Results 9,821-9,840 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Written Answers — Local Sports Partnerships: Local Sports Partnerships (10 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: Special funding of €2.5 million was allocated from the dormant accounts fund for the appointment of 20 Sports Inclusion Development Officers (SIDOs) in Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) in 2008. The SIDOs were appointed on two-year contracts to provide opportunities for persons with a disability to participate in sport and physical activity. A network of 33 LSPs have been set up...

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (15 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: My Department is committed to supporting the balanced implementation of the broad sustainability agenda in tourism development, in line with Programme for Government commitments. With specific regard to eco-tourism and the use of sustainable technology, such commitments include, inter alia, seeking, with the Tourism Agencies and Local Authorities, suitable areas to develop and promote...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (15 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: Section 19 (2) of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 provides that the Board shall, within ninety days after the end of each accounting period or such longer time as the Minister shall in any particular case allow, furnish to the Minister an abstract of the accounts of the Board for that accounting period and a report of its proceedings during that accounting period. While compliance with the...

Written Answers — European Capital of Sport: European Capital of Sport (15 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: I welcome the successful bid by Dublin City Council to be the European Capital of Sport for 2010. The Deputy will be aware that Dublin has been selected by the European Capitals of Sport Association as the European Capital of Sport for 2010. I expect to attend a number of the initiatives which the Council will be organising during the year starting with the official launch in February 2010....

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (16 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 to 228, inclusive, together. Since taking office in this Department in 2008, I have appointed one Special (Press) Advisor, Ms Michelle Hoctor, under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997. Ms Hoctor's position in the Department is that of Special (Press) Advisor. Ms Hoctor is currently paid €93,449 on the Principal Officer Standard...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (16 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: Since the commencement of the 30th Dáil on 14 June 2007, the Department (excluding the National Archives, which forms part of the Department but is designated as a separate public body under the Official Languages Act 2003) has translated into Irish some 306 reports, documents and memos, as set out in the following table with the associated translation costs. Title of Report, Document or...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (16 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: The amount spent by my Department in respect of each Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism engaged in Government business on commercial flights during 2006, 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009 is set out in the following table. Minister 2006 2007 2008 2009 Minister John O'Donoghue €16,303.90 €3,178.32 - - Minister Seamus Brennan - €107.79 - - Minister Martin Cullen - - €10,431.82 €9,000.18

Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy is like Scrooge.

Priority Questions (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: Before I start I wish to express my sympathy to the families of the late Liam Clancy and Ciarán Mac Mathúna. They were two great icons of Irish arts in their broadest sense. I convey sympathy on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government. They were two fantastic people and we mourn their passing. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anam dílis.

Tourism Industry. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: The report of the tourism renewal group was launched on Thursday, 8 October 2009. This report sets out tourism's contribution to Ireland's economic, social and cultural development and the prospects for Irish tourism in a changed world, as well as a framework for action for tourism's survival, recovery and growth over the period to 2013. The report proposes five survival short-term actions...

Tourism Industry. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: There is a question on this issue later which we will reach this afternoon. I am happy to deal with the matter now but there is a specific question on it. I agree with much of what the Deputy says but I will deal with the issue on Question No. 9.

Tourism Industry. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: The tourism renewal group and others involved with tourism have raised the issue of this tax and in a perfect world I would not recommend it, nor did I in the first instance. The Government, however, has to balance that against my need for income to sustain the tourism budget and try to grow it this year. Such taxes are not helpful but that must be placed against the fact that tourism was...

Tourism Industry. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: In a perfect world, one would not want any taxation but I am puzzled when I see the charges for baggage, which are way in excess of-----

Tourism Industry. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: I accept that. I am not disagreeing with the Deputy but these extra charges which are passed on, as well as those for booking on the Internet and the differences about arriving at the airport are way beyond the €10 travel tax. Airlines seem to be able to do that at will without difficulty and pass those charges onto their customers at the same time, yet the travel tax is made out to be a...

Departmental Funding. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: Funding for my Department for 2010 is €501 million, a decrease of 7% on the 2009 figure. The tourism services budget for 2010 is over €155 million, representing an increase of 2% on 2009. The enhanced allocation for tourism for 2010 is clear recognition by Government of the important role that the tourism and hospitality sector will play in Ireland's economic recovery. A total of €22...

Departmental Funding. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: The Kennedy project the Deputy refers to is an OPW proposal. It was announced by the Minister for Finance in the budget and the OPW is part of the Department of Finance. The resources are secured and will not be coming out of the budgets here. As the Deputy can see, we have an substantial number of projects in place that we want to complete. We shall seek to secure new projects, not all...

Departmental Funding. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: As the Deputy is aware, the response from the Irish Sports Council and many of the NGBs around the country has been extremely positive, in the context of the budget, with the money that has been allocated-----

Departmental Funding. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: -----which, of course, has been substantially increased in recent years. Most of the sports council's facilities will remain in place, and this is most important. We have completed an significant amount of capital investments throughout the country in recent years, as the Deputy has indicated. She mentioned the swimming pool programme and five are still under completion out of the 45 we...

Tourism Industry. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: I have noted the report, Overcapacity in the Irish Hotel Industry and Required Elements of a Recovery Programme, by Peter Bacon & Associates, which was published very recently. Its main conclusion is that between 12,300 and 15,300 hotel rooms need to be removed from the market if an appropriate balance is to be achieved that would allow the sector to recover to a stage where it can provide...

Tourism Industry. (17 Dec 2009)

Martin Cullen: In the first instance, I am very much aware of the issue, as is the Government and the Minister for Finance. There is an issue here for NAMA because undoubtedly there is distortion. Some properties are clearly not viable, without mentioning any specifically, but we all know where they are. They are distorting the market and are simply being kept open to turn some money over, which is...