Results 7,201-7,220 of 7,556 for speaker:Catherine Martin

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Industry (21 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: Fáilte Ireland maintains tourist accommodation registers as provided for under the Tourist Traffic Acts. These include accommodation types such as hotels, guest houses and youth hostels but do not include a number of tourism accommodation types, including bed and breakfasts. Bed and breakfasts have played a key role in welcoming visitors from around the world to Ireland for more than 50...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: State Bodies (22 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: My role and that of my Department in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy development and in securing resources to assist the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in implementing that policy. The matter raised is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred this question to that agency for direct...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Advertising (23 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: My Department in its current configuration was formed in June 2020, following the formation of the Government. I have been advised by my Department that the total spend on online advertising, specifically, for the time period 2020 to date is €238,738.96, including VAT. Advertising online takes place across a variety of platforms which comprises of Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram,...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Cultural Institutions (29 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: My Department recognises that the wide and inclusive access to the arts is essential to the wellbeing of our society and in bringing together communities with shared enthusiasm and interests. This was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, and our National Cultural Institutions strove to strengthen relationships with many organisations across the country by sharing pieces from...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Schemes (29 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: The Programme for Government: Our Shared Future included the interest to develop innovative support schemes for amateur drama, and musicals. In this context, I appreciated that the Arts Council provided funding to the resource organisations that support the amateur drama and musical societies: for example Drama League of Ireland was funded by the Arts Council, €135,000, with support...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Culture Policy (29 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: The proposal set out in The Programme for Government Our Shared Future to consider creating a new National Town of Culture competition was substantially superseded by the Covid-19 pandemic and the responses to the recommendations that emerged from the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce, including the Basic Income for the Arts research programme, increased support for professional arts...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (29 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: A key deliverable of the European Capital of Culture designation was the development of a legacy framework to sustain and build on the capacity, networks and opportunities arising from the cultural programme of Galway 2020. A Performance Delivery Agreement is in place between my Department and the Galway Culture Company to ensure the appropriate oversight of the implementation of the legacy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: I am well aware of the challenges facing artists, and many other people, in accessing affordable accommodation in Ireland. Improving housing supply and improving affordability is a priority of the Government as set out in the Government’s housing policy Housing for All as led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This multi-annual, multibillion euro plan aims to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: Some of the statistics quoted by Deputy Ó Snodaigh are on foot of the research for the basic income for the arts pilot scheme. This shows its value. As I have said, the research element of it was of equal importance as the actual payment itself because we are gathering information on the real lived experience of artists. As I said at the conference, it seems that the issues that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: I thank the Deputy. I referred earlier to the increasing resources for the arts sector. These have really been in part a recognition of the increase in the costs, including the increase in the costs of accommodation. It is also worth noting in this regard that increases in support for these measures in my time as Minister has actually greatly outpaced inflation and represents a significant...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: I thank Deputy Munster. Public service media are a key pillar of our society and, in particular, of our democracy. This has never been more apparent than over the past number of years from maintaining cultural, educational and social engagement during Covid restrictions to countering disinformation through trusted content. They must, however, be supported with adequate resources through a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: We have the recommendations from the expert advisory committees, EACs, but we are waiting for the implementation plan. RTÉ committed on the day the recommendations were published to accept all of them in principle, but I do want to see the implementation plan. I gave six weeks for that. It is to be available towards the last week of June. I just need to see that. The discussions...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: Yes. I allowed a period of six weeks.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party work collaboratively and have done so for the past four years, so there is-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: There is no issue at Cabinet level. There is no dictatorship and we work collaboratively on this. We are absolutely united in taking this decision before the summer. The Deputy asked about the implementation plan. We gave six weeks. We need those concerned to outline how the recommendations in the plan will be actioned. There are some recommendations for the Government itself, so I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: The decision will follow shortly thereafter. We are not waiting for the Cabinet meeting to keep the discussions going. As discussions are ongoing, I hope to move as quickly as possible, with a decision no later than the summer recess.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Promotion (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: Meath and Louth are included in the Ireland's Ancient East Regional Tourism Development Strategy 2023–2027 launched by Fáilte Ireland in May 2023. This roadmap for the tourism industry and all stakeholders involved in tourism in the region will help to navigate through the current challenges and steer a course towards a sustainable recovery and continued success. The plan sets...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Promotion (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: The importance of the tourism sector to the Irish economy and communities in every corner of Ireland is well understood. It is recognised that the use of tourist accommodation to support the Government's response to the humanitarian crisis has impacted the sector. In budget 2024, the Government allocated a total of €216 million in funding for the sector, which will allow for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Promotion (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: The sports capital announcement of €250 million is the largest ever investment in sporting facilities nationwide. It represents a 50% increase on the previous round. As the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I stated yesterday, it means that all applications for valid projects will receive positive news. We expect that to happen in the early autumn. That is really a signal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Television Licence Fee (30 May 2024)

Catherine Martin: Absolutely and I stand by that. We had to wait for the expert advisory committee reports to land and they were delayed. This is the only reason. It has absolutely nothing to do with the local or European elections. I am absolutely determined to take the decision we made at Cabinet, with a recommendation from the Government, before the summer recess because public service media is critical...