Results 561-580 of 1,132 for speaker:Garret Ahearn

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Is that something that would be considered?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Most people would look at it in the sense that we are asking RTÉ to cut costs. Approximately 51% of the cost of running the organisation is staff. How can we do that without affecting staff?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: As part of the future of RTÉ, is the Minister confident it will support the independent production companies that provide good, independent content for RTÉ? That is obviously a concern. These companies employ people in Ireland. There will be a knock-on effect if RTÉ has less money in terms of things that are being produced and paid for by RTÉ. Is it still key for the...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: There is also the support of unscripted production. Is that something the Minister will look to support in future?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I mean as regards the tax breaks given to unscripted productions under section 481.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Is it something the Minister will consider, since we are making big changes within RTÉ? Is that something she thinks we should be looking at?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Has the Minister spoken to Revenue in relation to the licence fee and proposed changes being made to that, including talk of a possible household media charge? Has anyone from the Department had communication with Revenue on how that would work?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: The Minister said that RTÉ cannot fall. I totally agree with her there. At the same time, we are saying that conditionality would be put in, if we are going to fund it. How do both those statements make sense? RTÉ is putting a proposal to the Minister that it is looking for extra money to keep it going. The Minister is saying these are the conditions for giving RTÉ the...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: How do we enforce that conditionality if we are essentially saying we will not let RTÉ fall? I am not saying we should, but the ordinary person will say that just does not make sense.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Can the Minister see how there can be confusion in that we are not letting the organisation fall, yet we are putting conditionalities into public funding to support it?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I will let the others go first. I have a question but the Chair would have to be very lenient with me. It is not in relation to RTÉ. It is more of a local issue. If there is time at the end-----

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: It is a simple question. I was at a comedy club in Cahir in Tipperary at the weekend. It has been set up in the last couple of months by a guy called Tom O’Mahony. It is connected to RTÉ because he does the pre-show for “The Late Late Show” every week. He is a genius. A brilliant comedian. He is bringing the best comedians in the country to Cahir in Tipperary...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I welcome the new strict Cathaoirleach here today.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: The Cathaoirleach will notice that I will be very obedient.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I welcome the announcement yesterday in the budget for businesses and the funding the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has secured for the €250 million grant to be given to businesses in the first quarter of 2024. This grant will be half of the rates bill that they paid in 2022, up to €20,000. Of the €20,000 they had been paying in rates, they will be able to claim half of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I follow others in their congratulations to the junior certificate students on their results this year. I congratulate their parents and teachers as well. It is a very proud day for them. I will speak on education, so I have not moved topic at all, the Cathaoirleach will be happy to know.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I am learning. I acknowledge the announcement by the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, on Project Nore yesterday. Would the Leader agree that this Government has significantly invested in education, particularly in school buildings? Project Nore is a large-scale new building project of €250 million for seven new schools across the country – two in Mullingar, one in...

Seanad: Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022: Second Stage (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I will be brief because I pretty much agree with what Senators have said. I welcome the Bill. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him and his officials for the work they are doing. As Senators have said, this is an important Bill which has to be passed. There is always a fear about more cumbersome work that has to be done by multinational companies. Obviously, a large number of...

Seanad: Control of Exports Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I agree with Deputy Shanahan's request that we examine things regionally. I am from an area of the south east that the Deputy does not represent but it is still the same region. I thank the delegation for their contributions. I find it frustrating sometimes when we have meetings like this and are told that some of our questions cannot be answered because a consultation is taking place....