Results 621-640 of 12,487 for speaker:John O'Donoghue
- National Aquatic Centre. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Until the proceedings are determined, the provisions of the lease will continue to apply. As I already said, the National Aquatic Centre re-opened for business on 20 May 2005.
- Abbey Theatre. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I have no statutory responsibility for the Abbey, which is operated by the National Theatre Society Limited, a private company limited by guarantee. My Department maintains liaison with the Abbey at various levels, and I have been briefed on recent developments regarding the theatre's finances and financial accounts. State subvention to the Abbey is provided by the Arts Council, which is a...
- Abbey Theatre. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I confirm that I described the governance arrangements at the Abbey as Victorian. The theatre is owned and operated by the National Theatre Society Limited, a private company limited by share capital whose shareholders are the nine members of the board of directors and no fewer than 23 others who are now collectively termed the advisory council. The term "shareholder" when used publicly...
- Abbey Theatre. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I agree fully with Deputy O'Shea's observations. I cannot defend the errors, nor do I seek to do so. My aim is to ensure there is no recurrence of such errors and I feel sure that in placing an official of my Department on the finance committee I am making a positive contribution. In addition, we have asked consultants to examine the procedures which were extant at the Abbey with a view to...
- Sports Capital Programme. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The national lottery-funded sports capital programme administered by my Department allocates funding to sporting, voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Applications for funding under the 2005 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December last and the...
- Sports Capital Programme. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I remind Deputy Cowley that Ballycroy field management was allocated a grant of â¬30,000 under the 2002 sports capital programme to help fund the construction of a multi-purpose sports area, clubhouse and installation of floodlighting. The grant was fully paid early in 2004. It applied unsuccessfully under the 2004 programme and I understand it has made a new application under the 2005...
- Sports Capital Programme. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Deputy Ring suggested this morning that I am seen more often in his constituency than in the House. I will be in Ballinrobe next Tuesday night and if I have no winner after the first three races we will drop out and have a look at the place. In any event we will give it consideration.
- Abbey Theatre. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: As I have previously informed the House on a number of occasions, I was authorised by Government to invite expressions of interest by way of public invitation from the private sector in participating, on the basis of a PPP, in the capital redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre in and-or around the vicinity of the site of the existing theatre. With successive proposals for redevelopment of the...
- Abbey Theatre. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I welcome Deputy Deenihan's comments. I hope we will be in a position to go to Government shortly to seek a final decision in this regard. I am grateful to the Office of Public Works and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority for their work. If the site is finally approved I would consider it an appropriate one for what is a great national cultural institution. I have said on many...
- Repatriation of Archives. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: In 1922, the departing British authorities removed considerable quantities of records from the Chief Secretary's Office in Dublin Castle to the Irish Office in London. While some of these records dated back to the mid-19th century, it is believed that most were concerned with the early 20th century. Unfortunately, it is understood that a large portion of the transferred records were destroyed...
- Repatriation of Archives. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I will inquire into the intentions of the British National Archives regarding this matter and find out what it has done. It is fair to say that prior to the development of modern technology, there was a very strong case for the return to Ireland of at least some of the records of the chief secretary's office now held in the British National Archives at Kew, although this was always likely to...
- Tourism Industry. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 14 together. I refer the Deputies to my detailed reply to Questions Nos. 89 and 114 on 10 May last about progress on the implementation of the two-year tourism action plan. The seven key barriers to tourism development highlighted by the tourism action plan implementation group in its most recent progress report centre on concerns about competitiveness,...
- Tourism Industry. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I thank Deputy Gogarty for his comments. I appreciate the constructive manner in which he approaches questions on tourism. Walkways are the responsibility of the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs because they are connected to rural development. He set up Comhairle na Tuaithe which it was hoped would resolve outstanding issues between landowners and the tourism industry. We...
- Tourism Industry. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I am not dismissing the figures, but they relate to specific goods so the survey could not possibly be an accurate reflection of the average cost. Some 97% of visitors to the country have stated they would recommend Ireland to a friend, which is very encouraging. I am not denying Deputy O'Shea's contention that there is a competitiveness issue. Of course there is and I am the first to...
- Tourism Industry. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: On the smoking ban, as mentioned by Deputy Finian McGrath, this is not a negative factor at all. In fact the indications coming back are that it is positive. Far from people recoiling from the country as regards this issue, Ireland has set a precedent for other countries, which will all be following in due course.
- Tourism Industry. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: These are the indications. We carried out a survey before the introduction of the smoking ban in the American market, to find that it is a positive feature. As regards the question of competitiveness, I have outlined my position. Offering value for money to visitors is an issue. To be fair, the industry is responding well to the challenge. Surveys are carried out on a regular basis by Fáilte...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 11 together. My Department has an excellent, long-standing and productive relationship with the Institute for Leisure and Amenity Management, ILAM Ireland, with regard to the network of high quality, appropriate and sustainable leisure sports facilities available throughout the country. My Department and ILAM have co-operated in various initiatives over...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I am pleased to endorse the initiative ILAM has undertaken which I welcome and commend as an important instrument to promote the highest standards in facility management and maintenance to meet today's requirements. To that extent, the initiative is welcome. As I stated, I indicated informally to ILAM that I did not envisage any direct role which would be appropriate for my Department in what...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I hope I would be able to do so.
- Swimming Pool Projects. (16 Jun 2005)
John O'Donoghue: As I indicated in replies to similar parliamentary questions on the subject on 1 December 2004 and 17 February 2005, the local authority swimming pool programme administered by my Department has been closed to new applicants since 31 July 2000. Moneys provided under my Department's multi-annual capital envelope for the programme are being committed to completing projects being progressed...