Results 1,161-1,180 of 9,820 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I think this is fairly strong. We have just not set out exactly what these sanctions will be, but they will be significant. I honestly think, though, that it is in the best interests of organisations to do this. Boards and organisations in general will be better with this diversity, as will sport itself. I do not think, frankly, that members will accept anything else and this is not an...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: This is a new initiative the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, was very keen on having and that I would be there as a Minister of State linking the two Departments. There are many positive linkages we can have. Basically, this is about what the Deputy has said, namely, increasing participation in sport and physical activity. This is the really important part. Physical education...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: No, I do not mean to say there are negotiations going on. It is just that there has not been a Minister of State in either Department with special responsibility for physical education. It is, therefore, just a question of trying to get the different strands in the Department of Education together to deal with physical education. That Department is not set up on a structure based on...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The Department of Education provides its infrastructure. However, schools can apply under the sports capital programme in partnership with sports clubs. There are a number of examples of that. We have seen difficulties with that at times because sometimes the owners of schools, which, generally speaking, are diocesan trusts, are unwilling to sign the necessary paperwork to make an...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Some of the sport projects are demand led. Clubs might not have come in with a final request to draw down money. They might have been allocated money in previous years. It is for local and regional projects and it is on the clubs. The money has to be kept.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: It is earmarked already.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: No, I have not. We will have it as soon as I complete discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We are finalising a review of the previous programme, which was very successful. We are looking at what we can do even better. Once we get agreement from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I cannot commit to that but certainly it is our desire to do it fairly quickly.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: That is the question under discussion at present. The point is that the last round, which has been drawn down to only a very small extent so far - that is normal - was the most successful ever, and the most money was given out to communities throughout the country.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: No, it was €150 million.

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: It was allocated in the last round at this time last year. The clubs, in their own time, complete projects. I do not have the exact figure in front of me but what would be normal is that 10% to 15% would be drawn down in the first year. It can go on for a long time in some cases. There is a very small percentage of clubs that never finally complete the drawdown, for whatever reason. This...

Select Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Sorry, the total was €166 million. The €150 million was strictly for capital and there was another €16 million for equipment.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tourism Schemes (2 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I thank Deputy Harkin for raising the issue. I thank her and her colleagues for their relentless advocacy of tourism and business in Sligo and for the constructive approach they have taken on this. I am fully aware of the beautiful tourist sites in Sligo. Deputy Harkin mentioned Rosses Point in particular but she is right to say there are many others, including Knocknarea, Lough Gara and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Tourism Schemes (2 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The Deputy raised the issue of support schemes and compensation measures to help businesses and individuals that are dependent on seasonal tourism, which could be adversely affected by the reduction in capacity available this season due to hotels and other tourism accommodation being used to house international asylum seekers and Ukrainian people fleeing war. I thank her for relaying the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (2 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I absolutely agree with the Deputy that it would be wonderful to see Katie Taylor in Croke Park. To that end, my very first meeting with anyone from outside the Department was with Katie Taylor's manager, Brian Peters, in the early part of January. It was explained to us that there was a funding gap between what the promoters were prepared to pay for the fight and what the fight would...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (2 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: There are a number of existing policies which refer to the importance of physical literacy and physical literacy development.  These include the Get Ireland Active National Physical Activity Plan, The Wellbeing Statement and Framework for practice, National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027, as well as the Department of Education funded Move Well Move Often Physical Literacy...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (1 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I thank Senator Currie for raising the matter. It is vital that every child and young person with special educational needs be fully supported in the education sector, whether in mainstream, a special class or a special school. Significant investment and reforms have been made to ensure this is the case. A priority for the Government is to ensure that all children have an appropriate...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (1 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I will ensure the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, is made aware of the specific points the Senator raised. She has visited a large number of special schools and special classes since she took office and has seen the excellent work done for and with students. I have no doubt she would be more than happy to visit the Senator's area and the school in question. There are challenges and the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (1 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The situation is that there was much discussion about this issue, with parents being on to all of us last year. I was engaging with the board of management at that time, and with Department officials as well. On 2 September 2022, an agreement was completed regarding this project happening. The school was then told to go about doing it. It did that and appointed a design team to do the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (1 Feb 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Leas-Cheann Chomhairle. I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague in the Department of Education, the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, who is not available. I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position in respect of the accommodation needs of Ratoath Junior National School, in...