Patrick O'Donovan

I thank all of the Deputies for raising this really important question. I have done a number of trade missions to north America with Screen Ireland and the film sector. It is my intention to do another one to Canada and the United States of America early in the spring because there is substantial potential here. That potential is driven by talent, infrastructure, our climate and the existing secti…

As I have previously outlined to other Deputies, the programme for Government contains this commitment because we believe culture and arts are essential to a well-rounded society and provide opportunities for education, expression and community engagement. A network of cultural infrastructure exists throughout the country, the majority of which is in the ownership of local authorities. Annual sup…

That is exactly what we are doing. We are starting with a small amount because we want to test the water and get an understanding of how the scheme will work. When sports capital was introduced fadó, fadó, it started at a very small level. When I was Minister of State in the Department the last time, in 2016, the amount available for sports capital was paltry compared to what is available from our…

I agree with both Deputies. Whether it is arts or sport, we will prioritise areas with growing and burgeoning populations but without facilities. I am going to be very critical of local authorities again. Local authorities have in many cases allowed houses to be built all over the place and done very well out of development levy contribution schemes. Where has the money gone? We have to be honest.…

Give it a few weeks and you will be back again.

We will have a debate on the Special Criminal Court while you are at it.

You are the closest thing to North Korea here.

Or maybe Cuba.

Ar dtús, déanaim comhbhrón le muintir Harvey. Ar an lámh eile, tacaím leis an Tánaiste agus le rún an Rialtais atá os comhair na Dála inniu. As his friend for a long time - since we both sat in this House together when we were first elected in 2011 - I will speak about the confidence I have in Simon Harris. Since he became a TD for Wicklow, and before that as a councillor and campaigner for autis…

Tá áthas orm labhairt leis an gCeann Comhairle agus leis na Teachtaí maidir leis an leithdháileadh de €1.51 billiún atá tugtha do mo Roinn i mbuiséad 2026 agus cur síos a dhéanamh ar roinnt de na bearta a chothóidh, a fheabhsóidh agus a fhorbróidh na hearnálacha atá faoi mo chúram. This is the first budget for my Department in its new configuration with responsibility for arts, culture, media, te…

The operation of the League of Ireland and its academies is fundamentally a matter for the Football Association of Ireland, which, like all other NGBs of sport is an independent, autonomous organisation responsible for the organisation and development of its own sport. The programme for Government commits to exploring new mechanisms for the creation of football academies and an additional finding…

The FAI already receives significant amounts of Government funding, which the Deputy did not reference, nor did she reference anything the Government has been doing for the FAI over the past number of years. The 2023 memorandum of understanding between the Government and the FAI provides €5.8 million per annum to the association via Sport Ireland. In addition, the Government pays the FAI's annual …

I remind the Deputy that we actually have fulfilled our programme for Government commitment. We paid for the report and the Deputy did not acknowledge that either. Now we are considering it, and we will consider it in the round with every other field sport that is looking for money, including rugby, Gaelic games and everything else. We have a limited amount. If there are suggestions she has with r…

The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The programme for Government commits to providing the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. The Department is working to deliver on this commitmen…

We have engaged with the postmasters. I represent a rural community. I know probably as well as the Deputy the value of post offices. The earlier reply alluded to the fact that there is a digital risk with the growth in the number of services that are moving online. The reality is that mail delivery services have gone down dramatically. That poses a risk to the company and we have to be acutely aw…

Any decision on offices and outlets is a matter for the company and has been since the foundation of the company, and they are commercial decisions. That being said, when I meet with An Post, and any time I have met An Post, its representatives are very keen to point out that what it has been doing in the recent past, by virtue of the fact that it has gotten significant financial support, is looki…

Yes, but the questions are grouped. I will give way to Deputy Gibney.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 5 together. I thank both Deputies. The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts, BIA, pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. I announced an extension of six months, to February 2026, to allow for further assessment of the pilot data and to engage in stakeholder consultation to provide an evidence base for Government …

I will stick with artists for the moment, if that is okay. On the budgetary discussions, I have made it abundantly clear, even in the last line I read out, that I am in favour of the retention of the scheme. However, as Deputy Ó Snodaigh, who has been around a lot longer in this place than I have, knows, I still have to secure a funding source to make sure we have a scheme that can be implemented …

I will go back to Deputy Ó Snodaigh's point with regard to disability. In the discussions I have already had in the Department with the representative groups, I have made clear my intention that if there is a successor scheme, there will be a clear focus on artists who have a disability in order to make sure they have access to the scheme. They should also be assisted in making an application to t…

With regard to farmers, carers and everything else, that will be a matter for the line Ministers in each of the individual Departments. At the moment, my focus is on the questions that are before the House.

The short answer is "No", but I will give the Deputy a longer answer now.

I understand the Deputy is referring to the approval on 30 May of an allocation of support not to exceed €25,000 in respect of the Listowel Writers Festival. My Department has a number of processes for allocating funding to a wide range of artistic and cultural organisations and events. These processes are designed to ensure fairness and, insofar as possible, maximise responsiveness to the needs o…

The Deputy might say it is "outside of the normal channels" but I wonder if he ran this question by his colleague, Deputy Pa Daly, who represents the constituency of Kerry, before he came into the Chamber. Deputy Daly has used a similar channel for festival in Tralee called Anam. It was approved under that channel and received €7,500. There was no difficulty with that. I do not know what Deputy Ó …

Do as I say and not as I do.