Results 9,341-9,360 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Departmental Agencies. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy and I are ad idem on this. I find it quite distressing, to be honest. The fractious relationship between the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Irish Sports Council is unfortunate for sport. However, it is a matter for both governing bodies how they conduct their affairs. I do not have a role in the commissioning of reports. What struck me about the two reports in question is...

Departmental Agencies. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: I am sure we are all agreed that it was proper for a review to take place. The difficulty is that the two bodies concerned did not come together and co-operate in this review. The bottom line is that they must work together for the betterment of the athletes they purport to represent. It is regrettable that this did not happen. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, we did not achieve the...

Tourism Promotion. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: To date, I have not received such representations from the group in question. However, I am available to meet with the new president and chief executive of the group and will be glad to receive details of any specific initiative from them. Any initiative that is received will be examined and considered. I understand the group has made a written submission to the tourism renewal group. This...

Tourism Promotion. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: Good Food Ireland has received significant support in recent years. For example, representatives have travelled to the various destinations with the Volvo Around the World Race, where I understand they enjoyed enormous success, with funding from Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. I attended a dinner last night at which some 300 foreign travel groupings were represented and some 280 from...

Tourism Promotion. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: I have tried to get some answers on this issue. Tourism Ireland is in discussions with the Dublin Institute of Technology on the restructuring. I have not had a detailed response but the information I have received is that the Tourism Ireland representatives are satisfied there is no diminution in the quality and organisation of the courses offered by the institute. There is nothing...

Tourism Promotion. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: The bottom line is that quality and access for students are as good as they ever were and will, hopefully, get even better.

Tourism Promotion. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: Yes, I understand the Deputy's point about retaining a single facility. It is my understanding that the Dublin Institute of Technology is moving its tourism courses more into the business sector. I will get back to the Deputy on this issue.

Grant Payments. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: The funding of the Gaelic players grant schemes is a matter for the Irish Sports Council, ISC, in the context of the distribution of its budget for 2009. In the agreement reached in November 2007 between my Department, the ISC, the GAA and the Gaelic Players Association, provision was made for the introduction of two schemes through the ISC to recognise the outstanding contribution of senior...

Grant Payments. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: It is the council's call. It will decide how to distribute the budget.

Grant Payments. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: I would like to fund everybody. Unfortunately, budgets have contracted somewhat. It is a matter for the Irish Sports Council to provide funding to as many bodies as it can. The taxpayer has, rightly, provided huge resources to the three major sporting bodies, particularly in Croke Park, Lansdowne Road and Thomond Park. That has allowed those bodies to generate enormous profits. They have...

Grant Payments. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: The taxpayer cannot continue to pick up the entire cost of this scheme in drastically changed economic circumstances. I am trying to be fair and I am not saying "No". However, I am clearly signalling that the resources required to continue the scheme at the level previously anticipated are not there. I place that in juxtaposition with the huge earning capacity of the three major sporting...

Olympic Games. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics task force was established in August 2006 to ensure Ireland can identify and maximise the complete range of opportunities arising from our proximity to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London 2012. The task force included experts from the sport, tourism, cultural and business sectors and was supported by staff within my Department. The recently...

Olympic Games. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: That has always been the case.

Olympic Games. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: The Australian team found the diving and swimming facilities at the National Aquatic Centre superb. They are looking at the centre and I am sure other countries' teams will also be interested in it. The facilities in UCD are much admired and will be used. Limerick is already an international facility, as we know from the world renowned athletes who are using it at present. The All Blacks...

Other Questions (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: I refer the Deputy to Priority Question No. 79 which I have answered earlier today.

Other Questions (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: The funding was not specifically ring-fenced. An extra allocation was made if I recall correctly, although I was not responsible for the matter at the time. I am being perfectly frank with the Deputy. We are in very different and difficult circumstances and while I would be very pleased to allocate €3.5 million for the GAA players and would have no difficulty with that, the difficulty is...

Other Questions (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: I hope clarity may be brought to the matter as soon as possible. I am simply setting out the parameters and a decision must be made within those parameters. I accept that people do not wish to be in limbo. Grants were paid out at the very end of the season last year. I am unsure of Deputy O'Mahony's view generally speaking rather than on the politics of the issue. He is at the coal face...

Other Questions (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: Perhaps I am not putting it across very well, but the point is there are myriad non-governmental bodies and national sporting bodies which receive small grants which barely keep such organisations going. Such bodies are nonetheless important to try to sustain a given sport. There simply is no room to take money out of such allocations and one would not find €3.5 million in any case. If...

Other Questions (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: I would apply that to a range of areas in many different Departments; it is not exclusive to my Department. I understand the bona fides of the point made by the Deputy, but the reality of Government is that one must make choices which are sometimes very difficult. We are also criticised for not reducing public expenditure substantially. One cannot have it both ways. It is either one or...

Tourism Industry. (28 Apr 2009)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 88, 94, 102, 108 and 324 to 327, inclusive, together.