Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Minister for Culture, Culture, Communications and Sport the plans there are to reduce the number of quangos and strip out the amassed red tape and bureaucracy that exists, in order to allow the delivery of projects under his Department’s remit in a more timely, efficient and customer-friendly manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68378/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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A number of bodies under my Department’s aegis have specific functions in relation to the areas under my remit - culture and the arts, media and broadcasting, communications, and sport.

Projects under the remit of my Department are in some cases delivered directly by the Department. Others are delivered through the bodies under the Department's aegis. Capital projects will be delivered on a planned successive basis, as set out in the Department's Sectoral Plan under the National Development Plan.

My officials and I are committed to the efficient and effective use of public funds in the delivery of outputs and outcomes, in the pursuit of better public services. My Department and its agencies must adhere to public sector regulations for delivery of projects, such as the Public Spending Code, Infrastructure Guidelines, and the Capital Works Management Framework, which ensure value for money in delivery. As has been acknowledged by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, there are currently a number of barriers to timely delivery of infrastructure (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/press-releases/minister-chambers-publishes-report-on-stakeholder-engagement-and-emerging-themes-on-infrastructure/). I engage regularly with the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, which addresses such barriers. Delivery of projects under my remit are progressing in a timely manner. A case in point is the rollout of broadband. Connections to the network are significantly exceeding initial projections with more than 153,000 connections made and more than 4,500 new connections monthly.

In relation to 'customer-friendly' delivery, communities, individuals, and those that benefit from our projects are at the heart of the work of my Department. The National Broadband Plan is expected to provide access to high-speed fibre broadband for approximately 65,000 farms across Ireland, representing 69% of all farms, with more than 40,000 farms having access to the service, and approximately 17,000 already connected. In addition, 955 broadband connection points, including 672 in schools, are now operational, ensuring communities and young people in every corner of the country can participate fully in the digital economy. Other examples are that we have provided record funding of nearly €27 million for high-performance Irish athletes; we have enhanced the tax credit for low to medium budget Irish films; and this year we announced the largest single grant round in the 20-year history of Culture Ireland.