Results 11,281-11,300 of 12,487 for speaker:John O'Donoghue
- Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54, 62 and 68 together. For 2006, I secured an unprecedented level of Exchequer resources for tourism development ââ¬138.5 million â representing an increase of over 11% on 2005. This investment will enable the tourism agencies â Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland â to deliver in full their ambitious plans for 2006. This allocation includes the...
- Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: In my reply to Question No. 247 of 15 June 2005, I stated that I was not aware of any appointees to State boards under the auspices of my Department currently disqualified from holding a directorship of a private company. This remains the position. Under the terms of the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, as amended by the Greyhound Industry (Amendment) Act 1993, I appoint the members of the board...
- Written Answers — Olympic Games: Olympic Games (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I welcome the recommendations of the recent report of the joint Oireachtas committee in relation to the staging of the Olympic Games in London 2012. Currently, I am finalising arrangements for the establishment of a committee to ensure that Ireland can capitalise on the opportunities which will be presented as a consequence of the allocation of the 2012 Olympic Games to London. This committee...
- Written Answers — National Conference Centre: National Conference Centre (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 65 together. On 17 November 2005, I informed the House that, on the advice of the national conference centre steering group and with approval by the Government, I had designated Spencer Dock International Conference Centre Consortium as the provisional preferred tenderer for the provision of a national conference centre in Dublin. In accordance with the...
- Written Answers — Tourist Activities: Tourist Activities (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: My Department has no function in the collection of statistical data regarding the number of overseas visitors to Ireland who rent vehicles during their holiday in Ireland. Both tourism State agencies â Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland â have a role in tracking business from the rent a car sector and as such I have asked them to provide the Deputy with whatever information is available...
- Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I am aware of the document mentioned by the Deputy. It was published on Tourism Ireland's corporate website in December 2005 and presented to the industry at a seminar in Dublin in February 2006. The document was compiled from a number of surveys conducted on behalf of Tourism Ireland over the course of the past number of years as part of its ongoing tracking of consumer perceptions of...
- Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The chairman of Bord na gCon did not seek my views prior to his decision to hold a press conference on 4 February 2006. The position is that on 2 February 2006, I wrote to all members of the board of Bord na gCon informing them that I had requested Mr. Tim Dalton to carry out an investigation into certain matters relating to the corporate governance of Bord na gCon. In this letter, I...
- Written Answers — Film Industry Development: Film Industry Development (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70, 138 and 139 together. The Irish Film Board is responsible for the promotion and support of film-making in Ireland. The board is funded by my Department, but is independent on a day to day basis. My Department does not have information on the number of films in production at any given time. However, the section 481 scheme provides a tax-based incentive for...
- Written Answers — Proposed Soccer Stadium: Proposed Soccer Stadium (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: An amount of â¬2.4 million has already been provided by my Department under the sports capital programme for the development of a soccer stadium in Tallaght. The site provided and previous works carried out were based on the requirements of a soccer stadium. The detailed design specification which South Dublin County Council has obtained and is using to finalise a contract to complete the...
- Written Answers — Wexford Festival Opera: Wexford Festival Opera (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: Last December I approved a grant of â¬26 million towards the cost, estimated at â¬30.28 million, of refurbishing and remodelling the Theatre Royal in Wexford. Wexford Festival Opera will raise the balance of the capital cost. The Office of Public Works is providing project management services for the development. Demolition of the old theatre is under way. Advertisements for the...
- Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The national lottery funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Applications for funding under the 2006 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 27 and 28 November last. The closing date for receipt...
- Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: In the past 12 months my Department has awarded funding totalling â¬41.325 million, primarily for capital development, to groups involved in the promotion of arts. Details of the individual grants are provided in the table below. Project Grant Amount â'¬ Wexford Opera Festival 26,000,000 Gaiety Theatre, Dublin 4,000,000 Caherciveen Arts Centre, Kerry 1,600,000 Comhaltas...
- Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The national lottery-funded sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level. The programme is advertised on an annual basis. Applications for funding under the 2006 programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 27 and 28 November last. The closing date for receipt...
- Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I refer the Deputy to the reply given earlier in response to priority Question No. 31.
- Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: The hosting of the Ryder Cup at the K Club in September is a key event for tourism this year and a unique opportunity to market all that Ireland has to offer as a tourism destination. In recognition of this the Government has made a significant level of resources available to Fáilte Ireland to ensure the tourism spin-off to Ireland and golfing tourism in particular is maximised. The 2006...
- Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: Responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council, a State body funded by my Department. Fáilte Ireland allocates funding to assist festivals and cultural events through its festivals and cultural events initiative. Further details on the festivals and cultural events initiative is available on the Fáilte Ireland website...
- Tourism Industry. (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: As I previously advised the House in response to similar questions on 26 January 2006, individual actions and measures relating to tourism promotion or development at regional level are day-to-day functions of the State tourism agencies. To this end, Fáilte Ireland commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers just over a year ago to conduct a major study of regional tourism structures. The report was...
- Tourism Industry. (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: There was a welcome increase of 6.5 million in the number of visitors to the country last year, which was the highest number ever to visit the State in one year. It is true, however, that all regions and sectors did not benefit equally and this is causing a difficulty for us. For example, the Dublin region increased by 11% whereas some regions increased only by small margins. In those...
- Departmental Investigations. (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: On 31 January 2006, I requested Mr. Tim Dalton, former Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, to carry out an independent assessment of issues relating to corporate governance in Bord na gCon as well as its management of positive tests for banned substances. The terms of reference of the independent investigation are as follows: to review the allegations of...
- Departmental Investigations. (1 Mar 2006)
John O'Donoghue: I understand Bord na gCon would have had a meeting or meetings since this controversy arose. There will not be an interim report but a final report, which I trust will be comprehensive. On the question on the term of the chairman, Bord na gCon was set up on 28 May 1958 under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry....