes, for example, putting the 1901 and 1911 censuses online - the website has apparently had 125 million hits. I wish I could give the Deputy a timeline for when the legislation will be ready but I cannot add to the information she...

National Library and Archives of Ireland. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The policy decision is made by the Department concerned - in most of the cases we are discussing it is the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism - after which the Office of Public Works comes into play in terms of finding solutions, particularly space solutions and so on. A considerable amount of work has been done in the background in the past two or three years. The main issue, as with...

National Library and Archives of Ireland. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I am not disputing the Deputy's point.

National Library and Archives of Ireland. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Bodies such as the National Archives do not move with quite the same speed as greyhounds.

National Theatre. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 108 together. The development of a new national theatre project is a complex undertaking, with a myriad of technical, procedural and legal factors to address in making progress on it. The successful delivery of this project is a priority for my Department and the Government in the renewed programme for Government and the national development plan....

National Theatre. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Everyone would agree there is a critical decision to be made in this regard. A considerable degree of pressure has been taken off the Abbey Theatre following its recent refurbishment on the existing site. I understand the board is satisfied that the theatre will be able to continue for the next five or six years until a new site is developed, hopefully in time for the centenary of the...

National Theatre. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I make no attempt to deny that there has been a shift in the Government's position on this matter. I participated in a debate on this issue in the Seanad in June 2008 at which point the clear course being pursued was to locate the theatre at George's Dock. Since then, there has been a shift in thinking of which I became aware at a meeting with the Taoiseach, the Minister and the Secretary...

National Theatre. (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I have instructed it to examine the feasibility of locating the plans as they have been developed for the Abbey Theatre in the GPO as opposed to George's Dock.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I wish to share the last five minutes of my time with Deputy Cuffe.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The European Union Bill 2009 is essentially a legislative dotting of i's and crossing of t's, following the ratification by the people of the Lisbon treaty. Of all the challenges facing this country at present, the longer-term strategic importance of that decision is second to none. All the parties and civic organisations who worked for a "Yes" vote are to be commended, including our...

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: If political leaders in this House will not uphold the democratic institutions of the State, it is hard to know who will. While any political abuses must certainly be reformed and necessary reductions made in our political and administrative overheads and the cost of our democracy, it is high time we stood up to the denigration of this Parliament coming from certain areas of the media. A...

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Our Nobel prizewinners belong to Europe and the world, not just to Ireland. It would be no detraction from our Irish heritage, or indeed any other heritage, if the EU were to be more active in enhancing our common European heritage and if, instead of being perceived as a cold, self-interested political and economic project, it were, through culture, to become an overarching dimension of our...

Seanad: European Union Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Oct 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I recognise and appreciate that the Labour Party was opposed to the 2007 amendment which made it permissible in implementing regulations to provide for indictable offences. However, the issue was decided by the Oireachtas at that stage and is now law. Section 4 makes no substantive change to the position and simply reaffirms the arrangement in the new Lisbon treaty context. I regret,...