Results 1,681-1,700 of 10,035 for speaker:Martin Cullen

Legislative Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: I agree with the Deputy. I have no intention of letting this issue hang around for seven years, or even seven months. If we are to proceed with it, we must do so in a way that gives it the best opportunity to be successful in its remit. It is currently under the remit of the Irish Sports Council and any funding is routed through that body. I want to make a decision on the intention, the...

Legislative Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: Work on the Bill is ongoing and discussions between the Irish Sports Council, the Department of Finance and my Department are being finalised. I will bring the issue to a conclusion fairly quickly. If we are to proceed with this, we will publish a Bill, but if we do not proceed with it then we will not have a Bill.

Tourism Industry. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: Immigration policy is primarily a matter for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Every sovereign state has a right and a responsibility to protect its borders and I do not believe that Ireland operates an aggressive immigration policy. From a tourism perspective, we have been fortunate to enjoy record numbers of visitors to Ireland in recent years. We welcomed over 8 million...

Tourism Industry. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: I did not use the word "niche" to suggest the market is small or insignificant, but rather to suggest it is a specific part of the market. I would not consider the €500 million contribution per annum to the economy as insignificant either. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is carrying out a review of student immigration at the moment. We will be involved in the...

Decentralisation Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: Following the announcement of the Government's decentralisation programme in the 2004 budget, the Department, which has a staff of 130, excluding the National Archives, was designated an early mover by the decentralisation implementation group. Of the nine principal officers who were in the Department prior to the announcement of the programme of decentralisation, only one applied to...

Decentralisation Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: Yes.

Decentralisation Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: I do not have that detail but I will get the information for the Deputy.

Decentralisation Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: I accept that there is a challenge but I have discussed this with the Secretary General and my experience in my first few days is that there has been a co-ordinated and planned approach to this. The assistant principals and principal officers to whom I referred earlier gained experience they would not otherwise have. They are not just coming in overnight and transferring to Killarney. Some...

Decentralisation Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: The Deputy asked about me so I answered her.

Decentralisation Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: It should be remembered that long before this programme was put in place, civil servants have moved regularly between Departments as part of promotion systems.

Decentralisation Programme. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: It was not at the level of the decentralisation programme. Given the length of time some of these people have spent in the Department - three years in some cases - I do not think the Deputy is suggesting there is a lack of knowledge or experience of the Department. I have been in the Department only a few days and must get to know it and understand the issues in a short time. That is a...

National Development Plan. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: The National Development Plan 2007-2013, which was published in January 2007 contains the largest ever Government investment programme for the development of the arts and culture, tourism and sport sectors. The NDP includes an €800 million tourism development programme, a €904 million cultural sub-programme and a €991 million sport sub-programme. These programmes contain a wide range...

National Development Plan. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: I am familiar, having spent time in the Office of Public Works, with the institutions referred to by Deputy Mitchell. I have seen at first hand the fantastic work done by the Office of Public Works not alone in Dublin, but around the country. I agree with the Deputy in respect of the proper care and storage of national archives be they pertaining to the National Archives, National Museum or...

Horseracing Ireland. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: I understand that Horse Racing Ireland is currently completing its strategic plan for 2008-12 and I look forward to receiving it in due course.

Horseracing Ireland. (13 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: While my reply was brief, I was simply providing the Deputy with a straight answer to her question. I look forward to receiving the strategic plan soon. I take the view that horse racing and the horse industry, in its broadest sense, is of enormous importance to this country. While race meetings may be the shop window of an important industry, there is much more to the industry than that....

Written Answers — Sports Funding: Sports Funding (8 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 294, 298 and 304 together. Under the Sports Capital Programme, which is administered by my Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The 2008 programme was advertised on 13th and 14th of January and the deadline for receipt of applications was 29th February for...

Written Answers — Lisbon Treaty: Lisbon Treaty (8 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the Lisbon Treaty, if ratified, sport will become one of the activities where the EU will have the right to carry out "actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of member states". As such, Sports policy will remain a national competence in the same way as Education and Culture policies are currently treated within the framework of the EU. The Treaty states that the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: The average time for payment to be made by agencies affiliated to my Department to outside contractors for goods and services is a matter for the agencies themselves. Insofar as the Department is concerned the information for 2005 to 2008 required by the Deputy is set out in the table below. The figures for 2004 are not available. The figures are based on the average number of working days...

Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (8 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: Under the Sports Capital Programme, which is administered by my Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. The position is that under the Sports Capital Programme, grantees in receipt of funding over a specified level must enter into a Deed of Covenant and Charge in order to protect the Department's...

Written Answers — Budget Submissions: Budget Submissions (8 May 2008)

Martin Cullen: The number of meetings attended by my predecessors to negotiate the contents of the Budget since my Department was founded in June 2002 was one. This was held on 31 October 2007 to negotiate the policy changes and service level improvements, which would be included in Budget 2008 for delivery by my vote group. My immediate predecessor Mr. Seamus Brennan, T.D. and the then Tánaiste and...