Results 11,961-11,980 of 12,487 for speaker:John O'Donoghue
- Written Answers — Film Industry Development: Film Industry Development (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: It is my intention to support and promote film making in Ireland to the maximum extent possible. To this end I will attend the Cannes Film Festival later this month. Direct support of the industry is a matter for the Irish Film Board, which, although under the aegis of my Department, is independent on a day to day basis. The funds provided by my Department to the Irish Film Board in 2005 came...
- Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: My Department's arts and culture capital enhancement support scheme, ACCESS, provides capital funding for Arts and Culture projects throughout the country. Unfortunately all the funds under this scheme are fully allocated at present. I hope to be in a position shortly to clarify the position regarding a possible successor to the ACCESS scheme.
- Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Kildare County Council has applied for grant aid under the local authority swimming pool programme for the replacement of the existing swimming pools in Naas and Athy. In March this year, I approved the contract documents for the replacement of the pool in Naas and this approval allows the council to invite tenders for the work proposed. In the same month, I also approved the preliminary...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The moneys available to my Department for cultural purposes are earmarked primarily for use by the national cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives. My Department has no funds at its disposal under which financial assistance can be made available to support activities of this nature. However, Fáilte Ireland...
- National Concert Hall. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question. No. 8 of 17 February 2005. The Office of Public Works, having investigated over several years various locations for a state-of-the-art National Concert Hall in Dublin, advised me last year that reconfiguration of the site at Earlsfort Terrace where the concert hall is located would provide space for implementation of an imaginative design concept...
- National Concert Hall. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I have been doing everything I can to try to advance the cause of the National Concert Hall. The position is as I outlined. We have entered discussions with the Department of Education and Science, the Office of Public Works and UCD in regard to the Earlsfort Terrace site. Obviously this is contingent on UCD moving from the Earlsfort Terrace building to accommodation in Belfield. On the...
- National Concert Hall. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: There is no lack of urgency. We have been having complex negotiations with the relevant parties. There are a number of issues involved, and when we have dealt with these, there is the whole question of the cost of the site and the cost of the reconstruction, both of which must be funded by the Exchequer. I hope we can reach a resolution in the talks, which are ongoing, and produce a...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 63 together. In January 2004, the Government decided to proceed with the development of a sports campus on the State-owned lands at Abbotstown. Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited was requested to put forward proposals for the development of a sports campus. In the preparation of its proposals for the development of a sports campus, Campus...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I have outlined the proposals in respect of phase one. The memorandum for Government will envisage the delivery of that phase of the sports campus over a period of four to five years. The cost involved will be approximately â¬120 million. Any such proposal must obtain the approval of Government, which I hope we are successful in obtaining. I envisage Governments continuing with the necklace...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: We have made enormous strides in the provision of facilities in recent years, not just in Dublin but throughout the country. For example, since 1998 we have spent in the order of â¬610 million on sport and the provision of sports facilities. Through the national lottery-funded sports capital programme, we have been involved in approximately 4,500 projects in every city, town, village and...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The issue of running costs under phase 1 of the new campus at Abbotstown can only be addressed when the facility is open. It is not possible for me to envisage what they might be.
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I assure Deputy Wall that, with the assistance of the project managers and sports consultants, Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited consulted very widely with the major governing bodies of sport, including the international managers for rugby and soccer, stakeholders and interested groups to devise a development control plan for the campus. It is the plan to ensure that expertise is...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The straight answer is that it was necessary to cut our cloth according to our measure. We had to start somewhere and it was decided to start with what I outlined. The training area that will be provided for both professional rugby and soccer, and amateur games such as Gaelic games and hockey, is presented in the plan as a shamrock concept providing dedicated nodes for rugby, soccer and...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: There is no proposal at present to have a 10,000-seater stadium under phase 1. However, there is a proposal to have an indoor sports centre where it would be hoped to accommodate up to 30 sports.
- Tourism Industry. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: As I advised the House on 14 April 2005, there has been a major reform of tourism structures in recent years with the setting up of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. Reform of the function, role and operational structure of regional tourism is the third and final leg of that reform process. I have no direct responsibility for the most appropriate regional structures for the discharge of...
- Tourism Industry. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Some Opposition Members â not Deputy Gogarty â were reported in the media as saying that this report heralds the end of Dublin Tourism. That is not the case. We are trying to ensure that we give the best service to the industry and that the industry gives the best service to the customer. There has been much fragmentation and duplication in the industry. I am not denigrating Dublin...
- Tourism Industry. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: A small independent group chaired by Mr. Travers and including the economist Mr. Paul Tansey, and Mr. John Power of the Irish Hotels Federation is facilitating the engagement with Dublin Tourism, representatives of the industry, local authorities in the Dublin region, and my Department. It has already met PricewaterhouseCoopers, the chairman, chief executive officer and senior staff of...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: On 25 April I announced that the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company awarded the design and project management contracts for the stadium, moving the development plan for the new Lansdowne Road stadium to a new phase. The contracts were awarded following tender competitions, advertised internationally through the European Journal as well as in Ireland. The design contract has been...
- Sport and Recreational Development. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Deputy Wall asks if we are in the same boat. We are all aboard, and sailing. There is no doubt the project has the support of the Taoiseach and the Government. If it did not we could not proceed with it. It is sometimes forgotten that nobody mentioned a stadium until the Taoiseach said we required a stadium. I would like to acknowledge the pivotal role he has played. He expressed a view that...
- Tourism Promotion. (10 May 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 79, 90 and 93 together. I refer Deputies to my reply to Priority Question No. 62 earlier today.