Results 4,681-4,700 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The Tourism Action Plan Implementation Group was established by my predecessor in January 2004 and its work concluded in January 2006 on completion of its third and final progress report. The purpose of the group was to review and report progress on the implementation of the Report of the Tourism Policy Review Group "New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action". My predecessor...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tabular statement. Number of Departmental posts to move to Killarney by the end of 2008. 131 Number of Departmental posts decentralised at December 2007 70 Numbers of staff assigned to decentralising posts but have not moved. 16 The number of staff assigned that are new recruits to the Department i.e. recruited directly...

Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The National Trails Office (NTO) established in the Irish Sports Council, has responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the Irish Trails Strategy, a cross-sectoral initiative that seeks to enhance the health, well being and quality of life of all Irish residents and attract many more visitors from around the world. The NTO developed the Strategy with the aim of creating and...

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: It is not clear whether the proposed school of music is a commercial or not-for-profit organisation. My Department provides capital funding for arts and culture infrastructural projects and normally funds only not-for-profit and voluntary organisations. While Government support for the Arts is generally channelled through the Arts Council, which is a statutorily independent body, under the...

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: Government support for the arts is generally channelled through the Arts Council, which is a statutorily independent body, under the Arts Act, 2003, and is independent in its day-to-day operations, including in relation to its funding decisions. The provision of funding for the organisation referred to by the Deputy is the responsibility of the Arts Council. I have no role in relation to...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The company referred to in the Parliamentary Question ceased to exist from midnight on 31 January 2006. It was replaced with immediate effect by a new company called Abbey Theatre Amharclann na Mainistreach (the "Abbey Theatre"). The main purpose of this company is to continue the tradition of the Abbey Theatre as the national theatre of Ireland for the purpose of acting and producing plays...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: Irish Genealogy Limited (IGL) was registered with the Companies Registration Office in September 1993 and continues to operate. The main objects for which the company was established were: (a) to provide information on the genealogical and settlement patterns of areas in the island of Ireland; to stimulate education about the heritage and the environment of the island; to foster and...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: Since its establishment in June 2002, my Department has not employed, through open recruitment, any full time specialists in the area of information technology procurement or capital project evaluation and management. There have been no IT procurement specialists seconded between the Department and the private sector.

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (13 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: There have been no instances of compulsory purchase orders being used by my Department since 2005.

Written Answers — North-South Co-operation: North-South Co-operation (14 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: North South cooperation on tourism has been ongoing for a number of years and continues on a regular basis between the relevant Departments north and south and the respective tourism agencies. As the Deputy will be aware, tourism was specifically identified in the Good Friday Agreement as an area of cooperation. Even before the Agreement however, there was significant co-operation in...

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (14 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, which is administered by my Department, provides grant aid to a maximum of €3.8 million towards the capital costs of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of an existing pool. There are four principal stages in developing a swimming pool project following the submission of a feasibility study. These, in order of progress,...

Written Answers — Employment Statistics: Employment Statistics (14 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 128 and 131 together. The Deputy will be aware that I have no direct responsibility regarding the compilation of employment statistics. I am, however, informed by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) that the information requested by the Deputy is not available. The CSO has informed me that, while it compiles extensive statistics on employment, sectoral...

Written Answers — Employment Statistics: Employment Statistics (14 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 130 together. At present there is no definitive measure of the number of people directly and indirectly employed in the arts and cultural sector of the economy. The Central Statistics Office does not currently publish figures specifically for the arts and cultural sector and I intend to pursue this issue with the CSO. In the meantime, I am...

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (14 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: As the Deputy will be aware, the compilation of statistical data relating to economic activities in the State is primarily a matter for the Central Statistics Office. Fáilte Ireland produces an annual summary of Tourism Facts. The most recent year for which full data is available is 2006. According to Fáilte Ireland, in 2006 out-of-state tourist expenditure, including spending by visitors...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (19 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: There are eight members of the Board of the National Coaching and Training Centre. The Board is appointed by the Irish Sports Council.

Written Answers — Percent for Art Scheme: Percent for Art Scheme (19 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 391 together. My Department provides capital grants for the development of arts and culture infrastructure around the country. One of the conditions of this funding is compliance with the Per Cent for Art Scheme. It is a condition of all capital arts funding that prior to the final grant payment being made project promoters must provide evidence of...

Written Answers — Financial Management Systems: Financial Management Systems (19 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The Financial Management System used in my Department is Oracle E-Business Suite — Oracle Financial Applications, and is maintained and run by the Financial Shared Services of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Killarney, Co. Kerry under the terms and conditions of a Service Level Agreement. The subscription fee for the software in 2008 will be €9,900 and this will be...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (19 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: While I have a keen interest in Eircom League football and in particular, the role it plays in encouraging participation in sport at local level, I did not have the opportunity to attend an Eircom League of Ireland match in the relatively short period between my appointment as Minister and the end of the season in November 2007. I hope to be in a position to attend some matches during the new...

Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (19 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I have been assured by South Dublin County Council that the Contractor is ready to resume the works on the stadium within weeks and it is hoped that the first phase can be completed before the end of this year at an estimated cost of €9m. Phase One will see the completion of the stand on one side of the pitch with a seating capacity of 3,000, the playing surface, changing rooms and showers...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (19 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: In the Budget 2008, my Department was allocated €1.5 million from the Dormant Accounts Funding under Subhead C7 of my Department's Vote. This funding was part of €42.75 million allocated in the 2008 Budget from the Dormant Accounts Fund across a range of Votes. As I stated in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 12th February 2008, my colleague the Minister for Community,...