Results 221-240 of 3,369 for speaker:Shane Cassells

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: Mr. Ó Conaire mentioned the sports capital grants earlier and the marking scheme in place. Additional points are given to clubs that demonstrate inclusion, especially in the area of gender balance and so forth. Is there a process in place for the Department to follow up on all clubs across all codes and get signed letters from them, especially from underage and female sides of the...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: We see how failure to meet the gender quotas on boards will lead to funding cuts, but Mr. Ó Conaire also mentioned violence and race. The committee produced a report last year. Mary O’Connor worked very hard on it in respect of one proposal that she put forward, which was included in our report, relating to the penalisation of clubs in terms of access to State funding if...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: There have been some brutal ones and-----

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: The timelines of the integration process for all of the bodies coming under one umbrella.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: I thank the witnesses for the document. The participation of older people was mentioned earlier. I wish to pay tribute to one man, namely, David Brady from Mayo, who did a lot of work during Covid in reaching out to members of the elderly community. There is a glaring omission in this booklet when it comes to older people in respect of the Dads & Lads part of the GAA. A national...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: I wish to ask a final question of the GAA and FAI. It was in the news that today that there was a successful UEFA championship bid yesterday for the UK and Ireland. I raised the development of Casement Park in the Seanad earlier. There is unfortunately already some negative voices from those in the Traditional Unionist Voice, TUV, and Northern Ireland soccer towards the redevelopment of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: The IFA is coming under pressure from its amalgamated supporters association because that association sees it as a negative that money is going towards a GAA ground and is looking for money for its clubs separately. Could that throw a spanner in the works? It is also looking for Windsor Park still to be considered. I do not know how it could be since the UEFA bid has been confirmed. It...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Inclusion in Sport: Discussion (11 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: All of the organisations have mentioned the work being done. Being parochial, I wish to give a shout out to some clubs. Navan rugby club was the first club to facilitate children with special needs and intellectual disabilities with a special team in the whole of the north east. I acknowledge that work. On the female side, our women’s coach is Jackie Shiels, the former Irish...

Seanad: Budget 2024 (Finance): Statements (10 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: I thank the Minister of State for his work and for his address this afternoon on budget 2024. Senator Warfield, who is leaving the Chamber, said that Sinn Féin-----

Seanad: Budget 2024 (Finance): Statements (10 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: -----wanted a budget that was more affordable. As people are travelling home this evening and digesting the news from this budget, they will have a sense and feeling that the announcements made by the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Donohoe, will have made a difference to their lives in a real and tangible way. People are financially better off and the fact that this has occurred...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: I offer a warm welcome to the Minister and her officials. To start on that issue of the recommended figure by NewERA in terms of what is required, the Minister said that that figure is then contingent on what is going to be outlined in the strategic vision by RTÉ and Kevin Bakhurst. The director general said to me, when he was here a couple of weeks ago, that he would have the outline...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: I do not mean to interrupt the Minister. In his opening statement on the last day, he said he would have the full vision by Christmas but that he would have the framework of the strategic vision in October. I specifically asked him if he would have it before budget day, conscious that RTÉ is looking for money, and he said that he would. That is on the record. He confirmed that they...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: I am conscious that he is only going to have a framework for the Minister in October and he will only have the full vision by the end of the year. When is the Minister prepared to make a decision if she is only getting a framework in October and if she will not have the full document until the end of the year?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: Okay.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: Absolutely.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: Okay. He has used very strong language in respect of this, as a reforming DG. He has said he is going to implement radical reform. Obviously, the public are interested as well. In terms of setting the bar, what constitutes radical reform within RTÉ? I think we are at odds here. The public are losing faith in the national broadcaster by virtue of not renewing their TV licences....

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: Absolutely. The Minister has focused on the very positive work RTÉ does on content, but the director general's reform is going to be about reforming how the broadcaster operates, such as how it spends money and brings in money. I am pressing the Minister on this because the director general is not behind the wall on putting it up to us, and to the Minister in particular. To read again...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: I know. He said in his statements to this committee the last time that cuts are inevitable, but I am interested in what are unacceptable cuts from our perspective. The closure of regional offices has been looked at before. There is the impact on staff and the reduction of services. From our point of view in terms of our investment, what are the red lines that would represent an...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Shane Cassells: That is true. In fairness, when we get that we can have a debate again. It would have been better if he had got the framework ahead of budget day as he said he was going to. The Minister talked about the culture change. Let us call a spade a spade; RTÉ has a commercial arm and we had a situation previously where it made in excess of 70% of its income from that arm. If any other...