Results 3,361-3,380 of 10,424 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Have we no analysis of that yet?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Will Mr. Ó Conaire elaborate on the large scale sport infrastructure fund? He said it was launched in 2018 just before Covid hit.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Most of these projects are not yet completed. They are under way.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Is the Department making any plans for the fact of inflation, which Mr. Ó Conaire alluded to? Projects that may have been set at a particular price will be hit by 30% increases or maybe more.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will have looked at that in respect of some of the urban regeneration projects. Local authorities have stated they were granted €14 million, for example, but, in fact, it will now take €20 million to deliver a project. A scheme is now in place where the State meets 70% of that extra cost and local authorities will have to...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: On a different topic but still within the area of sport, will Mr. Ó Conaire talk a little about the detail of the breakdown of the number of international competitions from 2019 to 2021 in which Ireland participated and won medals?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I will give Mr. Ó Conaire a break and come back to Ms Gleeson. Fáilte Ireland submitted written evidence to the committee in December 2021, which estimated there were 40,000 vacancies in the tourism industry. Could Ms Gleeson talk a little about whether those severe skills shortages were in the sector prior to the pandemic? If not, how can employment in the sector be returned to...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Does the Department see that as having been the biggest problem during Covid, namely, that we lost that skill set to other industries? Was there a crisis in skills shortages prior to the pandemic or has this arisen as a direct result of the pandemic?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Were people leaving the industry prior to the pandemic?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I want to recap. A comprehensive summary of the plan is to get back into schools and colleges to encourage people. When the Restaurants Association of Ireland was before the committee it talked about having to go abroad to find staff to come and work in that industry and about the difficulty with visas and so on. Is that all part of the plan the Department is talking about?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: When Ms Gleeson mentions transition year work placements, does she mean transition year in school?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: Has the Department taken on the idea that has been given to us in the committee of going abroad to find the skill set and to encourage those people to come to Ireland to work?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: It is a difficult issue but one that needs to be addressed. Ms Gleeson was here for the debate and discussion earlier and I am convinced that recruitment and retention have a huge part to play in the difficulties within our tourism sector. That was a key point that was made to us in prior committee meetings. We have to sell the industry in trade shows abroad and we have to try to recruit...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: There are no equivalent output indicators that relate to the national cultural institutions. There has been a selection of input indicators where equivalent output indicators are missing. I am sorry I know that is a tongue-twister.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Public Service Performance Report 2021: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: I have come to the end of my line of questioning. I am sorry that there are not more of my colleagues present, although the witnesses might be delighted at that. We had a two-hour session before this, there are other committee meetings ongoing and I see a lot of our members in the Dáil and Seanad Chambers. I thank the witnesses for coming. This is our first engagement on this...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (14 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: 117. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will commit to a feasibility study to investigate the reopening of the Navan to Kingscourt rail line; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29517/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (14 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: 119. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the East West Link which is urgently needed in the north east; the most recent engagements that his Department has had on this project; the persons or bodies with whom his Department has engaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29516/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (14 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: 281. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are plans to introduce a second ESB fast-car charger in Cavan town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29526/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (14 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: 282. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to an issue in relation to fast car chargers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29528/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (14 Jun 2022)

Niamh Smyth: 287. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of persons on waiting lists for driving tests in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath and nationwide to date; the length of time that they have been waiting; the stage that they are at in their application process in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29722/22]