Written Answers Nos. 382-392
383. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the details of any contracts or services procured by her Department with frontline security, including any that are subcontracted to frontline security; the value of such contracts since 2020 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22386/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not entered any contracts with Frontline Security or procured their services in the period since 2020 to date.
384. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the 2021 and 2022 capital budget allocation to her Department; the percentage of that funding that was actually spent in each of the years in question, in tabular form; the capital budget allocation for her Department in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22387/23]
View answerDetails of the 2021 capital allocation and outturn can be found in my Department’s 2021 Annual Appropriation Account, published online at www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2022/appropriation-accounts-2021.pdf (page 869- 902 refer).
Details of 2022 and 2023 capital allocations can be found in the published Revised Estimates Volume for 2023, available at www.gov.ie/en/collection/e20037-revised-estimates/#2023 (pgs 163 - 172 refer).
Details of capital expenditure by my Department, and all Government Departments, are published by the Department of Finance on a monthly basis at www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/fd5ef4-the-fiscal-monitor/
Details pertaining to final capital outturn for 2022 are contained in my Department’s 2022 Annual Appropriation Account, which is currently being audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and will fall to be published by that Office in due course.
385. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the full level of Exchequer funding provided to a sporting organisation (details supplied) in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22433/23]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding under its various programmes.
I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply in relation to funding provided by Sport Ireland to the sporting organisation mentioned by the Deputy. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
Significant Government funding of over €162 million has been provided since 2020 in Covid-19 funding support to help sports organisations to recover and grow post-pandemic, support our grassroots networks of clubs and local sports partnerships, and ensure that people of all ages and abilities return to sport and physical activity. Over €53 million of this Covid-19 funding was allocated across the gaelic games family.
In addition, as part of Budget 2023, €35 million was made available to help alleviate the impact of increased energy costs for sports clubs and organisations with a view to ensuring that everyone can continue to enjoy the benefits of sport and physical activity over the winter months. €11.7 million has been allocated to the organisation mentioned by the Deputy under the Sports Energy Support Scheme.
Last week, Minister Catherine Martin and I announced the reopening of the application process for the Sports Energy Support Scheme with an extended eligibility period to the end of May. The re-opening of the Sports Energy Support Scheme demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to supporting our sports clubs and facilities across the country.
In relation to capital support, my Department provides grant assistance for sporting facilities through the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).
The SCEP is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas. Details of all allocations under the SCEP can be found at www.gov.ie/en/collection/471ed5-sports-capital-allocations/.
With regard to larger projects, the National Sports Policy published in 2018 provided for the establishment of the LSSIF. The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the SCEP. The first allocations were announced in January 2020 and approximately €86.4 million has been allocated to 33 projects to date including a number of projects which are supported by the sporting body to which the Deputy refers. The projects that received provisional allocations and the amounts provisionally awarded to them are published on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/service/4113b3-large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif/.
386. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a company limited by guarantee, whose primary purpose is the development of sports and leisure facilities in a local area, was eligible to apply under the last Capital Sports Programme; if the company will be entitled to apply under the forthcoming programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22540/23]
View answerUnder the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, grants are available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs, community groups, NGBs, and local authorities. Third level colleges, Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and schools may also apply for funding jointly with sports clubs or organisations.
The programme only funds organisations where all the income is used to fund the activities of the organisation and is not paid to the owner(s). The Department may seek proof of "not-for-profit" status in order to determine eligibility. More details of the Programme including the latest "Guide to Making an Application" which sets out the terms and condition of the scheme can be found at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie . While the terms and conditions of the next round of the Programme are yet to be finalised, it is unlikely that any changes will be made to the eligibility criteria.
Any organisation that wishes to make an application must first be registered at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie. A separate guide to the registration process can also be found at this site.
387. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide an update on the progress made to date in respect of implementing the recommendations specific to her Department outlined in the Report on the Operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 to improve the functioning of the ISL Act; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22772/23]
View answerI can advise that my Department and Agencies under my remit, continue to implement the relevant provisions of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017.
The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (the Act) recognises the right of Irish Sign Language (ISL) users to use ISL as their native language, and to develop and preserve it. The Act places a statutory duty on all public bodies to provide ISL users with free interpretation when availing of or seeking to access services.
