Results 241-260 of 1,072,302 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Mairéad Farrell OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue) in 'Committee meetings'

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

Arts Funding

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

Pearse Doherty: 139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total number of eligible applicants to the grassroots music venue supports scheme who met necessary criteria to avail of the scheme; the total number of successful applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34898/25]

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

Pearse Doherty: 149. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total number of eligible applicants to the grassroots music venue supports scheme who met necessary criteria to avail of the scheme; the geographical distribution of the successful applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34899/25]

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

Pearse Doherty: I want to raise the issue of the criteria that were used for the grassroots music venue support scheme. I commend the Department on introducing this scheme. As a festival director, I am acutely aware of the challenges for major festivals, like our own, but also the grassroots music venue supports. The scheme was very welcome, but it is devastating to learn how the Department divvied out...

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...

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

Pearse Doherty: I welcome the scheme and that money was provided. It was announced that the scheme was open and there was a closing date for it. The only venue in County Donegal that is eligible for the scheme is The Social in Gaoth Dobhair. I will give an example and the Minister will be aware of it because all the details were provided. The Social operated 84 eligible grassroots events during the two...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I have outlined the rationale for the distribution of funding under the scheme and I have said that I am committed to additional schemes of this nature in the future. It is remiss of the Deputy to try to run down the officials in the Department. Ultimately, this was a pilot scheme. We tried to give out the money as quickly as possible. I have outlined the number of people outside of...

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

Pearse Doherty: I am a Donegal TD. I will not stand here and say that the Department did a great job when it excluded the entire north west from this support scheme. The venue that I am talking about provides more grassroots events than many of the others that were eligible. I am sure that the Minister will be delighted when he goes back to Limerick. How many got the grant in his own county? Was it four...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Swimming Pools (26 Jun 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: The first requirement is for the county council to be proactive. While I certainly will be proactive in trying to ensure we secure funding and deliver swimming pools throughout the country, we will only be able to deal with applications that are on our desk. It is highly likely we will not be able to deal with every application, given the level of demand, but we will be doing our best to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Swimming Pools (26 Jun 2025)

Matt Carthy: I am pleased to report that Monaghan County Council is now being proactive. As I mentioned, the pop-up pool has been a huge success. A feasibility study has been conducted by the local authority, which shows and reinforces that the demand is there. The reason there is a national strategy for swimming is that it is much more than a sport. In fact, people involved in every sport benefit...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Swimming Pools (26 Jun 2025)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy knows, we had a round recently in which almost 30 projects across the country were grant-aided under the large-scale support infrastructure fund, LSSIF. The focus on the short term is to work with all of those applications that were successful in the recent round, as well as with a good number from 2019, to ensure that they are progressing, that funding is getting drawn down...

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

Expenditure Reviews

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

Peadar Tóibín: 137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has conducted any value-for-money analysis of its spending on Galway 2020; if a breakdown is available on the way in which the €15 million spent by his Department on Galway 2020 was spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34052/25]

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

Peadar Tóibín: One of my biggest frustrations and that of Aontú, in this Dáil and the previous one, is the waste of taxpayers' money and the lack of proper investigations and accountability. The Galway 2020 situation is an example of that. The difficulty with regard to waste is that it often becomes a crisis for a couple of weeks until the media cycle moves on and people forget about it. In...

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)

Peadar Tóibín: I thank the Minister. The independent auditor and its outcomes are in direct contradiction to the Comptroller and Auditor General. The project had received more than €20 million in State funding by 2023. The Minister's Department provided approximately €15 million; Galway City Council provided €3.7 million; Galway County Council provided €2.6 million; and the EU...

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)

Peadar Tóibín: It would be unfortunate if we were to insulate the expenditure from the Minister's Department from all of the other expenditure that came from this. A representative of Aontú in the area, Luke Silke, has done significant work on this matter. A large amount of money was spent. Taxpayers have had to fork out for this, even in the years subsequent to 2020. People were still paying for...

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)

William Aird: Laois has a proud cultural identity, rich in music, literature, theatre, visual arts and storytelling. It has produced many artists and continues to support new generations through festivals, exhibitions and community-led initiatives. Towns such as Portlaoise, Rathdowney, Mountmellick, Portarlington, Mountrath and Stradbally all have active community groups that are crying out for adequate...