Results 41-60 of 10,778 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Events (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: One of the first major international sporting events held in Ireland was the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 1998 and I would of course welcome its return to this island at some point in the future. It would be a real showcase for the spectacular scenery all along the Wild Atlantic Way and elsewhere in Ireland. Major international sporting events can play a key role in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), benefitting over forty sports, as well as multi-sport facilities, throughout the country. This represents the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland. Under CSFF 2023, applicants for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Reviews (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: In support of Action 19 in the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce and as part of the Department's key role in driving the Night-Time Economy in Ireland, we are funding 9 NTE Advisors in Dublin City, Cork City, Limerick City, Galway City, Kilkenny, Sligo, Longford, Buncrana and Drogheda. The Night-Time Economy pilots are a significant project within the Night-Time Economy policy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Following extensive service disruption to telecommunications networks during Storm Éowyn, I have met with both mobile and fixed telecoms providers on the necessary measures they are taking to build further resilience into these networks. I made it clear to telecoms providers at the recent Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce (MPBT) that there must be a significant improvement in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Facilities (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The LSSIF was established under the National Sports Policy, published on 25 July 2018, to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Following on from Storm Éowyn there has been a lot of focus on the lessons to be learned to ensure that there is much better coordination between the various stakeholders who have a role to play in making communication networks more resilient for next winter. Resilience actions can include taking actions to harden the networks in advance of storms, such as having extended-life...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Arts Policy (26 Jun 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. There have been significant increases in support for arts and culture across the country, including Mayo, in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The B7 Cultural Infrastructure & Development Subhead provides capital funding to support the arts capital programme of my Department. The objective of this programme is to assist arts and culture organisations, local authorities and National Cultural Institutions to upgrade their arts facilities or develop high quality, well-designed and sustainable facilities to maximise access to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established under the National Sports Policy, published on 25 July 2018, to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, now known as the Community Sports Facilities Fund. The aim of the LSSIF...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Post Office Network (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The Programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. My Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Media Sector (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Act provided for the establishment of Coimisiún na Meán as Ireland’s independent online safety and media regulator. The legislation also provided for a new regulatory framework for online safety, updated the regulatory frameworks in respect of broadcasting services and audiovisual on-demand media services and assigned to An...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Film Industry (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Pálás Arthouse Cinema Galway was operated by Element Pictures T/A Picture Palace Cinema Ltd for 7 years under a lease from Galway City Council. The cinema closed on 28 February 2025. The cinema operator offered to surrender the remainder of the lease to Galway City Council leaving all relevant moveable assets in place to allow any new operator to have the benefit of existing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established under the National Sports Policy, published on 25 July 2018, to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Sports Capital & Equipment Programme (SCP). The first allocations under LSSIF were announced in January...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Film Industry (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: I understand that this Private Members Bill passed first stage in the Dáil on 10 June 2025. While quality employment is a key principle underpinning the operation of the Section 481 film tax relief, copyright is the responsibility of my Government colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment while tax matters are the responsibility of the Minister for Finance. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Projects (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: In 2022, my Department identified the need to replace the existing Sports Capital Programme grant management systems ('OSCAR'). The Department approved Pobal, a state-sponsored agency, as the preferred provider to design and develop the new system. A departmental project team has been working with a Pobal project team to design the new systems. The anticipated deadline for delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Reports (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: 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 these projects were funded directly by my Department. Given the serious nature of these issues, I wanted assurance in relation to capital expenditure in other areas under the aegis of my Department. I...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Swimming Pools (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Previously, Government support for new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools was provided through the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). 52 pools have been completed under the LASPP with a Lucan project currently under construction. The pool underspend relates to slower than anticipated progress on this project, but I understand that the local authority is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Swimming Pools (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy was published in August 2024 and includes an Action Plan containing over 50 actions across five thematic strands, focusing on providing improved facilities, increasing access for people with disabilities, improving the culture of inclusion, better coaching supports, increasing safety awareness and providing a pathway that allows for the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of-Government initiative led by my department that is designed to promote individual, community and national well-being. Its core proposition is that participation in cultural activity by everyone drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal well-being and achievement. Since 2018, the...