Vol. 1076 No. 1
1. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the details of each engagement he or his Department has had with an organisation (details supplied) over the past six months; the topics that were discussed; if discussion at any such engagement encompassed the safeguarding of Irish players and compliance with legal obligations in the context of international competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64623/25]
This question is prompted by the situation the Ireland women's national basketball team found itself in because it was forced to play against an aggressor nation team, namely Israel. The question relates to the details of the engagement the Department had with Basketball Ireland over the past six months while this topic was being discussed.
I thank the Deputy for his question. While I have not met with Basketball Ireland over the past six months, I did meet with it in April for an introductory meeting regarding its development and other plans. I understand the question relates to playing of matches against Israel. In this regard, the draw for the 2027 Women's EuroBasket qualification group which placed Ireland in a group with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel and Luxembourg took place in July. I spoke on the phone to the CEO of Basketball Ireland who updated me on that at that point. Of course, it is important to make clear, as I would have outlined at that stage as well, that the Government and Sport Ireland have no role in determining the participation by national governing bodies of sport in international competitions organised by international sporting federations. National governing bodies of sport, NGBs, and international sporting federations, the International Basketball Federation, FIBA, in the case of basketball, are independent, autonomous bodies responsible for the governance of their own sports, including the organisation of sporting fixtures.
Regarding the topic of athlete safeguarding, Sport Ireland works with NGBs to ensure that appropriate policies are put in place to take a proactive approach to safeguarding by identifying and mitigating risks to athlete welfare. It also works with NGBs to ensure mechanisms are in place to appropriately deal with matters that may arise.
On a wider note, I can say that Ireland welcomes the agreement on the first phase of the 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza. The first phase of the plan, the ceasefire and hostage release agreement, is an important step on a road to peace. Our immediate focus must be on ensuring humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza at scale. Ireland stands ready to play its part in working towards a sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine through the implementation of the two-state solution.
I presume the Minister of State would have been aware, or at least Basketball Ireland would have made him aware, of the predicament it was in and what it was facing in terms of playing an international fixture and that it was being threatened with fines up to €180,000 if it did not go ahead with such a match. This is despite the fact the international governing body for the sport, FIBA, had taken a different stance with regard to Ukraine and Russia in 2022. In fact, Basketball Ireland was ahead of the game because it had indicated at that stage it would not play Russia ahead of the international body. However, in this instance, the international body was threatening Ireland with huge fines if it did not go ahead with a fixture that was scheduled against the team. Was the Minister of State aware of that and what action or support did he give to Basketball Ireland and the women being faced with this match?
As was outlined in my response, it is a matter for the national governing bodies and international sporting organisations to make their own decisions in this regard. From the point of view of the Government, it does not have a role in any individual sporting organisation's decisions. However, when it comes to the issue of Gaza, the Government has led out internationally and has taken a very strong and forthright line and approach regarding the war and the destruction that happened in Gaza. As well as seeking an outcome that will deliver peace, the Government was very much to the fore in leading out on recognising Palestine as a state, which many other states subsequently have done, and also in pursuing the occupied territories Bill, which a number of other states have now indicated they will follow. That is the approach the State has taken in relation to the war in Palestine. Regarding sporting organisations and their decisions to participate or otherwise in international competitions, that is entirely a matter for them.
We can have a discussion about Israel and genocide but that is not the purpose of this. International fixtures against genocidal nations is not a matter for the national sporting bodies alone. If Ireland had taken a stronger stance, and if the sporting body had gone ahead with a fixture against the Government's position then, I think, the Minister of State would have a different approach here. However, the match went ahead and, regrettably, the Irish team lost but there is a further match in March of next year. There is still time for Ireland to take a stance and to indicate to Basketball Ireland that it has the support of the Government in supporting the women playing for Ireland who did not want to play this fixture because of threats and intimidation from the other team and, in particular, because of the sporting boycott, which is a worldwide phenomenon at the moment against Israel. I thank Irish Sport for Palestine for its laudable work in profiling this case.
