Results 8,661-8,680 of 9,844 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: There are various initiatives Sport Ireland does in terms of high performance, facilities at its campus and women in sport. All of that is important. We are saying clearly to the national governing bodies that if they do not have a minimum of 40% of either gender – let us face it; it is women basically – on the board, we will look at the funding. There will be significant...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The GAA has said it will do it. The Deputy is a prominent GAA member himself and I encourage him to encourage the organisation to comply with this provision, because it must happen.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: We do not want to be in a situation where we must cut funding, whether this be funding from Sport Ireland or from other sources. Frankly, however, the organisation's members will not like the fact that it has not got 40% of women on the national governing board.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: At the moment, we are very much taking a carrot approach. We are encouraging people to do this. We have seen the IRFU say it will do this. An FAI board member resigned on the basis that a woman would be appointed in his place. I have also spoken to the GAA and made this point clearly. It is extremely important.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: We have not worked out what the sanctions would be. What I have said is that there would be significant funding cuts.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I think this is fairly strong. We have just not set out exactly what these sanctions will be, but they will be significant. I honestly think, though, that it is in the best interests of organisations to do this. Boards and organisations in general will be better with this diversity, as will sport itself. I do not think, frankly, that members will accept anything else and this is not an...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: This is a new initiative the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, was very keen on having and that I would be there as a Minister of State linking the two Departments. There are many positive linkages we can have. Basically, this is about what the Deputy has said, namely, increasing participation in sport and physical activity. This is the really important part. Physical education...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: No, I do not mean to say there are negotiations going on. It is just that there has not been a Minister of State in either Department with special responsibility for physical education. It is, therefore, just a question of trying to get the different strands in the Department of Education together to deal with physical education. That Department is not set up on a structure based on...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The Department of Education provides its infrastructure. However, schools can apply under the sports capital programme in partnership with sports clubs. There are a number of examples of that. We have seen difficulties with that at times because sometimes the owners of schools, which, generally speaking, are diocesan trusts, are unwilling to sign the necessary paperwork to make an...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Some of the sport projects are demand led. Clubs might not have come in with a final request to draw down money. They might have been allocated money in previous years. It is for local and regional projects and it is on the clubs. The money has to be kept.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: It is earmarked already.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: No, I have not. We will have it as soon as I complete discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We are finalising a review of the previous programme, which was very successful. We are looking at what we can do even better. Once we get agreement from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I cannot commit to that but certainly it is our desire to do it fairly quickly.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: That is the question under discussion at present. The point is that the last round, which has been drawn down to only a very small extent so far - that is normal - was the most successful ever, and the most money was given out to communities throughout the country.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: No, it was €150 million.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: It was allocated in the last round at this time last year. The clubs, in their own time, complete projects. I do not have the exact figure in front of me but what would be normal is that 10% to 15% would be drawn down in the first year. It can go on for a long time in some cases. There is a very small percentage of clubs that never finally complete the drawdown, for whatever reason. This...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Sorry, the total was €166 million. The €150 million was strictly for capital and there was another €16 million for equipment.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tourist Accommodation (15 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Martin. The Deputy has raised the issue of support measures for businesses and individuals dependent on seasonal tourism that may be adversely affected by the reduction in capacity this season due to hotels and other tourism accommodation being used to house international asylum...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tourist Accommodation (15 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Again, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The work that has been done by the State and the people in welcoming refugees, particularly from Ukraine, over the past year has given a tremendous reputational boost to this country and that will have impacts across the economy and society to the benefit of everyone. We have done the right thing and we will benefit from that, apart from...

Seanad: Teacher Supply and School Places: Statements (15 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Tá áthas orm an deis seo a bheith agam chun tacaíocht a thabhairt don Aire Oideachais, an Teachta Ní Fhoghlú, ar na hábhair thábhachtacha seo maidir le soláthar múinteoirí agus áiteanna i scoileanna dara leibhéal. Ensuring that our children are taught by qualified teachers is a priority issue for the Department. We have heard the...