Results 8,841-8,860 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen
- Written Answers — Benchmarking Awards: Benchmarking Awards (18 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: Under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, the social partners agreed that 'benchmarking' would be an appropriate way of determining public service pay rates in the future. The process allowed for the evaluation, by an independent body, of public service jobs and pay by reference to comparable jobs in the private sector. The report of the first benchmarking exercise was...
- Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (18 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: Under the Sports Capital Programme, which is administered by the Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The aim of the Programme is to maximise participation in sport through the provision of modern high quality, safe, well-designed and sustainable facilities and sports equipment. The provision of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: The average sick absences in the Department, including the National Archives, over the last two years are as follows: 2006: 6.75 days; 2007: 9.88 days. The calculations include a small number of long-term sick absences that serve to inflate the figures somewhat. The data in respect of the previous three years is not readily available due to major restructuring of the Department in May 2005...
- Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (18 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 to 377, inclusive, together. Under the sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Since 1998, over â¬725 million has been allocated to over 7,400 projects across the country. Some 1,453 applications were...
- Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (18 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to this Department, since its establishment in June 2002 is set out hereunder: Consultancy Purpose Year Expenditure ⬠Jenny Haughton Co-ordination of Irish Participation at the Venice Artist Biennale, 2002 2002 8,000 Mr G. D Bye Review of News plan Microfilming Unit, National Library of Ireland 2002 4,000 Marketing Edge Ltd....
- Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (18 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: The Deputy will be aware that allocations under the 2008 Sports Capital Programme were announced in July last. No decision has yet been made about the timing of further rounds of the Programme. Under the Sports Capital Programme, which is administered by the Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country....
- Arts Funding. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: As the Deputy will be aware, under measures introduced in the 2009 budget, all Departments and State agencies are to achieve a range of reductions and savings in 2009, both on pay and non-pay expenditure, and the Arts Council is no exception. These include a 3% reduction in the level of its 2008 pay bill, while also meeting the cost of the recently negotiated second pay agreement under...
- Arts Funding. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: It is nothing like that.
- Arts Funding. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: I do not accept what the Deputy said and she would not expect me to. There should not be any effect on organisations throughout the country. It has been made clear to the Arts Council that the administrative reduction of 3% in its budget should come from within its own staffing and administrative requirements, which are substantial. That might be difficult in these times but we all face...
- Arts Funding. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: The Deputy should not believe everything she reads in the newspapers.
- Arts Funding. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: Deputy Mitchell well knows that last point is utterly incorrect and I do not accept it. The allocation to the Arts Council in 2002 was â¬47.6 million.
- Arts Funding. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: Deputy Mitchell made a comment and I am replying to it. The allocation next year is â¬75.708 million. That is a huge budget by any standard involving substantial funds. I expect to be in a position to make the announcements with regard to the Arts Council shortly.
- National Sports Campus. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: Following the completion of the move by the FAI to the former State Laboratory building at Abbotstown last year, work has been advanced on providing a headquarters for the Irish Institute of Sport. That involves refurbishing an existing building on the Abbotstown site. Construction is expected to commence before the end of the year and the Irish Institute of Sport is expected to move into...
- National Sports Campus. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: That is correct.
- National Sports Campus. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: The athletes would be disappointed with the Deputy's comment on the lack of success at the Olympics.
- National Sports Campus. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: There were a number of successes in terms of best achievements and best times achieved and we won a silver medal and two bronze medals, albeit in one sport, namely, boxing. Nevertheless, one can never be prescriptive about the sport in which one would like to win medals. We did win medals and I hope we will win more in 2012, as I am sure does the Deputy. Everybody is discounting the cost of...
- National Sports Campus. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: It is unlikely it will be possible to spend the full â¬160 million in the next three years. I do not want to see the project abandoned. It is too central to the development of sport in this country and the ability to attract many different nations here prior to the 2012 Olympic Games. The Australians have already made inquiries about the National Aquatic Centre. They have seen it and...
- Tourism Industry. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: The total allocation for tourism services announced in budget 2009 is â¬161 million. The maintenance of this significant allocation for tourism services in 2009 reflects the Government's continuing commitment to the development of tourism. Although there will be marginal reductions in the budgets of the principal tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, these should be...
- Tourism Industry. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: The Deputy has the luxury of picking on one or two measures. The reality is that it would be wonderful if in this country we could provide everything for nothing. We cannot and must have funding in place to provide for everybody and everything. Of course one would prefer not to have the sort of taxation required but it is fair and balanced. The very substantial fee passengers are paying to...
- Tourism Industry. (19 Nov 2008)
Martin Cullen: As I stated, we would all prefer if there were no taxation. The fact is that there must be and that we must be able to provide services. This year we are allocating just under â¬50 million for marketing alone. We need to have the resources to do so. Overall, â¬160 million is being allocated for a broad range of tourism activities.