Results 11,681-11,700 of 12,487 for speaker:John O'Donoghue
- Ticket Touting. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: At the time, the relevant Departments and the Attorney General raised serious concerns about the proposed legislation and their views have not changed in the interim. Some sporting organisations are of the view that the legislation would only drive the practice underground and would not resolve the problem. I am not denigrating the proposed legislation, I am stating the position in this regard.
- Ticket Touting. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: No, I cannot.
- Ticket Touting. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: My Department has no role, function or competence in ticket distribution.
- Ticket Touting. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The Garda has a role in the prosecution of ticket touting as a criminal offence, not my Department.
- Ticket Touting. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Ticket distribution is the responsibility of the sporting organisations. Their representatives have assured the Department at a number of meetings that they are strongly committed to eliminating ticket touting and they are doing their best to ensure tickets end up in the proper hands and not the hands of ticket touts.
- National Archives. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 32 together. The records of all public bodies are increasingly being created and maintained electronically. The long-term preservation of departmental records in electronic form is the responsibility of the National Archives. However, in the short term each Department, office or court is responsible for the preservation of its own electronic records,...
- National Archives. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Whatever combination of solutions is devised, it is essential that both knowledge and physical resources are developed to ensure records and other cultural objects in digital form can be preserved. As the Deputy stated, as a first step in a more substantial programme of work, I appointed a member of staff of the National Archives to examine the issue of electronic records. Progress has been...
- Sports Facilities. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 17 and 20 together. An inter-agency steering group comprising representatives from my Department, the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Finance, in addition to representatives of the Irish Sports Council,...
- Sports Facilities. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Carrying out an effective and comprehensive national audit of local facilities is a major undertaking in respect of complexity and time. The Sports Council for Northern Ireland embarked on a similar exercise in recent years and it took two to three years to complete the task. In total 1,900 individual sites were identified containing some 10,000 sports facilities. In the past seven years in...
- National Conference Centre. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Tenders for the provision of a national conference centre in the Dublin area were received from two consortia by the Office of Public Works on 20 May last, the deadline for the receipt of tenders. The rigorous assessment and evaluation of these tenders has now been completed and the report of the evaluation panel submitted to the national conference centre steering group. I expect a...
- National Conference Centre. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Issues regarding the sites proposed by the tenderers for the national conference centre are matters for their respective owners and parent Departments. Beyond that I cannot comment.
- National Conference Centre. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I fully agree with the Deputy that we do not want a legal quagmire surrounding the national conference centre, which is why I repeat that any issues regarding the sites proposed by the tenderers for the national conference centre are matters for their respective owners and Departments. The procedures involved in a public private partnership are complex. As part of the procedural requirements...
- National Conference Centre. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Everybody is bound by the rules which apply to this tender. The strict rules and procedures of the competition are such that I am not in a position to elaborate on the nature or substance of the steering group's works. However, it is intended to have a provisional preferred tenderer designated very soon.
- Appointments to State Boards. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: 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 of Bord na gCon which consists of seven members, a chairman and six ordinary members. Ordinary members are appointed to serve for a three-year term on the expiry of which they are eligible for reappointment for a further term. All appointments made...
- Appointments to State Boards. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: All appointments to State boards I make are based on the experience, knowledge and expertise of the individual being appointed. In this instance that knowledge, experience and expertise is acknowledged by people across the spectrum. The person brings that experience, knowledge and expertise to the board. I would not make an appointment if I felt he were in any way restricted from serving on...
- Appointments to State Boards. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Irrespective of whom one appoints, that person will have supporters and detractors. It is no different in this case. The individual in question has been a member of a board that has been eminently successful. Bord na gCon has invested a considerable amount of money in building up its facilities and the integrity of the sport as well as increasing prize money over the past few years. We are...
- Tax Code. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I have consistently argued that the tax exemption for artists has very positive effects on the arts in Ireland. The scheme was innovative and imaginative from the outset, and the benefits are many. This scheme increases the level of artistic activity, encourages artists to stay with the arts rather than moving to more lucrative occupations, makes Ireland a more attractive place for artists to...
- Tax Code. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I wholeheartedly agree with Deputy Gogarty in his assessment of the situation. My understanding is that the Minister for Finance initiated a review of tax reliefs which would include the artists' exemption scheme. It should be recalled that the exemption is for works that are creative and artistic and that they must have cultural and-or artistic merit. These hurdles must be cleared before the...
- Tax Code. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I have received voluminous correspondence about the scheme from people involved in the arts, and Deputy Gogarty is correct in saying they are very worried about the future of the scheme and in general terms support the retention of the scheme in its entirety, irrespective of their income. Regarding the artistic merit of a stallion, it all depends whether one bets on a winner or a loser.
- Abbey Theatre. (13 Oct 2005)
John O'Donoghue: After proposals for redevelopment of the Abbey at its existing location or at the site of the former Carlton Cinema in O'Connell Street or on the former Coláiste Mhuire site in Parnell Square were ruled out for a variety of reasons, I authorised negotiations with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in connection with its offer of a site for the theatre at George's Dock. The Office of...