Results 921-940 of 12,487 for speaker:John O'Donoghue
- Performing Arts. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I agree with everything Deputy Deenihan has said. While an excellent case can be made for the redevelopment of the hall, the Government must have regard to priorities when it comes to sanctioning substantive spending. In that context we are making the best possible case on behalf of the concert hall. There are two costs involved: the cost of the site and the cost of the redevelopment of the...
- Performing Arts. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: This will depend upon the planners and architects and how they intend to proceed with the project. It would be possible to proceed in stages. Every effort will be made to ensure the concert hall can be used. In answer to Deputy Deenihan, the cost of the site is estimated by UCD to be in excess of â¬42 million.
- Sport and Recreational Development. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Officials from my Department have recently met officials from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland to discuss a number of issues common to both Departments including pursuing opportunities for all-island co-operation in the development of the horse and greyhound racing sectors. A number of difficulties have been identified by officials with regard to an all-island...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Deputy Deenihan is correct. Investment in the greyhound industry in the North of Ireland has been quite paltry. I understand no funding has been provided to tracks except for a once-off payment in 2001-2002 of â¬280,000. Bord na gCon believes there is merit in considering a 32-county approach to greyhound racing and it is well positioned to extend its regulatory responsibility to the North....
- Sport and Recreational Development. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: This is one of the many areas which could usefully be addressed by a new executive and assembly in the North of Ireland. It is merely one of numerous examples of how the fact there is no assembly and executive in the North is inhibiting development on a cross-Border basis across several socio-economic sectors, one of which is the greyhound industry. My dearest wish is that we would be in a...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: No, he did not give any indication.
- Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 28 together. I recently met with David Hanson MP, Northern Ireland's Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure for discussions on a number of sports issues, including the opportunities arising from London hosting the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The selection of London last July as the host city for the 2012 games offers Ireland an...
- Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: There have been no concrete agreements yet on precisely how we might co-operate on the 2012 Olympic Games. The meeting which I had with Minister Hanson was purely preliminary. We discussed generalities and no concrete proposal came from the meeting other than the fact that we agreed that co-operation was of pivotal importance. In that respect, it also was noted that there is a considerable...
- Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: That possibility exists. We will certainly pursue it to the best of our ability. I acknowledge that Deputy Boyle's suggestion is a good one.
- Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: It is my intention to establish, in the very near future, a wide-ranging group that will seek to ensure that Ireland capitalises as much as possible on London's hosting of the Olympic Games in 2012. The group should obviously comprise people in the tourism industry and the sports sector. It is appropriate that it comprise officials from my Department also. We will, in the very near future,...
- Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: There is no doubt that many teams participating in the Olympic Games prefer not to stay in the host country if at all possible because of all the hype involved. They prefer somewhere quieter. There is almost no doubt but that we will attract some teams to this country. An audit of our sports facilities is commencing and it should be completed in two or three years. The interagency group that...
- National Conference Centre. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 33 together. I am pleased to inform the House that, following approval by the Government, I announced yesterday that Spencer Dock International Conference Centre Consortium is being invited to become the provisional preferred tenderer for the provision of a national conference centre in Dublin. The decision was taken by the national conference centre...
- National Conference Centre. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Of necessity, this has been a complex and difficult procedure. The tenderers underwent a rigorous examination and evaluation by the steering group, which was obliged to make a decision as to the preferred tenderer to go before Government for its decision. Issues had to be examined in detail. The current status is that the contracting party, the Office of Public Works, will enter into...
- Tourism Industry. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: As the Deputy will be aware, tourism was identified in the Good Friday Agreement as an area of co-operation. With the establishment of Tourism Ireland as a North-South body responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas, we now have a shining example of the tangible benefits to be achieved from closer, more structured collaboration on this island. I have just returned from a tourism...
- Tourism Industry. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Waterways come under the remit of the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy à CuÃv. I am not up to date on developments in that area other than to say that it might be possible for Deputy Wall to table a question on waterways to the Minister, Deputy à CuÃv. Naturally, I would encourage as much co-operation as possible in this regard and agree with Deputy Wall about...
- Water Quality. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The report referred to by the Deputy has just been brought to the attention of my Department, and I have now asked my officials to review it in the context of the deliberations on the possible framework for tourism product development, post 2006. It is widely acknowledged that one of the strategic challenges for Irish tourism over the next ten years, in the area of product development, lies...
- Water Quality. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: All my Department can do as regards the issues raised by Deputy Wall is to encourage the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to control waste and ensure there are as many beaches as possible that qualify for blue flags. These are issues for that Department. Under the report, New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action, to which I have referred, various...
- Avian Influenza. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and I am happy to have the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the HSE has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health...
- Extradition Requests. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The Deputy raises two distinct issues, namely, the action which the Minister proposes to take on specific extradition requests by the Czech Republic and the action he will take to close what the Deputy describes as a loophole in the operation of the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003. With regard to the first issue, neither the Minister nor the Department comment on any matter which may...
- Coroners Service. (17 Nov 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I am standing in for my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who had a prior engagement this afternoon and on whose behalf I wish to apologise. I thank Deputy O'Connor for raising this matter and I join him in welcoming the Nowlan family to the House. Deputy O'Connor will be aware that in response to Questions Nos. 474 and 475 of 15 November 2005, the Minister stated...