Results 221-240 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 35 together. I am committed to supporting the crucial constituent sectors of arts and culture and the Government will continue to fund those sectors within limited available financial resources. Decisions regarding funding, whether within my Department's Vote or on the part of other relevant Departments will, however, have to be taken in the context...

Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 43 and 192 together. I have acknowledged on many occasions that we are currently in a very challenging period for Irish tourism. Figures for the first six months of the year show that although we welcomed over 2.6 million overseas visitors, this represented a reduction of 20.5% on the corresponding 2009 levels. Last year, when Tourism Ireland finalised...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I have been informed by the National Sports Campus Development Authority that the annual accounts of the Authority are currently being audited by the C&AG. Upon completion of the audit and sign off on the accounts by the C&AG, I expect to receive a copy of the financial statements for 2009 from the Authority, which will be placed in the Library of the Houses of the Oireachtas. In relation to...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The National Sports Campus Development Authority was established on 1 January 2007 under the National Sports Campus Development Authority Act, 2006. The principal functions of the Authority as specified in the Act are: · To develop a sports campus at Abbotstown, Co Dublin. · To furnish and equip the sports campus. · To manage, operate and maintain the sports campus. · To...

Written Answers — London Olympics: London Olympics (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Irish Sports Council (ISC), which is funded by my Department, was established on a statutory basis on 1st July 1999, and the functions of the Council are outlined in Section 6 of the Irish Sports Council Act 1999. Section 6 (1)(a) states that one of the functions of the Council shall be "to encourage the promotion, development and coordination of competitive sport and the achievement of...

Written Answers — Sports Funding: Sports Funding (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I consider that there is great potential for the Just Sport Ireland initiative which was established by the Federation of Irish Sports in 2007 as a specialised independent arbitration and mediation facility and I have asked the Sports Council to promote its use.

Written Answers — London Olympics: London Olympics (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: A high-level coordinating group, chaired by my Department, is identifying at the opportunities that may arise for Ireland, across the sports, tourism and cultural sectors, from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The group comprises representatives from Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, the Irish Sports Council, the Olympic Council of Ireland,...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will appreciate I am not in a position to outline the Estimates for my Department for 2011 in advance of publication of the Budget, preparations for which are currently under way.

Written Answers — Arts Promotion: Arts Promotion (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: It is my belief that the arts are critical to the well-being of society, enhancing the life of local communities, and giving artistic expression to place and identity. Much work has been done to develop the arts at a local level, not necessarily based on the Local Sports Partnership (LSP) model, which is a specific model of practice. The LSP concept was developed under the remit of the...

Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I have acknowledged on many occasions that we are currently in a very challenging period for Irish tourism. Great Britain remains our single most important market in terms of overseas visitor numbers and that market has been notably challenging in recent years due to the domestic economic conditions pertaining there and particularly the unfavourable sterling exchange rate. Furthermore, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Currently a total of 16 employees in my Department avail of the worksharing scheme. Of this number, one is male and fifteen are female. In addition, since the more recent introduction of the Shorter Working Year scheme in 2009, a total of 5 employees in my Department, one male and four female, have availed of this scheme. No employee has been refused leave to participate in these schemes.

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Under the Sports Capital Programme, funding is allocated to sporting and to voluntary and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Since 1998 an amount of €730m has been allocated to 7,400 projects throughout the country. This investment has transformed the quantity and quality of sports facilities throughout the country. Given the current...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, as published in July 2009, made a number of recommendations in respect of my Department and the Agencies under its aegis. Specifically, the Special Group made proposals to reduce programme expenditure by almost €105 million in 2010 and to structurally reduce 170 staff across the department and its...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187, 190, 191, 194 and 196 together. The Government has already introduced wide-ranging measures to promote the flow of credit within the economy, including the introduction of the Bank Guarantee Scheme, the 2009 Recapitalisation Scheme, the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank and the establishment of the National Asset Management Agency. These have all...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: On 7 September last I organised a consultative forum which was attended by stakeholders representing the arts, culture and the film sectors. The deliberations of that forum, which included contributions relating to employment in the arts, culture and film sectors, will feed into the preparation of the Department's Statement of Strategy for the period 2011 – 2013 which will be published in...

Written Answers — Tourism Industry: Tourism Industry (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: My policy on the arts, culture and film sectors reflects Government Policy in this area as set out in the Programme for Government. This policy is to · promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms; · increase the profile of, access to, and participation in, culture and the arts; · make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life; · maximise the potential for cultural...

Tourist Accommodation (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Economic circumstances are making trading conditions difficult for most businesses at present. These difficult conditions are exacerbated in the case of the hotel sector by the build up of an overcapacity in the availability of rooms in recent years. This is proving to be a complex situation to resolve and I believe that, inevitably, it will require a market-led solution over time. I had...

Tourist Accommodation (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: The relationship with other banks arose during my discussions with NAMA, which has a remit to work with AIB and Bank of Ireland. However, even though it does not have the same relationship with Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, these banks are also obliged to lend in a prudent and sustainable manner. I acknowledge that the withdrawal of Bank of Scotland is an issue of considerable concern...

Tourist Accommodation (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: Hotels have to deal with a number of issues, including surplus capacity. The industry claims to have 15,000 surplus rooms. Based on our plans to attract up to 8 million tourists by 2015, we estimate a somewhat lower figure for oversupply but none the less it is an issue which will have to be addressed and banks will have to be conscious of market demands. The economic affairs Cabinet...

Performing Arts (14 Oct 2010)

Mary Hanafin: My predecessor announced a decision to set up Irish National Opera, INO, in December 2009 and appointed an interim board to undertake this task. The process of forming this new entity is a collaborative one involving my Department, the Arts Council, Opera Ireland and Opera Theatre Company, OTC. The latter is fully engaged in that process and is represented on the interim board of INO. The...