Results 21-40 of 10,490 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Economic Policy (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy for his positive remarks. Any suggestions that will be made on this will be welcome. As I said a while ago, once I have had a chance to meet all the relevant stakeholders and also had the chance to review the documentation that is going to be submitted to the Department when it is done, I will have no problem in engaging with Opposition spokespersons on their suggestions....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Ghaeltacht (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Mar is eol don Teachta, tá cúraimí na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge ag aistriú chuig an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi láthair. Bhí sé le bheith anseo inniu ach ní raibh sé in ann teacht go dtí an Teach inniu mar gheall ar chúrsaí pearsanta. Rinne an Rialtas ordú Dé Máirt chun na...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Ghaeltacht (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Tuigim go soiléir cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an cheist seo. Nuair a bhí me i Roinn na Gaeltachta, bhí an-suim agam san ábhar seo. Tuigim cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé ní hamháin do na ceantair Ghaeltachta ach freisin do dhaoine lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a bhfuil suim acu sna hábhair a bhaineann leis na Gaeltachtaí...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Ghaeltacht (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Aontaím leis an Teachta. Tuigim cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an t-ábhar seo. Tuigim cé chomh fada is atá muid sa Teach seo ag caint ar an ábhar seo. Maidir leis na ceantair Ghaeltachta, is é sin an polasaí is tábhachtaí do na daoine a bhfuil cónaí orthu sa Ghaeltacht. B’fhéidir go mbeidh an tAire, an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not know if there is a question there. There is certainly a big statement, and I have addressed that statement previously with regard to the OPW. The Deputy will appreciate the Accounting Officer for the OPW came before the finance committee and the public accounts committee and laid out in real terms what happened with regard to the Office of Public Works. No more than I did not know...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: We have beaten the Deputy to it because RTÉ has been put under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General and all State entities, including An Post and the other ones I will be taking responsibility for once there is a transfer of function order, come under the auspices of NewERA, which to all intents and purposes is a holding agency or accounting body to keep a watchful eye on the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: At the moment there are none to my knowledge. That is not to say there will not be. I did not expect there to be three in the first place, and I certainly did not expect that we would be back to RTÉ again after everything that happened, but we are. I turn to information that has been compiled and the investigative process under way. I would like to think Members support that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is one important thing to point out here, which is that the Department has no role in the sanctioning of capital expenditure within RTÉ. I know the Deputy knows that. With regard to Professor Niamh Brennan, the Deputy's assessment has been quite unfair. I know him a long time and I know he will reflect on that. The work she did on RTÉ unearthed a serious culture that had...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy. I know everybody is anxious to see what we will ultimately get to by way of a report and how quickly. What I do not want to do is put pressure on the group I have assigned to carry out the work for fear people will say I am in any exercising undue influence. I want a report I can stand over and present to the Oireachtas. I am sure it will be debated by committees and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Economic Policy (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Since becoming Minister, I have been particularly interested in the amount of work my Department has been undertaking on the night-time economy. This has primarily been focused on supporting the development of safe and vibrant nightlife across the country. In 2022, the Department invited all local authorities to put in a night-time economy pilot initiative. The aim is to stimulate...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 93 together. I thank the Deputy. Following my appointment as Minister, issues were brought to my attention regarding a failed ICT project in the Arts Council and an unused X-ray machine in the National Gallery. Both projects were funded directly from my Department. Given the serious nature of the issues, I wanted assurance in relation to capital...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Reports (1 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I welcome the ESRI’s research, published on 25 April, profiling Short Term Letting (STL) usage across Ireland. The research is based on data scraped from one STL platform at a point in time in September 2023. This data is less complete than the Fáilte Ireland data, which is up to date, gives a monthly breakdown and is based on data-scraping from the four largest booking...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sport and Recreational Development (1 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy and implementation of that policy is a matter for the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. The matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred this question to that agency for direct response to the Deputy....

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Data (1 May 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy and implementation of that policy is a matter for the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. The matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland as "hotel" is a prescribed term and all hotels operating in Ireland as such must be registered on...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Policy (30 Apr 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The advertisement of the campaign will be an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred this question to that agency for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Industry (30 Apr 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am conscious that the reported number of overseas visitors in early 2025 is down in comparison with last year. Recent CSO figures show a 15% reduction in the number of overseas visitors in March 2025 compared to the corresponding month in 2024. The CSO figures for the first three months of the year show a 23% reduction. To put things in context, however, it's important to remember that...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Funding (10 Apr 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: As outlined in the Programme for Government, the Government believes that culture and the arts are essential to a well-rounded society, providing opportunities for education, expression and community engagement. Ireland is world renowned for our rich, diverse and vibrant arts sector. As part of the Programme, the Government has committed to examining the feasibility of a minor capital works...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Online Safety (10 Apr 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is now a significant body of legislation providing the foundation for Ireland’s online safety framework, including the regulation of social media. Coimisiún na Meán, as Ireland’s new online safety and media regulator, is at the heart of that framework. It was established under the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Act, which transposed the AudioVisual...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department is guided by relevant legislation, policies and the National Cyber Security Centre in respect of all matters related to the use or operation of AI. All applications and platforms used or operated by my Department must be in line with relevant policies and be consistent with advice provided by the National Cyber Security Centre. At present my Department has not adopted the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251, 252 and 253 together. My Department does not have any projects underway with CeADAR. Regarding the bodies under the aegis of my Department, this would be an operational matter for the bodies themselves. The policy areas where my Department is examining future use of AI, and the entities my Department is working with in this regard, are set out below....