Results 10,521-10,540 of 12,487 for speaker:John O'Donoghue
- Lansdowne Road Stadium. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I sincerely hope the issue can be resolved by negotiation. If it cannot be resolved by negotiation, then I hope it can be resolved by both sides committing to arbitration. Talks between the two parties have been going on for nearly a year and a half. The offer on the table from the IRFU seems to be quite fair. I understand it includes a replacement fully-equipped club house within the...
- Lansdowne Road Stadium. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The IRFU has requested that the issue should go to negotiation or arbitration â and negotiations have taken place. My understanding is that the deadline for negotiations was Tuesday, 28 November. I am not up to date on precisely what has happened. If the final offer cannot be accepted, then it seems the best way is arbitration. However, arbitration is something that must be accepted by...
- Special Olympics Ireland. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I am happy to place on record the high regard in which both I and my Government colleagues hold Special Olympics Ireland. The programmes which are implemented by the organisation for people with intellectual disabilities have a profoundly positive impact on families and communities. Since 1999, Special Olympics Ireland has received core funding of â¬4 million from the Irish Sports Council...
- Special Olympics Ireland. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I am unaware of any politician who seeks cheap publicity arising from the Special Olympics. At the time, the Government provided an allocation of almost â¬14 million towards the hosting of the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland. This was in addition to capital grants under the sports capital programme of â¬21 million to assist in the upgrading of a number of sports facilities...
- Special Olympics Ireland. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: As the organisation is aware, I have never been found wanting with regard to Special Olympics Ireland and to be fair, neither has the Minister for Finance. I do not anticipate that either the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism under my aegis, or the Minister for Finance will be found wanting in respect of the validated needs of Special Olympics Ireland. However, like all submissions, it...
- Tourism Industry. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: As I advised the House on several occasions this year, most recently on 26 October last, individual actions and measures relating to tourism promotion or development at regional or county level are day to day functions of the State tourism agencies. There has been a major reform of Irish tourism structures in recent years with the setting up of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. Reform of...
- Tourism Industry. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The articles of association of the former regional tourism authorities govern the formation of the county tourism committees. Now that the RTAs no longer exist, the former county tourism committees have also lapsed. PricewaterhouseCoopers examined the county committees and determined that the State structures to support tourism had significantly disaggregated over time and that a large...
- Tourism Industry. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I am not announcing the death of the country tourism committees, I am merely writing the obituary. There clearly was too much duplication, overlap and overcrowding in tourism structures in the State. We need to target the resources we have in a measured and focused way. We cannot do that if there is too much disaggregation in the process. I do not believe it is a great idea.
- Tourism Industry. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: Local authorities still have a role in the sense they are involved in the regional tourism development authorities and they have a substantial role to play through their elected members and county managers in that respect. It is clear we have reformed the structures of the tourism industry through Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the new Regional Tourism Development Authorities. I am...
- Departmental Funding. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The Estimates for Public Services (Abridged Version) and Summary Public Capital Programme for 2007, which were published on 16 November last, make a provision of â¬686.836 million for my Department with a further â¬11.765 million provision for the National Gallery of Ireland, representing an increase of 17.6% over the 2006 allocations. However, in the initial analysis of the figures, it is...
- Departmental Funding. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The Government supports swimming which is clear from the construction of the National Aquatic Centre and the Olympic size pool at the University of Limerick. Under the swimming pools programme, 23 swimming pools around the country have been completed since 2000. Some 15 more are under construction. In regard to Swim Ireland and its allocation, Deputy Wall will be aware that its funding...
- Departmental Funding. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: Swim Ireland has made a genuine effort to try and resolve its difficulties. However, I point out to Deputy Wall that the only recommendation in the 1998 Murphy report of direct relevance to my Department concerns the issue of funding. This is the reason I dealt with that issue in my reply. The report advocated that additional funding be allocated through the Irish Sports Council for the...
- National Aquatic Centre. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I wish to express my satisfaction that the National Aquatic Centre will be restored to Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, CSID, following an order by consent made by the Supreme Court on 14 November. Following the persistent failure of Dublin Waterworld Limited to comply with obligations under its lease, I directed CSID to seek forfeiture of the lease in the High Court. The...
- National Aquatic Centre. (30 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: As is well known, there was storm damage in January 2005 because of severe weather conditions in west Dublin. The roof was damaged as were various fittings around the complex. Repair works were completed on 20 May 2005 and the centre was reopened to the public on that date. Kavanagh, Mansfield & Partners has certified that the programme of works was carried out in accordance with the...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (29 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: My Department, excluding the National Archives, i.e. approximately 130 posts, will relocate to Killarney under the Government's Decentralisation programme and, as the Deputy may be aware, was designated by the Decentralisation Implementation Group as one of the "early mover" Departments. Construction of the new building in Killarney is expected to commence before the end of the year and the...
- Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (29 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national levels. Applications for funding under the 2007 programme were invited through advertisements in the Press on October 15th and 16th last. The closing date for receipt of applications was Friday last, November 24th. I can confirm that...
- Written Answers — Special Olympics World Games: Special Olympics World Games (23 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. I am happy to place on record the high regard in which both I and my Government colleagues hold Special Olympics Ireland. Since 1999, Special Olympics Ireland has received core funding of â¬4 million from the Irish Sports Council including almost â¬0.6 million this year. Special Olympics Ireland recently made a submission to the...
- Written Answers — Radon Gas Levels: Radon Gas Levels (22 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: A radon survey was carried out at my Department's Dublin premises, 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 and Frederick Building, South Frederick Street, Dublin 2, during the first quarter of 2005. All results were within normal parameters and no follow up action was recommended by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. A survey has not yet been conducted in the National Archives, Bishop...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: My Department has offices located at 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 and Frederick Building, South Frederick Street, Dublin 2. My Department is not the main tenant in either building. The utility bills for the Kildare Street building are in the name of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The utility bills for Frederick Building are in the name of the Department of Foreign Affairs....
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Nov 2006)
John O'Donoghue: My Department has an account with Ballygowan Water Cooler Division for water coolers in its premises at 23 Kildare St and Frederick Building at South Frederick St Dublin 2 and at Fossa Killarney. The total cost for this service to date in 2006 is â¬5,796. In addition my Department also has an account with Castle Consultants Ltd, formerly All Water Systems Ltd, for water filters in its...