Charlie McConalogue

I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for bringing this motion before the House. I also thank the many Deputies across the House who have contributed to the debate on what is an extremely important topic. It is only right and appropriate that it gets attention and consideration in this House and that we work collectively to address the massive challenge AI can pose to our creative sectors. We are very fortuna…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels. The Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport: the community sport facilities fund, CSFF, and the large scale sport…

The objective of the Department of sport is to fund projects to deliver sporting outcomes and increase participation. In my previous response, I outlined the number of projects that have been funded across County Cork. Under the most recent round of the community sports facilities fund, the figure was 347. There have been just over 2,000 over the past 20 years or more. I will certainly seek clari…

No.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Bill before the House. It is a short amendment to the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983. Its purpose is to enable the payment of the agreed funding from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport's Vote to An Post so that An Post may, in turn, be able to disperse this funding to postmasters across …

Apologies, it is not at present.

At the outset, I thank everyone across the House for their various contributions to this amendment legislation today, and for the broad support there is through the Houses of the Oireachtas for it to be passed. I thank the Dáil and the Seanad, where it will be later on this week, for their engagement in planning this. It is important that we pass this legislation before the Dáil and the Seanad go …

I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 66 and 67 together. At the outset, I believe the Minister has been in touch to indicate he is unavoidably unable to be here this morning. I am taking all the questions this morning for that reason. I thank the Deputy for her question. As she indicated, this is an issue that has received very strong consideration and debate in the House, particularly over the …

I totally refute that. Internationally we, as a country, have led out. We have called out the genocidal activity that Israel has persecuted in Palestine. We have led internationally in pushing for stronger sanctions to reflect the unacceptable behaviour of Israel and we will continue to do so.

Just last week the occupied territories Bill was approved by Cabinet will be brought through the Houses between now and the summer. Let us be clear. The Deputy is suggesting that the Government should get involved in deciding not just for the FAI but for all sporting organisations what competitions they should and should not participate in. The point that she is focusing on most of all is the Isra…

It would be unprecedented to follow through on what the Deputy and Members of the Opposition are proposing, which is not participating in international sporting competitions, including not participating in the next Olympic Games as a country.

I am not.

I am addressing the issue and addressing proposals that are coming from the Opposition, including all the logical outworkings of what the Deputy is proposing. It would be unprecedented and would have the Government getting involved in an unprecedented way in dictating what should happen in relation to sport.

We will continue to lead out politically at European level as we have done here.

As I have said on a number of occasions, there is a real difference between what happened with Russia where there was unity at an EU political level to apply sanctions and also where both UEFA and FIFA banned Russia from participating in their competitions. That has not happened either at political level - there is not a consensus there - in relation to Israel or on the sporting side from UEFA or …

The FAI has been engaging domestically with the Garda in relation to the policing of the event. It has also been engaging internationally with other football associations. For example, it has engaged with the Norwegian Football Association, which hosted a match against Israel in Oslo in November, to learn from its experience and to see how the FAI can apply any learnings in relation to the operati…

The Department of sport has not been involved in the operational details or discussions, which are matters for the FAI to deal with along with the appropriate authorities. It has had ongoing engagement with the Garda. I know the Garda has indicated to the FAI that it is willing to police the game but they continue to engage. I have no doubt the FAI has been engaging with Dublin City Council. We ha…

The Department has responsibility for policy and various funding streams that support the development of the live music sector. The Department, both through its own schemes as well as its funding of the Arts Council, provides a range of support to organisations that play essential roles in the development of live music events across the country. However, the Minister has no general responsibility …

This is something that the night-time economy task force considered. It made recommendations that clear processes and procedures should be consistently applied across local authorities to assist festival and event organisers and ensure safe attendance at community group events of fewer than 5,000 people. The Department has been engaging with the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, and the Co…

Yes.

As a Government and Department, we should always be open to assessing and discussing the challenges that are there, as well as listening to any ideas people have. As I said, the night-time economy task force considered and made recommendations in this regard. I am happy to ask officials to engage further with the Deputy around any proposals she might have and to consider the matter further. It is …

Ar iarratas ó mo Roinn, d’eagraigh An Chartlann Náisiúnta - foras a thagann faoi scáth na Roinne - taispeántas den chéad scoth anuraidh, An Ghaeilge agus Daonáireamh na Gaeltachta 1925. Bhí an taispeántas le feiceáil i gceanncheathrú nua mo Roinne agus ag an gcomórtas treabhdóireachta, the ploughing championship, i mí Mheán Fómhair seo caite. Cuireadh béim sa taispeántas ar an nasc idir cúrsaí tea…

Obviously, it is an historic moment to be 100 years on since the Gaeltacht was first officially recognised. The Deputy is asking what the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport in particular is doing to commemorate this. Across government, all Departments are going to have to consider and appropriately recognise this. Regarding my Department, last year, at the National Archives of Ireland…

I have outlined the steps we are taking from a departmental point of view. It has been wonderful in recent years to see the renaissance of the Irish language and the particular focus on the spoken language. It is lamentable how so many of us have come through our education system and have such a poor grasp of speaking Irish. Unfortunately, I include myself in that, even though I come from a county…

National governing bodies of sport, NGBs, which represent over 13,000 sports clubs throughout the country, are independent, autonomous organisations which are responsible for governance of their sports at national, local and other levels, including disciplinary and complaints processes. Sport Ireland, as Ireland's sports development agency, works with NGBs to ensure that appropriate governance and…