Results 10,901-10,920 of 10,962 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (16 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have been advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that over 13,860 premises are now passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 13,985 premises are available to order/pre-order in County Cavan, with over 4,450 premises now connected. A further circa 3,140 premises in County Cavan will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of network deployment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (16 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have been advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that over 12,100 premises are now passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and are available to order/pre-order in County Monaghan, with over 4,900 premises now connected. A further circa 3,900 premises in County Monaghan will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of network deployment. Further...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Arts Council (16 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council has primary responsibility for the development of the arts in Ireland and Budget 2025 has provided record funding of €140 million for the Arts Council. The Arts Council is committed to increasing public engagement in the arts in Ireland and it provides financial support to a number of initiatives aimed at increasing public access, participation...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis na baill den choiste as an deis chun imleabhar na Meastúchán Athbhreithnithe don tSeirbhís Poiblí a chur i láthair thar ceann mo Roinne mar Aire Cultúir, Cumarsáide agus Spóirt. I welcome this opportunity to outline the 2025 financial allocations of the Department of Culture, Communications and...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: It is important to point out that when I first became a Member of the Oireachtas, I was a member of this committee - it was previously the committee on transport, communications and sport, I think, and tourism might have been thrown into it as well - and this was the single biggest issue by a country mile facing most Deputies, particularly from rural constituencies, from 2011 onwards. There...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: That cost is met by the income sources it has. There is Coimisiún na Meán's imposed levy, so it is not dependent on the State for its income. That is where-----

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I may have to come back to the Deputy on the detail operator by operator, but every operator is different and every operator has a licence, and within the licence there is a requirement for X number of hours per week through the medium of the Irish language. That also includes the commercial radio stations. I can come back to the Deputy with a table with regard to each of the individual...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Each individual circumstance is different. Some of them unfortunately passed away.

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is an individual story behind everything. People would have chosen to opt out. As I said the last day, I am committed to the concept of this and rolling it forward. We obviously have not started the current expenditure discussions yet with the Departments of Finance and public expenditure and reform, but as soon as we do this will be one we will be very anxious to see retained and...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: We have seen in recent years that the Irish-language programming has been particularly successful with the likes of "An Cailín Ciúin" and other productions and in the animation space. We want to try to continue to support that. The presentation I got from TG4 last week would inspire me with hope that there is a lot of stuff in the pipeline. For instance, even the Tour de France,...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: One could say TG4's success has been overshadowed by other people's sins.

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: TG4 certainly has not been given credit. In fairness, in some cases it is operating on a shoestring compared to others. A lot of people have been spun out of TG4. Right next door to the place in Baile na hAbhann is a small studio, which is now producing content for TG4 and RTÉ. Again, it started as a sole operator. It now employs 25 people through the medium of Irish in content...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: No. That is the Arts Council supports.

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: That will all be predicated on what kind of a scheme, if any, I am able to put in place after the budget. As I said the last day, I am open to suggestions from the committee once the budget is over, assuming we get some amount of money to continue a scheme. As to what people would suggest as a reasonable and proportionate way of trying to administer it, I am open to any kind of suggestions...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: To be fair to Screen Ireland we also have a number of different initiatives that were not there last year. For instance, section 481 has been expanded. The Scéál uplift has been brought into place. We also have an unscripted levy, which was approved by the European Commission this year. That will allow for reliefs in that area that did not exist previously. Even as late as last...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I will not comment specifically on the article in the newspaper. Correspondence between me and the CEO of Sport Ireland, when it comes to an individual or group of individuals, and correspondence between the CEO of Sport Ireland and any national governing body of sport on the welfare of individuals who are involved in any national governing body of sport, I would take as being very important...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The concept of multi-annual funding is something every State and public body seeks, and for good reason. Ministers look for it too because it gives us certainty regarding, say, the number of roads we are going to build, the amount of cables we are going to lay or the number of pylons we are going to build. It gives a certainty with regard to a whole pile of things. The events of the past...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: What TG4 is looking for is not unreasonable in this day and age. The organisation had that at one stage and I do not know why it lost it. I presume it was connected to the collapse in the economy, but I am not sure. It is not an unreasonable ask and it is one we will work through with TG4 over the next while. I do not see why it should not be able to produce its own news. Obviously,...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The total figure for TG4 is a little bit more than €60 million. The Deputy is right that it does excellent work. You will not find too many flip-flops down in Baile na hAbhann, from what I see. I did not see many Renaults in the car park being offered by way of a raffle or anything like that either. With regard to regional uplift, the Government brought this in before. With any...

Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am, but my keenness will be matched only by the support that I get from the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Chambers.