Results 4,321-4,340 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Arts Plan. (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I wish to thank the members of the arts in education committee who worked hard to present this report to the Arts Council and then to the Department. We have not yet completed our examination of the report but some of the recommendations must be discussed with the Department of Education and Science and the Arts Council before we would be in a position to publish the report. Some issues are...

Health Services. (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I am pleased to deal with this issue on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The Health Service Executive has informed the Department of Health and Children that the person referred to by the Deputy has transferred today, as the Deputy said, from the National Rehabilitation Hospital to the Hamilton Park Care Facility at Balrothery, Balbriggan. In the context of its...

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: In April last funding of €32 million was awarded to the promoters of 67 projects nationwide under the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme II (ACCESS II 2007-2009). The ACCESS scheme is designed to assist the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructure, thereby enhancing access to the arts throughout the country, including the border region. ACCESS has been...

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: My Department currently funds two different third level scholarships. Both scholarship programmes are of five year duration, and were put in place to honour the memory of two seminal figures in the Irish literary and arts philanthropy world. The details are as follows: The Beckett Scholarship for Drama, in the Drama School at Dublin University, Trinity College. The scholarship was put in...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 16 together. I am aware of the implications arising from the imposition of VAT on fees of non-resident performers. I fully understand and appreciate the concerns of the arts sector and indeed the huge impact this has on the not-for-profit arts sector. I intend to raise this issue with the Minister for Finance in the context of the 2008 Finance Bill and...

Written Answers — Sports Funding: Sports Funding (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, is the primary means of providing funding to sporting clubs, voluntary and community organisations towards the provision of sporting facilities at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. All applications received under the programme are assessed by my...

Written Answers — Film Industry Development: Film Industry Development (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The task of attracting international production into Ireland is dependent on a number of elements, not all of which fall within the sphere of influence of my Department or that of the Irish Film Board (IFB). Decisions to site a film project in a particular territory involve complex funding (the unfavourable exchange rate continues to affect the level of US production in Ireland), cultural,...

Written Answers — Sports Funding: Sports Funding (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Under the sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, grants are allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. One of the stated aims and objectives of the sports capital programme is to prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of facilities. Since 2002, it was decided that only those...

Written Answers — National Concert Hall: National Concert Hall (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 48 together. The position, as stated in my reply of 5th July 2007 to Parliamentary Question No.18, is that the redeveloped Concert Hall will incorporate a main auditorium with a seating capacity for 2,000 patrons, the existing auditorium, which will be retained as a rehearsal hall and a mid-scale public performance space, and a smaller flexible hall....

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Under the terms of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, the Contract Documents for the proposed new public swimming pool in Roscrea were approved in July, 2006, permitting North Tipperary County Council to go to tender for construction of the project. Details of the tender recommended by the County Council were received in my Department in April 2007 and have been cleared by the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Rates: Local Authority Rates (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The position in relation to this matter is that my Department has no responsibility in relation to commercial rates. I have not discussed this matter with the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, though representations received in respect of a particular club were forwarded to the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government for his attention. While that...

Written Answers — Sport and Recreational Development: Sport and Recreational Development (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and for increasing participation in recreational sport. The Council's basic philosophy is, therefore, one of inclusion and its Statement of Strategy recognises the potential of sport to be a driver for social...

Written Answers — Abbey Theatre Development: Abbey Theatre Development (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 55 together. It is of paramount importance that all necessary steps are taken to ensure that a project of this significance and complexity be properly organized and managed. In 2006 the Government decided to proceed with the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre at George's Dock on a Build, Finance and Maintain (BFM) basis. Arising from the Government...

Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 36 and 47 together. The Minister for Transport is currently finalising an Economic and Tourism Development Plan for the wider Shannon Airport catchment area. The Plan has been prepared in consultation with the Department of Finance, the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and my own...

Written Answers — Arts Promotion: Arts Promotion (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 106 and 107 together. Government Policy on the Arts is set out in the Programme for Government and will be elaborated further in my Department's Statement of Strategy. My policy on the arts is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts, and make the arts an integral and valued part of our national...

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The funding for Culture Ireland is being considered, along with that of all other agencies under my Department, as part of the annual Estimates process. The importance of the work of Culture Ireland has been recognised during its start up phase by a 50% increase each year since it was established in 2005 with an initial budget of €2m. The Government approved the establishment of Culture...

Written Answers — Anti-Doping Measures: Anti-Doping Measures (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: On the completion of an independent assessment of certain corporate governance and doping issues affecting Bord na gCon, conducted by Mr. Tim Dalton, the Government approved a number of specific actions to be taken. A number of the recommendations require an amendment of existing legislation and work is ongoing on the legislation to implement these recommendations. Bord na gCon is the...

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: The Report of the Tourism Policy Review Group, New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action, was published in September 2003. It set out a 10 year Strategy for the tourism sector and laid down ambitious targets for the industry namely, 10 million visitors per annum and €6 billion in foreign revenue earnings by 2012. Following publication of the New Horizons Report, a high level...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: Crime and measures to prevent and combat it are, as the Deputy is aware, matters for the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform and An Garda Síochána, with whom my Department liaises on a number of issues of common concern, as they arise. At the outset, I want to take this opportunity to extend, on my own behalf, on behalf of the Irish tourism sector and, I am sure, on behalf of all...

Written Answers — Arts Policy: Arts Policy (25 Oct 2007)

Séamus Brennan: I am pleased that under successive recent Governments, the Arts have moved from the periphery of Government policies to its core. I am committed to ensuring that they remain at the very heart of Government policy and central to our nation's well-being. I am also committed to growing the Arts and Cultural communities and, in doing so, to highlight, in particular, their significant...