Results 6,221-6,240 of 7,777 for speaker:Joe Costello

Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: I welcome the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, to the House. I also welcome the opportunity to speak on the Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014, which deals with an issue that has been a passion of the Minister for some time. This legislation was included in the programme for Government and has been long sought by the Labour Party. Similar legislation has...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Taxation Collection (1 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: 63. To ask the Minister for Finance the number and percentage of households that have paid the local property tax in each of the postal districts in the Dublin City Council area; the average payment per household; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37270/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (1 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: 87. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will ensure that all persons who have received a certificate of naturalisation from her Department are registered in Iris Oifigiúil in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37269/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fund for Students with Disabilities (1 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: 156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, for the period September 2012 to August 2014, the institutions that have received funding via the fund for students with disabilities; the amount each institution has received; the number of students the funding is in relation to at each institution; the number of undergraduate students for which the institutions are...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: What is the procedure to be scheduled as one of the main contributors on the draft programme of work?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: I welcome the members of the delegation and congratulate them on the good work that has been done. Like Deputy Dowds, I stayed up until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. to watch him winning that famous silver medal in Los Angeles. It was a high point at that time.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: That marathon seemed to go on forever. I would like to mention three issues. I come back to the one raised by Deputy Dowds on the GAA, the IRFU and the FAI. From the figures presented, I note that approximately 20% of the organisation's budget is spent on those three big operations. What is the basis of the allocation? They are allocated roughly €2.5 million, €2.7 million...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: We could say that about all sports. There is no doubt about that, but we are talking about 20% of the overall allocation.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: We agree with all of what Mr. Treacy has said. That goes without saying. I was asking if the Sports Council has some criteria based on need in terms of the background of the people involved in a particular sport. I would extend that to boxing as well. Boxing is the other sport which is played by the Travelling community and people from disadvantaged backgrounds more than anywhere else,...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: I suggest that if the Sports Council does not already look at need that it might include it as a criterion for the future. Certainly, it would seem to be a very valid point.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: I thank Mr. Mulvey for his remarks and I am glad that need may now become a criterion in assessments in the future. In relation to some of the elite sports, I note that cycling has increased since 2010 by 202%, which is enormous. I am sure it has nothing to do with our eminent Taoiseach, who has also highlighted this sport, but a couple of elite sportspeople recently signed for the Sky...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: I thank Mr. Treacy for his clarification. On a related matter, to what extent can the Sports Council deal with the current situation of the former national headquarters of the soccer world in Ireland, Dalymount, which, although the witnesses might not be aware of the details, is considerably in debt? It is considering a merger between Bohemians and Shelbourne. The year 2020 is the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: Mr. Morgan is saying that the Department has the issue well in hand.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: Something in the region of €3 million would be required to secure the future of the stadium and of those two League of Ireland clubs. It would be of enormous benefit because Dalymount was the headquarters of the FAI, and the Aviva stadium-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: A joint location for these two big clubs would get rid of some of the problem; at least two of the problem children would be dealt with.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: I did not spend as much time on the constituency as my predecessor. Regarding anti-doping, the Sports Council spends about €1 million per annum on this area and it was stated that the council engaged 868 tests in the past year. It seems amazing that out of 868 tests conducted under the national testing programme, only three anti-doping violations were recorded. On an international...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: There were 431 out-of-competition tests.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: The out-of-competition testing is 50%.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: Can I take it from those remarks that out-of-competition testing has been increased? Can I take also that the proportion will be increased again?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Joe Costello: I thank Mr. Treacy. I will not delay on my last point. I note the merger between the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority is taking place and that the new body will be Sport Ireland. Can Mr. Treacy provide some information on the costs, consultants and location, and how it ties in with the lease on the Irish Sports Council's premises?