In regard to services provided by my Department and Agencies under my remit, free interpretation services continue to be made available on request in, for example, our national cultural institutions and at Departmental events, such as the up-coming annual National Famine Commemoration on Sunday 21 May 2023.
388. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there are any grants or funding available for a school (details supplied) to travel and compete in a competition. [22993/23]
View answerWhile my Department and the Arts Council fund a range of activities relating to young people, through the Creative Youth pillar of the Creative Ireland programme, funds are not generally provided directly to schools for activities of the nature described by the Deputy. Furthermore the Arts Council is independent in its funding decisions.
389. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the percentage of social media posts made on each of her Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit that were exclusively in Irish between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023, inclusive; the percentage of same that feature bilingual translations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23039/23]
View answerMy Department covers a broad remit which includes the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media sectors. The Department posts social media messaging relevant to activities and programmes across all of these sectors, with 4,515 posts during the period 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2023. The percentage of posts in Irish or bilingual in that period were as set out in the table below:
|
Total number of Irish posts between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023 |
Total number of bilingual posts between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023 |
Total number of posts between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023 |
Total percentage of Irish posts between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023 |
Total percent of Bilingual posts between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023 |
|
840 |
186 |
4,515 |
18.60% |
4.12% |
The Department strives to promote the Irish Language throughout social media messaging, and by regularly sharing content relating to, and posted by, bodies and agencies under our remit whose work relates to the development of the Irish language and Gaeltacht regions. Departmental posts relating to the Gaeltacht or the Irish language are always posted in the Irish language and news of particular national significance; for example, major funding schemes, or state commemorations, are generally posted bilingually.
Social media management for the Bodies and Agencies under the Department’s remit is an operational matter for the agencies themselves.
390. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media how her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under hers remit meet their obligations for reasonable accommodation under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015. [23057/23]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all staff and strives to create a culture where employees feel comfortable in sharing their disability. This ensures any reasonable accommodations can be met, if required.
It should be noted that the declaration of a disability is a voluntary disclosure. If an employee requires an accommodation in order to conduct their work, this will be made available to them upon request.
All employees are provided with the opportunity to request any reasonable accommodations and/or voluntarily share their disability status to assist them with their work during the recruitment process, upon joining the Department and throughout any stage of their employment.
The Department has a dedicated team of people comprising of HR, Office Services, Health and Safety, ICT, Access Officer, and the Disability Liaison Officer to deal with reasonable accommodation requests. My Department also liaises closely with the Chief Medical Officer’s Office and the Civil Service Employee Assistance Service regarding employees who may require reasonable accommodations on return from long term sick leave.
My Department is obliged to report every year to the National Disability Authority (NDA) on the number of persons with disabilities employed at 31st December. This information is published on the website of the NDA - nda.ie.
The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the bodies under the aegis of the Department are operational matters for those bodies and is not something for which I have direct, day-to-day responsibility.
391. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to amend Part V rules to allow a tenant in situ to purchase their local authority property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22414/23]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme.
The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended. The regulations provide for specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including those provided to local authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
The Part V provisions seek to promote social integration and secure mixed tenure, sustainable communities. Accordingly, Part V properties are excluded from the scheme to ensure the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time and the properties remain available for people most in need of social housing support.
While there are no plans to amend this requirement at this time, potential changes to the scheme are currently being examined as part of my Department’s work on the broader social housing reform agenda.
392. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people waiting on local authority housing lists per local authority; the average waiting time per list; the use of a choice-based letting system per local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22420/23]
View answerDetails on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently conducted summary for all counties, conducted in November 2022, shows that 57,842 households qualified for social housing whose need has not yet been met. The summary is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/
While the average waiting time per local authority list is not captured, details on the length of time spent on the respective lists local authority are included in tables 2.8 and A1.8 in the report.
My Department conducted a survey on the use of choice based letting (CBL) in September 2022 which indicates that 17 local authorities operate CBL. These are Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway City, Galway County, Kildare, Kerry, Leitirm, Longford, Louth, Meath, South Dublin, Tipperary and Waterford. A further five local authorities - Carlow, Kilkenny, Sligo, Wexford and Westmeath - advised in the survey that they plan to roll-out CBL systems by the end of this year.
Given the benefits offered by CBL, including fewer refusals and greater choice for qualified households, my Department continues to liaise with the local authorities to support as wide a roll-out of CBL as possible across the country.
