Results 5,501-5,520 of 10,964 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Policy (7 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 625, 629, 630, 632, 633, 637, 640 and 643 together. With regard to policy oversight, the Department of Education and Skills has lead responsibility for skills development policy generally across all sectors, including hospitality and tourism, and delivers the required education and training through the mainstream higher and further education and training...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Data (7 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: ​While matters relating to Central Statistics Office (CSO) statistics are primarily for the Department of the Taoiseach, there were 9,584,400 overseas visits to Ireland during 2016, up 10.9% compared to 2015. I understand that the CSO does not provide a regional breakdown of statistics in their monthly 'Overseas Travel' publication. I am aware however, that the National Tourism...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ticket Touting (7 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy is aware, there is ongoing public concern about the resale of tickets for entertainment and sporting events. In response to this concern, I met with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation when I returned from the Olympics along with officials from my department. Minister Mitchell O'Connor has overall responsibility for consumer protection. Subsequent to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport and Recreational Development (7 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: ​Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport. This includes responsibility for the development of strategies for increasing participation in sport. I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Funding (2 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 344 together. The Department of Education and Skills has overall lead responsibility for skills development policy generally across all sectors, including hospitality and tourism, and oversees the bulk of training provided nationally, channelling funding through SOLAS for further education and through the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for...

Roads Funding: Motion [Private Members] (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputies who tabled the motion for giving Members from across the House the opportunity to enunciate their constituencies' issues. As a Minister of State in this Department, I understand the issue of rural roads well. I come from one of the most rural constituencies in the country. I acknowledge the points made by the Minister, Deputy Ross, and other contributors. We all...

Roads Funding: Motion [Private Members] (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Minister can come to Limerick.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the committee for the invitation. I was a member of this committee in the last Dáil and I am delighted to be here to address some of the questions. The board of Sport Ireland approved the grant of €520,000 for the Olympic Council of Ireland for administration and programme spending in 2016. Some €390,000 of this was paid to the OCI in 2016. The balance was not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: The assessment manual is under way at the moment. Our officials in Killarney have spent much time on this. Last June or July we started looking at a 2016-2017 programme. We wanted to change the criteria to make it, as the Minister, Deputy Ross, said, as easy as possible for people in terms of the qualifications. Mindful of that, we have decided that in advance of the closing date the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Minister, Deputy Ross, will answer the second question. I have requested a meeting with Dr. Wu based on Ireland's experience in the Olympic Games. I have done so in response to commentary in the media and my own interest in it. As somebody who has a passing interest in boxing, I was left in no doubt that there were serious questions to ask from an Irish point of view in the aftermath...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: If it would be helpful, I have no problem with coming back before the committee on another day. The Minister, Deputy Ross, has the Bus Éireann issue to deal with but if it would be helpful, I could come back in on another day.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: To take the last point first, it is very important that the Olympic Council of Ireland presidency election be as open and accountable as possible. I wish the contenders well. No more than is the case for the people who come into these Houses, it is not easy to put one's name on a ballot paper. I welcome the fact that the election will be held in an open forum. On the amounts yet to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am trying to give the Deputy detailed answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy is asking detailed questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: That is exactly what will happen. I would encourage the Deputy not to believe everything he reads in the newspapers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: I can tell the Deputy what will happen. He asked me a question and I would like him to afford me the opportunity to answer it because it is a loaded question. The Deputy is making an insinuation that either myself or the Minister, Deputy Ross, would not treat this matter with the utmost seriousness. I take that very seriously. We are taking this matter very seriously. That is why we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy has confused a couple of issues. The first issue, the timeframe on governance, has been set out and all of the national governing bodies are fine with it. They know that they must move from a voluntary to a mandatory code of governance and this is being done to protect them as much as to protect taxpayers. When I was a member of the Committee of Public Accounts, governance was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not know whether Deputy O'Keeffe is familiar with the aftermath of the discussion. The job of a Minister is to initiate debate and discussion and lead policy formation. It is doubtful whether the tried and tested route of placing an advertisement on the Department's website or on the back page of a broadsheet newspaper would have resulted in a national debate on this issue. We have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sport in Ireland - Challenges, Strategies and Governance: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (1 Feb 2017)

Patrick O'Donovan: On the governance issue Deputy Munster raised, we decided to go with a mandatory basis for national governing bodies, as much to protect them as everybody else. Sport Ireland is the statutory agency with which the national governing bodies liaise and it is from Sport Ireland that they derive their funding. Under the Sport Ireland Act, once a policy statement is made by the Government on...