Results 6,941-6,960 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: There is no reason to believe we are not committed to them.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: In 2016, the overall sports allocation will increase by 40% to €126 million - a strong recognition by Government of the value of sport in all aspects of Irish society. The current expenditure allocation for the recently established Sport Ireland for 2016 is €47 million. This is an increase of €3 million on the total current funding provided to the Irish Sports Council...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: Even if people apply offline, they might not get a validation any sooner. It has not yet been decided when the applications will open. It has not been decided yet, but I think it will be in the new year.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I will answer that. I do not know from where Deputy Troy got the €300 million figure.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: There is a seven-year figure of about €300 million over the lifetime of the capital plan. It is not going to double next year or the year after, unfortunately. It would be great if it could. There is some concern within the Department about the Zika virus. My Minister of State will consult with the Chief Medical Officer to see what the health dangers are. The World Health...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: The sports allocation this year has increased quite dramatically. It has gone up from €25,500 to €42,200, so it has increased by €16,700. I am sorry I should have said it has gone up from €25.5 million to €42.2 million, so it has gone up by €16.7 million, which is an increase of 65%. That is a pretty good increase. I do not think any decision has...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: Yes. I will ask Mr. O'Leary to respond and I will come in after him.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I think I should acknowledge there are a large number of complaints. It is not just coming from members, it is coming from all over the place. I should acknowledge that there seems to be a problem as there are too many invalidations. I do not know what it is exactly. A help desk is available for all of these applications but I think it is something we could look at because of the volume of...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I will certainly look at the procedures because it is coming from Deputies from all parties all the time.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I am impressed by what members have said. The reality is that no decision has been made yet. It is a political decision which will be made by Minister of State, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, and me. We will make a decision very shortly. I will bear in mind what members have had to say.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: May I have one minute, please?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: A strong Exchequer funding commitment to the sector will be key to achieving the ambitions set out in the tourism policy People, Place and Policy - Growing Tourism to 2025. There is an additional investment in 2016 of €2 million in key elements of Fáilte Ireland's and Tourism Ireland's programmes along with continued capital investment next year and beyond to 2022. This funding...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: Sorry.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I thank members very much for their questions. A lot of them were comments, which are equally useful, to be honest, to hear what members' views are. Let me deal with Deputy Fitzpatrick's first. He talked about some of the cutbacks and the lack of funding in various areas. The tourism marketing fund went up by €1 million this year. On 8 June the Minister of State with...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I did not mean to say that.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: What has happened here - Deputy Troy can correct me if I am wrong - is that we have themed marketing projects now with the Wild Atlantic Way, Dublin's A Breath of Fresh Air and the Ancient East. Maybe we could suggest one or persuade the agencies that there could be a common theme in those counties which the Deputy has suggested might be neglected, although I do not think they are that...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: There are several themes which would be very attractive, such as the lake district of Ireland. It is a matter of selling it. There may be too many themes at the moment and we do not want to confuse people but it certainly has a specific and particular attraction which I am sure would appeal to people. Ireland's lakes have a huge range of activities to offer, such as fishing, and it could...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I would say that is true. With regard to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, I have the bid timetable. The applicant phase is from May 2016 until September 2016. The candidate phase is from November 2016 to June 2017, the evaluation phase is from June 2017 to November 2017 and the World Rugby class decision is November 2017. This is a very exciting project and it is a real runner. It will be...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I do not think the Government is going to take a position on French industrial relations. We could be looking for an awful lot of trouble, as the Deputy can imagine. However, he has voiced, very eloquently, the frustrations of people coming and going. It has driven people mad. Some people were left out of the European Cup because, having paid for flights, they were grounded on the day...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Shane Ross: I will of course. This is my first appearance before an Oireachtas committee and I apologise if I do not yet have all of the information the committee needs. I can say, genuinely, that for me it has been a very useful exchange because it is two-way traffic. I can give whatever information I have, which is limited, but I will probably have more next time I come or at least I will be more...