Results 281-300 of 4,893 for speaker:Séamus Brennan

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 to 429, inclusive, together. The only specific taskforce set-up in my Department since its establishment in 2002 is the London 2012 Olympics Task Force. The details in respect of this group are set out below. Name of Taskforce: London 2012 Olympics Task Force Terms of Reference: The London 2012 Olympics Task Force was established by the Minister for Arts,...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The non-property costs of decentralisation for my Department as reported on a quarterly basis to the Department of Finance and the Decentralisation Implementation Group (D.I.G) are set out below: Quarter Expenditure â'¬ Quarter 1 2006 1857 Quarter 2 2006 3276 Quarter 3 2006 104,446 Quarter 4 2006 74,052 Quarter 1 2007 100,095 Quarter 2 2007 83,712 Quarter 3 2007 67,317 Quarter...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The number of civil servants who have relocated to date to my Department's temporary premises in Fossa, Killarney, under the Government's decentralisation programme stands at 70. A further 61 posts are scheduled to be decentralised on completion of my Department's permanent headquarters in Killarney towards the end of 2008. No public servants have transferred, nor are any scheduled to...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (5 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations and, in certain circumstances to schools and colleges, throughout the country. It is the main vehicle for development of sports facilities at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Under the programme priority is given to the needs of...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (5 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I wish to refer the Deputy to my reply to Question 327 of 20th November 2007. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (5 Feb 2008)

Séamus Brennan: As answering parliamentary questions is part of the normal duties of civil servants no separate records are kept of the associated costs. These are covered within the Department's administration budget.

Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (31 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, the minimum own funding requirement for projects in areas of urban disadvantage (i.e. RAPID and Local Drugs Task Force areas) has been reduced to 10%. No such change was made for CLÁR areas.

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (31 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: A Value for Money and Policy Review Report of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme has been completed by my Department. The Report examined, among other things, how the programme has worked to date and what changes, if any, are required to ensure its effective and efficient delivery. Following consideration of the recommendations in the Report, it is my intention to launch a new round...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (31 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: An efficiency review is currently being undertaken throughout the Department and in the bodies under the aegis of the Department as part of the efficiency review initiative announced by the Minister for Finance in the 2008 Budget. This review is to be completed by 1 March 2008. It will be carried out within existing resources and no additional costs will be incurred. The publication of the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: A total of 200 posts in Fáilte Ireland, one of the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department, were designated for transfer to Mallow under the Government's Programme of Decentralisation. In June 2004, a Decentralisation Implementation Plan was prepared by Fáilte Ireland and submitted to the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG). Following a recent meeting with the DIG, Fáilte...

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: Under the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme there are four principal stages in a swimming pool project which are: Feasibility Study/Preliminary Report; Contract Documents; Tender and Construction. My Department approved the Preliminary Report for the Ballybofey / Stranorlar Swimming Pool Project in May 2007, allowing Donegal County Council to move on to the next stage which is the...

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 699 and 700 together. In Budget 2008 my Department was directly allocated €208.457m for Arts and Culture purposes. These funds are allocated under subheads D.1 to D.10 of my Department's vote (35), indicating the distribution of this funding as between the agencies, cultural institutions and other areas of my Department's responsibility for 2008. Vote 33...

Written Answers — Judicial Reviews: Judicial Reviews (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 701 and 702 together. Since its establishment in 2002 there have been no applications nor have costs or damages been paid in relation to judicial reviews for which my Department is responsible.

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The Houses of the Oireachtas have passed three pieces of legislation sponsored by my Department since 2003. The Arts Act and the National Tourism Development Authority Act were both passed in 2003 and the National Sports Campus Development Authority Act in 2006. None of these had any significant reference to EU legislation.

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: Projects of the type referred to by the Deputy are normally considered under my Department's Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme (ACCESS). The ACCESS scheme is designed to assist in the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructure, thereby enhancing access to the arts throughout the country. ACCESS has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: In four of the six years referred to by the Deputy, no data devices were either lost or stolen from my Department. In 2006, in separate instances, one blackberry was lost, one desktop computer stolen and one laptop stolen, in 2007 one blackberry was lost, none of which were recovered. None of the devices in question held sensitive or personal information. Neither sensitive nor personal...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: My Department's IT Network is part of the Government Virtual Private Network (VPN) and, as such, is initially protected against intrusion by the VPN firewall. Beyond this level the network is also protected by the Department's own firewall system. This extensive firewall security blocks in the regions of 70,000 items of data traffic daily. A log is kept by this system of intrusion attempts...

Written Answers — Horseracing Industry: Horseracing Industry (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I understand that Horse Racing Ireland expect to present their new strategic plan, for the period 2008-2012, to me during the first quarter of this year. Implementation of the strategy is of course the responsibility of Horse Racing Ireland. Officials from my Department will monitor that implementation on an ongoing basis. Funding towards implementation of the plan shall be provided from...

Written Answers — Horseracing Industry: Horseracing Industry (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 708 to 710, inclusive, together. The percentage of total Exchequer funding for the horse racing industry (i.e. from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund) generated from off-course betting in 2006 was 77.4 % and in 2007 is estimated to be 49.7 %, with the balance being made up by the Exchequer in 2006 of 22.6 % and an estimated 50.3% in 2007. It should be noted...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (30 Jan 2008)

Séamus Brennan: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Year Total Expenditure â'¬ 2002 1,136 2003 10,793 2004 10,483 2005 15,018 2006 20,634 2007 22,137 The National Museum and National Library were part of my Department until May 2005 when they were established as separate entities but the expenditure by those bodies, if any, in that period is not available in...