The Government has taken a very strong line in leading out and opposing what was happening in Gaza. I have already outlined that. However, the matter of participating in international competitions or otherwise is a matter for sporting organisations. That has always been the case and that will remain the case. It is not appropriate for the Government to get involved in an independent organisation's decision in that regard. That is the approach the Government will continue to take. I know the match took place in Riga, Latvia. Basketball Ireland had engaged with the international body given the fact it felt it was not safe for the match to take place in Israel given the backdrop. The match took place and the Irish team acquitted itself very well in that competition. It went to extra time and the team lost. However, the decision to participate or otherwise is entirely a matter for the national governing body.
2. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the steps Coimisiún na Meán is taking to promote and enforce safety on social media and combat online harms, with particular regard to vulnerable groups such as children and vulnerable adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64384/25]
Last week during Questions on Policy or Legislation, the Tánaiste mentioned that the Minister was preparing proposals around online safety to bring before the House and expected to introduce them by the end of the year. I am keen to hear about the details of that, in particular the role for Coimisiún na Meán and how people will be protected and whether those protections will extend beyond those under 16 years of age.
Online safety is a key Government priority. We have taken major steps forward in recent years and with Coimisiún na Meán the heart of our online safety framework, we have the tools to improve online safety, in particular for children and vulnerable adults. The online safety framework comprises the online safety code, the EU Digital Services Act, DSA, under which Coimisiún na Meán is Ireland's digital services co-ordinator, and the EU terrorist content online regulation, for which Coimisiún na Meán is a competent authority. The online safety code applies to designated video-sharing platforms established in Ireland, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X, and Part B of the code contains specific obligations to put in place robust age assurance to prevent children from accessing adult content such as pornography or extreme violence. Coimisiún na Meán is supervising compliance by designated services with the code. As digital services co-ordinator under the DSA, Coimisiún na Meán works with the European Commission to ensure platforms put in place the systems and processes required to minimise the risk of exposure of children and young adults to illegal and harmful online content. The European Commission is investigating certain platforms with regard to their algorithms and the rabbit hole effect. Failure to adequately fulfil obligations under the DSA can lead to significant financial sanctions and continued non-compliance can lead to criminal sanctions for senior management under the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act.
Alongside this, I am working across Government to support robust age verification. In doing so, we must seek to ensure interoperability and respect users' rights, including data protection rights. To that end, my officials are working with the Government’s Chief Information Officer and his office to look at practical technical solutions to age verification as part of the Government's digital wallet being developed using MyGovID. In addition, European Union member states are examining the so-called digital age of majority, and Ireland is doing likewise.
I believe that any decision would be better taken by the EU and EU member states together but there are differing views on whether there should be an age of digital majority at all and, if there is one, what age it should be, or whether it should be an outright ban or a ban subject to parental consent.
Finally, the upcoming digital fairness Act seeks to tackle dark patterns and unethical techniques or commercial patterns on social media platforms. I will continue to work across government and with stakeholders to improve online safety.
I thank the Minister. I have concerns. For a start, the focus being entirely on children and vulnerable people risks leaving behind the rest of the population. I am hearing more and more about age verification being a silver bullet to resolve everything. I have huge concerns about age verification, even if it is robust. It raises major privacy issues in that it would hand over official documentation to providers that have already proven that they do not respect our privacy. It has a cut-off point, which means that those who are not using age verification remain on a much darker Internet without those protections. We need algorithms turned off by default.
The Minister referenced EU law and said that is the best place to deal with this, but even this week we have seen rollbacks on the GDPR and potential rollbacks on the AI Act. I am not comforted that the EU level of action around this is adequate. We have a specific role to play, given that so many tech companies are headquartered here.
