Results 3,781-3,800 of 9,116 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: The measures currently in place in relation to indoor sport venues take the form of advisory guidance, rather than specific legislative provisions. This position reflects an evolution of the Government's approach, outlined in its plan COVID-19: REFRAMING THE CHALLENGE, CONTINUING OUR RECOVERY AND RECONNECTING, involving a shift in public health management of COVID-19 in Ireland as it...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Funding (16 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1st March 2021. By the closing date, over 3,100 applications were submitted seeking over...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Government recently agreed to widen the range of sporting opportunities for young people which enables under 18 indoor sports games and competitions in sports such as basketball to go ahead. On foot of this, updated guidance has been provided by Sport Ireland to sporting organisations to allow children under 18 years of age to participate in indoor...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pleanáil Teanga (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: Mar a dúirt mé, beidh siad críochnaithe. Bhí cruinniú maith againn leis an ngrúpa seo agus beidh muid ar ais. Tá na hoifigigh sna Forbacha i dteagmháil leis an ngrúpa seo chun an plean seo a aontú. Tá sé an-tábhachtach go mbeadh an plean seo aontaithe agus go mbeidh muid in ann é a chur i bhfeidhm sna hOileáin...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Hourigan for her question. Equality in sport is a key priority for both me and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. Our overall vision for women in sport is one where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential while enjoying lifelong involvement. Government support for inter-county female Gaelic games players, which is distributed through Sport...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I thank Deputy Hourigan. In many nurseries and clubs across the country, the increase in female participation has been so positive. We are seeing this across so many sports but, as the Deputy said, there is attrition, particularly in the teenage years. That creates the participation gap. Sport Ireland has an Irish sports monitor that produces quarterly reports and examines the gender gap....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I am not going to speak on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. I am sure there are many GAA clubs that she supports. My club, St. Brigid's, was beaten by Cuala, which was subsequently beaten by Kilmacud Crokes, if I am not mistaken. We are all looking forward to the hurling final. Castleknock GAA club, in my constituency, is in the Senior B championship and is hoping to get...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pleanáil Teanga (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: Tá na pleananna teanga d'Oileáin Árann agus do Ghaeltacht an Láir á meas ag mo Roinn faoi láthair. Bhí deis agam le gairid plean teanga Oileáin Árann a phlé le hionadaithe na n-oileán sin. Is i dtreo plean teanga Oileáin Árann agus plean teanga Ghaeltacht an Láir a bheith faofa gan rómhoill eile atá mé...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pleanáil Teanga (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: Mar a luaigh mé, tá na pleananna don dá limistéar pleanála teanga faoi leith, Oileáin Árann agus Gaeltacht an Láir, á mbreithniú ag mo Roinn faoi láthair. Bhí deis agam le gairid plean teanga Oileáin Árann a phlé le hionadaithe na n-oileán nuair a bhí mé sna Forbacha cúpla seachtain ó shin....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy. Sport Ireland, on behalf of the Government, is engaging with all sporting organisations on our priority to maximise female participation and support our female athletes at high-performance and grassroots levels. On the sports capital programme, the Minister and I have directly prioritised clubs that are promoting female participation at grassroots level. That is central...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: The Ulster-Scots Agency is an agency of the North/South Language Body, one of six North-South implementation bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement. The work of the agency is funded jointly by the Northern Ireland Executive, through the Department of Communities, and the Government of Ireland, through the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and the Media. As...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: As per my previous response to a parliamentary question, the Ulster-Scots Agency informed my Department that it awarded the sum of £2,359 to a two-day festival of the Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture, in accordance with the mandate of the Ulster-Scots Agency, which relates to the promotion of greater awareness and use of Ullans and of Ulster-Scots cultural issues, both within...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy for his question. I want to be clear that funding was neither sought nor allocated by the Ulster-Scots Agency for the living history component the Deputy has mentioned. It is important that we are factual about this matter. I hope the Deputy is not undermining agencies of the Good Friday Agreement in what he is trying to do here. It is also important to note that the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: The Department sought to find out exactly where the funding from the Ulster-Scots Agency went. I have set that out and it is important we are factual about what it did or did not fund. I have been informed that the particular component of the event to which the Deputy has referred was funded by the organisers themselves and not by the Ulster-Scots Agency. That is the factual position. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Deputy for his remarks. A process is under way in respect of applications. As I said, between 40% and 60% of applications will require a second-chance opportunity in cases where insufficient documentation may have been supplied or there were errors. Applicants in such situations will have that opportunity. A percentage of applications in every round will not provide the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I agree that the programme thus far has transformed the sporting landscape, with the improvements in the quality and quantity of sporting facilities in virtually every village, town and city. It has funded the smallest clubs in rural areas all the way up to national centres of sporting excellence, and everything in between. Another important element is that many clubs and organisations are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I am not going to speculate on this issue. The increase is quite open-ended, let me put it that way. As the Deputy will be aware, sports capital funding is allocated on a multi-year basis. Therefore, we are not only negotiating funding for next year but for subsequent years as well. We are calculating what the potential drawdown will be overall and what the capital allocation will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: There were many questions in that contribution. The programme for Government contains a commitment to running the sports capital and equipment programme regularly. We have not set a date for when the next round will be, but that commitment is in the programme for Government and it is also referred to in the national development plan, NDP. Turning back to the current programme, it will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: Letters of allocation for the equipment-only awards were sent to all grantees. They were all encouraged to draw down funding before the end of the year. All staff in the sports capital division have been prioritising the effort to pay out existing grants. We are all involved in different sporting clubs and organisations so we know that fundraising has been difficult. The Department is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

Jack Chambers: I heard what Damien Duff said. One step the FAI has taken is to maximise the number of its applications. In regard to the sports capital and equipment programme, there has been a huge increase in the number of applications from football clubs. Under the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, in which my colleague, Deputy Griffin, was involved, a significant number of football projects...