Results 12,181-12,200 of 12,487 for speaker:John O'Donoghue
- Written Answers — Film Industry Development: Film Industry Development (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The most critical element of the Government's strategy for the attraction to Ireland of film-makers has been the extension to 2008 of the section 481 incentive for investment in film production, and the increase in the amount that can be raised from â¬10.48 million to â¬15 million from 1 January 2005. This incentive is of critical importance to international film makers. The certainty that...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I can assure the Deputy that my Department's decentralisation programme is on target. As regards the acquisition of a site, the Office of Public Works has identified a local authority site in Killarney for which to develop offices for the Department. The projects division of OPW has decided on a design and build option. OPW sought and received submissions from interested developers throughout...
- Written Answers — National Aquatic Centre: National Aquatic Centre (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together. During the severe weather conditions experienced in the west Dublin area on New Year's Day 2005, damage was caused to the National Aquatic Centre. The roof of the 50m pool and diving pool and the roof of the leisure water area were both damaged, and in addition, damage occurred to lights and fittings around the complex. This has resulted in...
- Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: My Department operates the ACCESS scheme, which provides funding for the capital development of arts and cultural facilities, theatres, galleries, museums etc. around the country. In August 2001, â¬45.71 million was allocated to 44 successful projects. Taking into account matching funding being provided by project promoters, the ACCESS scheme will result in almost â¬58.4 million going into...
- Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: One of my key objectives in 2005 is to see continued progress in the implementation of the actions recommended in the report of the tourism policy review group, New Horizons for Irish Tourism. The implementation group set up to drive forward the New Horizons agenda, in its first progress report of September last, identified ten priority actions which it considered vital to sustaining future...
- Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Applications for funding under the 2005 national lottery-funded sports capital programme were invited through advertisements in the press on 5 and 6 December last. The closing date for receipt of applications was 4 February 2005. Subject to final confirmation, a total of 1,360 applications were received before the closing date. These applications are currently being evaluated against the...
- National Conference Centre. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The detailed tender documentation for the procurement of a national conference centre in the Dublin area was approved by the NCC steering group on 7 December 2004 and was subsequently issued by the Office of Public Works to each of the three previously short-listed consortia on 10 December 2004. As I indicated to the House on a number of occasions, the preparation of this documentation has...
- National Conference Centre. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I am informed that the Office of Public Works is currently engaging with the three short-listed consortia, although it is true that one of the candidates short-listed has indicated that it will not, in all probability, proceed.
- National Conference Centre. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: That proposal is also being brought forward by the Irish Hotels Federation. I confirm to Deputy Deenihan that it is his one which I will be pursuing with the Minister for Finance.
- Film Industry Development. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: International film production is now very big business. A Review of Film Production in Ireland, published recently by the audiovisual federation of IBEC, shows that in 2003, total funding for 179 productions in Ireland, comprising feature films and major TV dramas, independent TV production and animation, came to â¬320.2 million. The United States was the largest source of non-Irish funding...
- Film Industry Development. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: When I was in the United States it was indicated to me by people in charge of major production studios that the absence of a person on the ground in Hollywood was a negative factor in terms of bringing film to Ireland. The major studios like to have somebody whom they can contact relatively quickly. They indicated to me that when locations outside the United States are considered, Ireland is...
- Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: As I have previously informed the House, I was authorised by Government to invite expressions of interest, by way of public invitation, from the private sector in participating on the basis of a public private partnership in the capital redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre in or around the vicinity of the site of the existing theatre. The accommodation brief for the new theatre specified the...
- Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: When I stated that we hoped to identify and announce a site in the centenary year, I was confident that the Parnell Square site would be acquired in its entirety by the Office of Public Works. The OPW was also confident in this regard. However, as the Deputy is aware, the OPW was unable to acquire the site at what it regarded as a fair price. The owners of a portion of the site, 1 Granby Row,...
- Abbey Theatre. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Coláiste Mhuire is in public ownership. The difficulty is that this is not the position in respect of 1 Granby Row. If the latter were to come back into the equation at market value, we would reconsider it. However, this appears to be unlikely. The Carlton site on O'Connell Street is, prima facie, ideal for a new theatre. The difficulty is, however, that there are legal difficulties...
- Tourism Industry. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Achieving as wide as possible a distribution of visitor numbers across the different regions with an associated spread of tourism revenue, has long been recognised as a major objective and challenge for tourism policy. In more recent times there has been an increasing international trend towards shorter more frequent breaks, which clearly favours easily accessible urban destinations. That has...
- Tourism Industry. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Deputy Wall has hit the nail on the head. Access is crucially important as regards bringing people to the regions. A number of developments late in 2004 will help considerably in that respect. Ryanair announced that it would utilise Shannon as a European hub. That is of enormous importance because it means people from Europe will be brought directly into the mid-west and the west in...
- Swimming Pool Projects. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 14 together. This Department has not received any submission from South Dublin County Council for the provision of a swimming pool in Lucan since the previous parliamentary question by Deputy Gogarty on the subject, which I answered on 1 December 2004. The current local authority swimming pool programme, which is administered by my Department, was closed...
- Swimming Pool Projects. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: I have the greatest sympathy for the people of Lucan. I regret the fact that no application arrived in respect of Lucan from South Dublin County Council prior to the deadline on 31 July 2000. This deadline was well advertised and everyone knew about it. We received a considerable number of applications from all around the country, including the Dublin region. In 2002, in response to a query...
- Swimming Pool Projects. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: The difficulty with making a special case is that there are several other applicants across the country who feel that a special case should be made for them. Indeed, I have met deputations in that respect. The real difficulty is that I do not have a new programme at the moment. In Monaghan the municipal pool closed down due to serious damage and the special case was allowed. If it were at all...
- Swimming Pool Projects. (17 Feb 2005)
John O'Donoghue: Deputy Deenihan eloquently made his views known on "Morning Ireland" during the week. We are trying to move that issue along.