We have had extensive engagement in the Department on this, in particular in the context of Ireland's Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of next year. I am very conscious of the complexities of the issue and the fact that Deputy Gibney has raised an issue regarding age verification. How do we verify someone's age without having a dataset that we know is verifiable? If someone says they are not prepared to hand over a dataset, how can a person's age be verified? This is a very serious issue. In order to protect a child, we must have robust and strong data that shows he or she is over 18. If the Deputy is now saying that a person's rights with regard to their privacy trumps a child's age online, that is the start of a very big problem in the House.
I am not saying that age verification cannot be used. Rather, I am telling the Minister that if it is used, it raises privacy concerns. My point is that it is not fixing the actual problem at the root because all of that nasty material remains online. We need to have recommender systems turned off by default because they are the issue. They are the things keeping our eyeballs on screens and making sure polarisation is driving clickbait and profit lines. There are fundamental ways in which these tech platforms need to be challenged that I do not see demonstrated by the Government.
We had an exchange in committee a number of months ago where the Minister mentioned that he had raised age verification with tech companies. When I asked him about this, we discussed raising the issue of platforms as publishers, for example, as a way to start examining much more stringent and clearer ways in which we can build guidelines and safety standards into the online world that mirror what we expect in the real world. That is what we are looking for in order to address these problems at the root.
I am glad to inform the House that I inhabit the real world and most of the parents, teachers and people in the real world I speak to are concerned about children online and age verification. While Deputy Gibney might not think it is as important an issue as I do, as I said at committee it is important. Deputy Ó Snodaigh will recall that the last time we had to use the Government's dataset for a particular piece of legislation, it floundered because some interest groups outside of the House were more interested in privacy than other issues and they got their way. The question of which is more important, privacy or the protection of children online, will be a difficult and salient one for the House. That is a question we will have to answer as a House soon because I will have to bring forward proposals, along with my colleagues the Ministers for public expenditure and reform and Social Protection. I hope all parties support that.
3. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the reason the projected costs of the refurbishment of the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork city are now calculated at over three times the original estimate of €28 million in 2020 to now being estimated at nearly €94 million, and with a completion date of late 2028 at the earliest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64624/25]
This question relates to the estimated costs for the welcome redevelopment of Crawford Art Gallery in Cork, one of the highlights for tourists visiting the city. The cost has increased substantially since the original forecast. Will the Minister outline the changes in design that have caused the increase?
I thank the Deputy for welcoming the fact that the work on the Crawford Art Gallery is going ahead. The national cultural institution investment programme is a key investment programme for the Department under the national development plan. All of the projects, including the redevelopment of the Crawford Art Gallery, are progressed in line with the infrastructure guidelines. The purpose of the infrastructure guidelines process is to develop and refine the project, including the cost estimates.
The redevelopment of the Crawford Art Gallery is a challenging and complex project that requires a combination of conservation and new-build elements on a restricted city centre site. The original estimate at preliminary business case stage was arrived at in 2020, prior to the planning and design phase, and the project has changed substantially since then. There has also been considerable construction inflation of just under 40% since 2020.
In 2024, the project went out to tender in the market. Following the outcome of the tender process to determine the main contractor, integrated design team and reserved specialists, the overall project budget estimate for the Crawford development is now €93.1 million, including VAT. To date, €6.5 million has been spent to bring the project through to this stage. This figure covers investigative surveys, design costs, the costs of decanting the artworks and getting the artworks into storage. The remaining capital costs are estimated at €86.6 million.
In line with the infrastructure guidelines, the final business case has been completed. As part of this process, there was a reappraisal of all options to deliver this key project. It found the proposed option remains the best to redevelop the gallery on a cost and quality basis. To proceed with the redevelopment now is the most direct, timely and cost-effective way to deliver a new and revitalised Crawford Art Gallery that will be a landmark artistic and cultural amenity in the centre of Cork city and bring to conclusion a project that has been planned for many years. The contractor is expected to be on site in early 2026 and the project will be completed in 2028. The gallery fit-out, commissioning and reoccupation will follow prior to opening.
