Results 1,821-1,840 of 3,053 for speaker:Mary Upton
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Question 1578: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the average waiting time for a decision on a request for assessment of a pupil for learning support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1825/09]
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Question 1594: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding an application by a school (details supplied) in Dublin 12 for a building programme; when the school can expect to have approval from his Department to progress the works; his views on the fact that the pupils are being taught in prefabs in which the school caretaker is required to clear out drains whenever...
- Departmental Expenditure. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Question 93: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the area in which he expects to make cuts in the budget for his Department for 2009 in response to the need to rein in Exchequer spending; the cuts to be introduced in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2479/09]
- Departmental Expenditure. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: I thank the Minister for his reply. Unfortunately, the allocation for arts, sport and tourism was reduced by 22% in the last budget and were any further cuts to be made, I would be concerned as to whether any budget would remain. The cut of 22% means the Department already has taken a major hit and I believe its allocation has fallen by â¬151 million. In the light of such an enormous...
- Departmental Expenditure. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: My concern is this Department will become the easy target for many of the cuts. While tourism in particular has been mentioned, clearly sport also has a huge input in respect of both job creation and provision and purely at a societal level. My concern is that there has been no movement in respect of initiatives such as the swimming pool programme. I know of areas in my constituency that...
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Question 95: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the expected level of public funding to the National Aquatic Centre in 2009; if more than â¬1.6 million in a subsidy will be required to sustain the centre in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2480/09]
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: My understanding of this from the beginning was that the NAC should be self-financing and that that would happen in the short term rather than the long term. The NAC has cost â¬70 million in its construction and â¬1.8 million in 2007, and the Minister tells me now that it cost just over â¬1 million in 2008. I must defer to Deputy Mitchell for information that she had earlier which would...
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: It is not â¬1.6 million.
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: I welcome the increase in the numbers of visitors and usage.
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Based on the information Deputy Mitchell had, is that rates bill included in the figure the Minister has given me?
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: In effect then the cost will be â¬1.6 million.
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Can we expect that the â¬600,000 which would appear to be due in rates will come from the Exchequer somewhere along the way?
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Can I point out it is a significant amount of money that the taxpayer isââ
- National Aquatic Centre. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: I thank the Minister.
- Film Industry Development. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: I join with the Minister in congratulating all of our successful actors and films and Mr. Barry. Yesterday evening was a great tribute to the traditional value of the arts and is to be welcomed and recognised. While I welcome the increase by four in last year's number of start-up films, are any plans in place for 2009? What is the status of the supports available to Ardmore Studios, the...
- Departmental Agencies. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: I wonder about the rationale behind all of this. Is it simply a cost saving exercise? Amalgamation of the Crawford Gallery in Cork, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and National Gallery appears, in many ways, a little odd. The Minister referred earlier to cultural tourism. I accept he has replied to this issue on a number of occasions but perhaps he will comment on whether co-ordination of...
- Departmental Agencies. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: I put it to the Minister that were it not a cost saving exercise this amalgamation would more than likely not be taking place. That they are located in three different areas, the Crawford Gallery in Cork and the two other galleries in different parts of Dublin, means there is no real rationale for amalgamating them. I appreciate what the Minister is saying about the board members, and I...
- Departmental Agencies. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Not at all, absolutely.
- Physical Education Facilities. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: Unfortunately the situation in many schools at present is that children receive relatively little physical education time. I appreciate this is primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Science, but it is very important that the level of co-operation the Minister is talking about is progressed, in terms of the shared facilities. It is crucial, given the current economic...
- Natural History Museum. (28 Jan 2009)
Mary Upton: It is very disappointing that this project has not been given a firm commitment. It is probably one of the most interesting and attractive tourist attractions, particularly for school children. Only this morning my colleague, Deputy Tuffy, told me her four year old daughter is very interested in dinosaurs and fossils and that she would particularly like to see them available. We have some...