Results 2,061-2,080 of 7,556 for speaker:Catherine Martin

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Funding (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: I assure the Deputy that the Government did not put such extensive supports in place during Covid for those businesses to close now. My Department and I have extensive and ongoing engagement with the sector. As I said earlier, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and I will convene and co-chair the tourism and hospitality forum next week in order to engage and hear concerns. On the 9% VAT...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The Minister, Deputy Coveney, and I co-chair the hospitality and tourism forum. We are convening a meeting next week with all the stakeholders. I suspect the 9% VAT rate will be one of the issues that arises in that meeting. I have made it clear that I am in favour of the extension of the lower rate of VAT for the tourism and hospitality sector. The decision ultimately lies with the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The Deputy referred to Duncannon Fort. In December 2022, the Department of Rural and Community Development announced significant funding for Duncannon Fort under the town and village renewal scheme. That is in recognition of the amazing attraction it is. I am acutely aware that the tourism industry supports 250,000 jobs and the vast majority of those are in the regions, outside the capital...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Funding (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: Internationally, tourism continues to recover steadily, yet several challenges remain, from geopolitical to economic. The combination of increasing interest rates in all major economies, rising energy and food prices and the growing prospects of a global recession are major threats to the recovery of international tourism for 2023. Hotel capacity, energy costs and labour shortages will...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Funding (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The Deputy will be aware that I am familiar with the beauty of west Cork. I met him there when my family and I were on holidays. I am conscious of the impact on the wider tourism ecosystem, including the businesses he referred to. As regards the TBESS finishing on 28 February, the Government is discussing what will happen next, the supports that are needed and looking at detailed analysis....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The latest research by Fáilte Ireland shows that while recruitment is still a significant challenge for tourism businesses, the situation is improving and employers are making positive strides. The number of vacancies across the industry has fallen, from 40,000 at the start of 2022 to 22,000 today. Overall, positions have become less difficult to fill while staff retention has become...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: To clarify, there will be 700 rapid-build homes. There will be up to 6,000 beds available in the coming months through the combination of rapid-build homes, the work on vacant homes that is being led by local authorities and the refurbishment work led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am in regular engagement with the tourism sector and am fully cognisant of its...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Film Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the film industry in the week that is in it. This is an opportunity to congratulate Irish people on their Oscar nominations. The annual global spotlight on the Oscars is now shining on Ireland's culture, our beautiful scenery and, most particularly, our creative talent. The House will join me in congratulating the casts and crews of "An Cailín...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Film Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: I am just stating a fact that employment law is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as are the mechanisms for dealing with disputes. Regarding the protection of workers, significant changes were made in 2019 to section 481 and how it operated. There is an increased emphasis on upskilling and life-long learning as well as much greater...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Film Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: I only have a minute to respond, but I am happy to engage with the Deputy afterwards if he wishes to bring further issues to my attention. In the application process for the certification under section 481, a producer company and a qualifying company, as defined by the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, are required to sign an undertaking in respect of quality employment and must, as a condition...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The war in Ukraine, combined with the high number of international protection applicants, continues to put real pressure on the Government's ability to offer humanitarian accommodation and has resulted in the largest humanitarian effort in the State's history. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is availing of the wide range of offers of accommodation made...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tourism Industry (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: I have regular interaction with my colleagues in the Government on this issue and have communicated the industry's concerns about the long-term effect this issue could potentially have on our tourism sector, especially, as the Deputy said, with the tourism season really kicking off in March. I meet the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, every week and have discussed the impact of the humanitarian...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Promotion (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: In Budget 2023, I was pleased to announce an additional €15 million in funding for overseas marketing which will enable Tourism Ireland to significantly ramp up its promotion of Ireland as a world-class tourism experience in key markets. As global tourism competition heightens, sustaining extensive marketing campaigns will be vital to support the ongoing recovery effort. As part of...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The Safe to Create is a Dignity at Work programme aimed at bringing change on the culture and practices of the arts sector in Ireland. It is a framework of supports to assist organisations to provide safer working conditions for artists and arts workers. I launched the Safe to Createprogramme on 5 October 2022. The programme includes a Code of Behaviour developed for organisations that are...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Heritage Projects (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: Fáilte Ireland is working with its project partners to develop a strong pipeline of exciting new or significantly improved visitor experiences. The National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park House is a key visitor experience in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, encouraging domestic and international visitors to come and explore Strokestown and the surrounding area, and generating...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Culture Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The Night-Time Economy Forum which I attended last week in the National Gallery of Ireland was hosted and led by the Arts Council and supported by my Department as part of the overall effort to drive a more diverse and sustainable Night-Time Economy. The forum was in direct response to Action 3 in the Night-Time Economy Taskforce Report which I launched in September 2021. Since we...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 19, 32, 67 and 70 together. The Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot is a key priority for me as Minister with responsibility for arts and culture. The pilot was the number one recommendation of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce which I established in 2020 to examine how best to assist the sector to recover post-pandemic. I was very pleased to...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: Operating on a non-commercial and voluntary basis, the organisation to which the Deputy refers is the national organisation for the promotion of tradition music and dance, language and culture. I am very conscious of their tremendous achievement through programmes of education and training, special performances, regional and local events and the operation of their established centres...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: The Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot was a key priority for me as Minister with responsibility for arts and culture. I see this scheme as an important intervention to support the arts sector recover after the devastation wreaked by the Covid pandemic. Covid highlighted both the precarious nature of working in the arts and the importance of the arts for us all. The pilot was also...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Policy (26 Jan 2023)

Catherine Martin: Urban planning and development policy is primarily a matter for local authorities and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. County and city development plans are drawn up by local authorities in accordance with their functions under the Planning and Development Acts. In this context I understand that the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 was recently adopted and it...