Initially, the contractor was supposed to have been selected at the start of this year. What is the delay? Is the contractor signed, sealed and guaranteed to start work now that the gallery is closed? Obelisk of Bronze by Michael Warren was removed recently, which signalled the closure of the gallery for three years. As the Minister said, in 2020 the estimated cost was €28 million. What is the point in having an estimated cost if no design work or proper planning is done? We have now arrived at a figure of €93 million. It is a good investment and I am not arguing that we should not spend the money, but the figure was €28 million in 2020 and there has been a big jump since. Has the project substantially changed from that which was projected to cost €28 million?
The Deputy is quite right; there have been delays. We are now in a position whereby the contractor will be in place in January and it is to be hoped the project will be completed in 2028. The Deputy omitted to say, perhaps in error, that in the intervening period since the preliminary business case was completed, inflation in the construction sector has been running at 40% or more. It is a complicated and challenging site. It is a city centre site and heritage building. It is not straightforward. As with all of these things, there are elements that come to light after the fact that would not necessarily have been to the fore until the detailed design was initiated.
There is a significant cost differential. My Department has guidelines we have to adhere to. Those guidelines were adhered to. No moneys were expended prior to the initial response I gave a while ago, when I made reference to the figure of €6.5 million. We are now in a position, thanks to a Government decision arrived at in the past fortnight, to proceed. The Crawford Art Gallery is the only national cultural institution wholly outside of the city of Dublin and represents a massive part of our national development plan allocation in its entirety.
Perhaps we will address the fact that it is the only cultural institution outside of Dublin in the future and can examine how to make sure there are other national institutions outside of Dublin rather than concentrate all of them in one city. Costs have increased substantially. The gallery renovation will add an extra 50% in terms of space for exhibitions and so on. A lot of work will be done to make the gallery accessible in the future. Even a 40% increase in construction inflation would only bring the cost to €40 million.
What exactly are the changes in the design or refurbishment that brought about such a substantial jump? It is a good investment and I have absolutely no problem with the figure. However, when a project is announced with a particular cost, the public starts to believe that is the amount it will cost until, all of a sudden, a new figure is announced. This makes us, as politicians, look a bit stupid.
Nobody wants to go out of his or her way to look stupid. The reality, as the Deputy knows as well as I do, is that when one goes under the bonnet of buildings like Leinster House, for example, one finds in the detailed design and in the final planning, as I saw in previous Departments I was in, that sometimes the depth of the problems associated with heritage buildings, in particular, is only discovered after the fact. I have made clear that I am not happy there is such a differential in the cost. The planning and design phase has led to the project changing considerably. I can get the Deputy the exact details on what has been added to the scope of works since the plan that was originally anticipated.
I welcome the Deputy's comment that we should see more NCIs outside Dublin. There is only one element of the National Museum of Ireland, for instance, outside Dublin, that being in County Mayo. There is an opportunity now under the NDP to see how we can incorporate something similar in other regions of the country.
5. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the breakdown of the projected spend of €93 million by the State in hosting seven games of the Euro 2028 soccer tournament; and if additional funding will be given to local soccer clubs to increase participation in the sport and improve facilities in advance of the tournament. [64625/25]
I seek a breakdown of the projected State expenditure of €93 million on hosting the Euro 2028 soccer games. It is a welcome investment that will result, I hope, in greater investment in the sport. I am interested in what the breakdown is and how soccer clubs and communities around the country will benefit.
Euro 2028 is a really exciting opportunity for Ireland to co-host, along with England, Scotland and Wales, an internationally important soccer championship. We will host seven games in the competition, including a quarter-final. The Government will invest just over €92.9 million in supporting the event. It is anticipated the tournament will generate €449 million of socioeconomic benefits for the country.
