Results 10,681-10,700 of 10,962 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Regarding the previous question Deputy O'Donoghue raised, it will be appreciated by Deputy Ó Snodaigh that a small town like Buncrana has a night-time economy adviser that the Department made provision for. Many towns in Ireland that are much bigger than Buncrana do not have one. This is the basis of pilots. There will always be disappointment but once the pilots are concluded, that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Ah Jesus.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Oh my God.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The question is whether I will abolish the television licence and replace it with a tax. No, I will not. That is the end of that. I have no notion of doing it. That fund is in place to support RTÉ and public service broadcasters. It also supports Sound and Vision. I have no intention of replacing it. I also have no intention of going down a cul-de-sac as the Deputy would like us...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am here to answer questions regarding communications, so I will answer the question on communications. There was not really a question in the Deputy's second contribution. My position remains the same. The television licence is not a tax, by the way. I do not see that reference anywhere in the legislation, so I do not know what hat he drew that rabbit out of. It is an important funding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy is no stranger to RTÉ and he gets a fair crack of the whip there. Of course, he never uses the opportunity to express his thanks for the unbridled coverage he seems to get from RTÉ on a day in, day out basis. Those of us on this side of the House might have something to complain about if there was a fairness test. I do not, however, because it is a public service...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy has form in this space. He does not want to pay for anything. He feels that everybody else should pay for something else other than him. He is entitled to start whatever campaign it is he wants to start to undermine another public service. I do not wish him the best of luck with it. Most people do not either. When he does get an opportunity to sit on this side of the House,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy for the question and for his remarks at the start of his contribution. The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. I appreciate the importance of the basic income support for artists, which is why last week I announced that the Cabinet had agreed to my proposal to an extension of six months...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I agree with the Deputy, to be honest about it. It has shone a light on the precarious nature of the income, which was the initial overriding consideration my predecessor had when this scheme was brought in. Not everybody was enthusiastic about this scheme when it was brought in but, qualitatively and quantitatively, when we have the research concluded, it will demonstrate in a clear way...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artists' Remuneration (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I will take the last part first. Once I have had an opportunity to digest the material - the Deputy would accept that is not unreasonable - it will give me an opportunity to make further decisions. As regards the result of the analysis and the possible publication, we want to be sensitive to people's individual identities, etc. I do not want to compromise people one way or another. I also...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Arts Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 138 and 141 together. As the Deputies will be aware, the programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. The scheme has now been operating for almost three years and is underpinned by a robust research programme collecting data about all aspects of the lives of the artists and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Arts Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank both Deputies for their support. To reply to Deputy Tóibín, this is not a difficult decision that has been kicked down the road. The scheme was due to end in August and the easy thing to do would have been to wind it up but I did not do that. I have extended it past the budgetary date at the end of the year and into the new year. This will give me an opportunity to use...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Arts Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil. At a recent meeting of culture ministers in Brussels, a number of colleagues from other member states spoke to me about this and they could not believe, to be quite honest about it, that we had introduced a scheme of this nature. They were envious, to put it mildly, that we have a scheme of this nature and that we have the resources and capacity, based on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Aird. As outlined in the programme for Government, the Government believes that culture and the arts are essential to a well-rounded society. Ireland is well-known for our rich, diverse and vibrant arts sector. There have been significant increases in support for arts and culture across the country, including in County Laois, in recent years. Within my Department, a number...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Deputy Aird has given a good report with regard to the cultural offering of County Laois. I know he is a very proud Laois man representing them in the Dáil. As I said earlier, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to examine the feasibility of a minor capital works grant scheme for the arts scene, which is currently not available. We are looking at it. I would like to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: As I said, I am committed to trying to do something in this space. The national cultural institutions are very Dublin-centric. Between the library, the concert hall and the gallery, pretty much all of them are based in Dublin, with the exception of the Crawford Gallery. I am very conscious of the fact that a person should have access to facilities that promote and encourage our cultural...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Expenditure Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Galway’s designation as European Capital of Culture 2020 provided an opportunity to promote the city’s culture nationally and internationally. The Government allocated €15 million in two stages, with €14 million allocated to deliver the cultural programme of Galway European Capital of Culture and €1 million allocated for its legacy programme. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Expenditure Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: To finish my earlier response, the analysis of spending found that the €1 million budget had been allocated under the following strategic objectives: €191,920 to facilitate international and EU relationships and funding; €537,413 to support place-based cultural programming; and €270,668 in supports to the cultural and creative sector. Galway 2020 was delivered in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Expenditure Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy is right in respect of what I did on assuming the office of Minister with responsibility for culture, communications and sport. I became aware of a substantial problem in the Department and a legacy problem in the Arts Council. I have dealt with this in a manner that I believe to be proportionate and responsible in the sense that I have asked Professor Niamh Brennan, in the first...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Arts Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 149 together. I launched the grassroots music venue support scheme in March this year to support small, established music venues that promote themselves and are known in the community for programming grassroots music artists, in recognition of the contribution they make to the music industry and the wider night-time economy. The scheme aims to...