Results 11,261-11,280 of 16,679 for speaker:Peadar Tóibín

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: If we stretch it out too far, we get into the situation where the issue is not focused on. In such circumstances, I would like to give it a timescale of approximately three weeks if that is acceptable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: We have already made a decision to invite her and an agreed invitation was sent. I always hate to open up what has already been agreed by a committee-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: That is okay. It will be agreed then that we will set out our disappointment and ask her to attend the committee at a time agreeable to her within the next three weeks. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: This is one of those issues where it was proposed by members and agreed on the particular day that it would be sent out. Nobody, I think-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: I understand that it was and I do not believe anyone spoke against it. I am not going to be fixated on it because the real politics, discussion and issue will be dealt with when the Minister attends and we have the discussion. In future, if a proposal of that sort arises, we can take Deputy Heydon's view into consideration and try to frame titles in such a manner as to make them less - as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: Is Deputy Heydon making a proposal on the matter?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: That is grand and agreed. This concludes our debate. We hope to meet the Minister shortly. Feicfidh mé sibh go léir amárach.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Heritage Centres Funding (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: 379. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is satisfied with the proposed purchase of the site of the Mary Robinson Centre from a director of the Victoria House Foundation which will run the centre; if she is further satisfied with the cost of the project to the State; if she is satisfied with the manner of its funding and the financial aspects of the running of the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments Closures (25 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: 393. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE has a plan to close the accident and emergency department or reduce its hours in view of the news that the accident and emergency department in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan is to be closed in January of 2017; if the HSE plans to close the accident and emergency department or reduce its hours of opening in 2017; if Our Lady's Hospital, Navan has a...

Other Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: 10. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps her Department will take to remove barriers to cultural activity for young persons in view of an ESRI and Arts Council report launched recently which states that families of young children with disabilities are highly engaged in cultural activities but that there are barriers to participation at ages nine and 13, with...

Other Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: I presume that when organisations are starving they are usually pleased to see a few extra crumbs from the table. With regard to this question, the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, recently published a document concerning the arts and the cultural participation of children and young people. It highlighted the benefits children get from cultural engagements, including confidence...

Other Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: The Minister and I agree on the fact that there are major benefits for young children from access to the arts in that sphere of their lives. The report indicates that children from working-class backgrounds have less access to the arts and those benefits. Children with disabilities, especially in their younger years, have good access to the arts, but when they reach nine to 13 years of age...

Other Questions: Arts in Education Charter (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: In any debate the Government can always point to a number of programmes which are good, no matter what we discuss. However, the point is that the general situation is not good. If one examines the sector in its entirety, there is not a positive delivery to different sectors, particularly disadvantaged sectors. The Minister has given a nebulous promise that at some time in the future the...

Other Questions: Regional Development Initiatives (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: I will do my best to see if I can represent the Acting Chairman here. With regard to broadband, I have major concerns with the Government's broadband plan. We know from conversations we have had with the Minister previously that it is likely the due date for broadband right across the State will be broken. There is no Government confirmation that this due date will be achieved. In five or...

Other Questions: Regional Development Initiatives (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: The Minister of State studiously avoided answering my question about the Government's plan to close further post offices in the next number of years. It does plan to close a number of post offices in rural areas in the next number of years. Unfortunately, it is now too late to transfer the motor tax service to the post offices. If people were to go to a county council office to pay...

Other Questions: Regional Development Initiatives (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: The Government does.

Other Questions: National Spatial Strategy (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: I suppose when this Department was created there was a hope that it would be for real, that regional development and rural affairs would be taken seriously by this Department. It is clear this Department is a hollow husk, that in the end of the day the Department is almost an elaborate press statement to pretend to the people that the Government is doing something on this issue. For...

Other Questions: National Spatial Strategy (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: My heart goes out to the Minister to a certain extent. If Deputy Humphreys does not have the budget to deal with these issues, unfortunately, all the joined-up thinking in the world is not worth a damn. The level of capital investment in this State is one of the lowest anywhere in Europe. With regards to the €6 billion that is going on roads between 2016 and 2021, 75% of that is...

Other Questions: National Spatial Strategy (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: 6. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will be taking a role in the development of the new national spatial strategy. [31135/16]

Other Questions: National Spatial Strategy (20 Oct 2016)

Peadar Tóibín: This State is in a state of spatial crisis. Services are being closed down on the western side of our country and rebuilt on the eastern seaboard. There is an overconcentration of economic activity and limited resources in a small space on the east coast, which is depopulating much of the west coast and causing bottlenecks in infrastructure on the east coast. What will the Minister do,...