The main elements of the expected expenditure include funding for stadium costs, safety and security, including Garda costs, transport, fan zones, Dublin City Council costs, sustainability investment and legacy programmes. The funding will be delivered through my Department, other Departments, Dublin City Council and relevant agencies. Furthermore, €6.2 million of our overall investment is ring-fenced for legacy initiatives and Ireland's national plan in this regard, which is being developed in consultation with the FAI. The legacy plan will focus on initiatives to increase participation and aims to ensure every child, regardless of background, gender or ability, can participate in football.
The expenditure of €93 million is made up of: €7.7 million for the Aviva Stadium upgrade and overlay; €2.1 million for central administration, transport and mobility; €5.7 million for fan zones; €10.6 million for other costs; €6.3 million for Dublin City Council costs; €37 million for safety and security; €6 million for the legacy programme; and €7.5 million for a general programme-level contingency. I can provide the Deputy with a breakdown of other, smaller items of expenditure.
As I said, this investment is welcome, and also welcome is the fact it will generate a return of €400 million-plus. I recognise that a huge amount of money must be spent on security, Dublin City Council, etc. Out of the full €93 million, the €6 million on the legacy plan seems paltry. I encourage the Government to invest more or a greater portion of the allocation in that. In the past, the FAI and the League of Ireland have set out a vision for facilities investment, with the aim of helping clubs at the very lowest level to improve their dressing rooms, especially, and extend dressing rooms to enable more girls to play. I recognise that the Government has taken some steps on this but I ask that further investment be made out of this pot of money.
I take this opportunity to congratulate the Irish soccer team on its wonderful performance last Sunday and on the Thursday before that. Football has given us some of our best national memories over the years. The recent matches, particularly the one on Sunday, provided, once again, wonderful national moments that brought the whole country together and brought great energy and excitement. I wish the team well in the draw taking place this afternoon for the play-offs that will be held in March. I congratulate, in particular, Troy Parrott, who gave a performance for the ages. Scoring five goals over two games is absolutely exceptional and a great credit to him. Credit also goes to the wider team for coming together, to Heimir Hallgrímsson for his leadership and to the FAI as well. We look forward to the excitement in the months ahead as we build up to the play-offs. I also congratulate our neighbours in Scotland. I did not think the end of Ireland's match on Sunday could be topped but, by God, it was some finish to the Scottish game. I congratulate the Scottish players on their qualification.
I take Deputy Ó Snodaigh's point. We have €6 million for the legacy plan and we want to make sure it has an impact and improves participation. That certainly is our objective.
I concur with everything the Minister of State said. Troy Parrott is an example to us all that if there is investment in sports, especially in areas that are disadvantaged, it can bring about huge changes in people's lives. That is why I am encouraging greater investment in the facilities programme of the FAI and the League of Ireland to ensure we get the best out of our youths and we do not end up with youths having to go abroad for academies and the like. I know from my own family of younger kids who had to go abroad to avail of the best standards in terms of academies.
I understand a delivery company was set up for some of this. I hope it will be able to deliver. When the Special Olympics were held here in 2003, there were hosts and host areas. I do not know whether that is being considered for Euro 2028 as all the matches are concentrated in Dublin. However, that does not mean all the investment must be concentrated in Dublin.
I will be looking to see how we can maximise the benefit across the country. Young Troy Parrott is a wonderful example of the quality of young players we have in this country. That is something the Government is backing. As the Deputy knows, we stepped up very significantly in the recent budget by allocating €3 million to the development of football academies for the year ahead. We want to build on that. We recognise the changed circumstances post Brexit and the importance of making sure young players have the opportunity to maximise their potential within the country. We see the benefit of having those young players in the League of Ireland. We are seeing a renaissance and a flourishing in the League of Ireland, with some of those wonderful young players starring in that. We want to ensure that as many young people as possible have every opportunity through the academy system. The Government is committed to doing that.
An extra €10 million or €20 million would not go astray.
We have made a massive start and it has been very much welcomed within the footballing community. We look forward to seeing it reap benefits in the time ahead.
