Séamus McGrath
Question:170. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the next Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund application process will commence. [4067/26]
View answerSports Funding
Questions (170, 181, 201)
Paul McAuliffe
Question:181. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to outline the expected budget for the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund; when he expects this fund to open for applications for the next round of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3766/26]
View answer
Conor D McGuinness
Question:201. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the next round of the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund will open. [4075/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 170, 181 and 201 together.
The Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund was established under the National Sports Policy to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the CSFF. The scheme is aimed primarily at National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Authorities; it is also open to other bodies, but such applications would necessarily have to be made and prioritised by a Local Authority and/or a NGB.
The cumulative investment under the LSSIF since 2020 is now €297 million across 68 projects. The LSSIF is currently closed to applications. With regard to a future round of the LSSIF, I am committed to ensuring sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide. 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 is lower than average participation levels. My current focus is on ensuring project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF and this process will inform any decisions regarding the timing of a future round. No decisions have yet been made regarding the next round of LSSIF.
Universal Basic Income
Questions (171, 190, 195)
Malcolm Byrne
Question:171. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide an update, including a timetable, on the planned extension of the basic income for artists scheme; to indicate the position of the current participants in the scheme, and if they can apply to be part of the next scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3753/26]
View answer
Cathy Bennett
Question:190. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the allocation to the basic income for the arts scheme in 2025 and 2026. [4079/26]
View answerCathy Bennett
Question:195. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he intends to re-open the basic income for the arts scheme to new applicants. [4080/26]
View answerWritten answers
I was delighted to have secured an allocation for a successor scheme to the Basic Income for the Arts pilot as part of Budget 2026. While the detail of the future scheme will need to be agreed by Government, this is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland and I am particularly pleased that the research my Department conducted, provided Government with a clear evidence base upon which to make that decision.
More than 17,000 submissions were received to the public consultation I held in August – this is a record for my Department, and it shows how much interest there is in this scheme. I also held a Stakeholder Forum to gather input from the sector on plans for a successor scheme. There were over 200 online attendees for this from across the arts sector including resource organisations, Local Authorities and artists (both recipients and those not on the Pilot scheme).
Eligibility criteria and parameters for a successor scheme have not been finalised. The cost of the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot scheme was €35m for a full calendar year for 2,000 artists to participate, with each recipient receiving €325 a week. There were over 8,200 eligible applicants to the pilot scheme in 2022. To have funded all those eligible would have cost approximately €139m per year.
Agreement has been secured by Government for a successor scheme to the Basic Income for the Arts pilot with an allocation of €18.27m in my Department’s 2026 Estimate. I look forward to the design and delivery of the successor scheme and consultations and planning in relation to this are currently underway. I anticipate that this will conclude shortly[].
I can confirm that the BIA pilot scheme will end in February, which is when the final pilot payment will be made to the current cohort of recipients. While eligibility for the successor to the pilot is not yet finalised, a new cohort of recipients will be selected based on eligible applications for the successor scheme, so therefore it will not be the same 2,000 recipients.
Applications to that successor scheme will be based on the eligibility criteria and parameters of that scheme and those details will be published once they have been agreed by Government.
The Pilot scheme provided a weekly income of €325 to approximately 2,000 randomly selected artists and creative arts workers. The primary objective of the scheme is to help artists deal with precarious incomes and to prevent talent from leaving the sector for economic reasons.
The pilot is underpinned by a robust research project consisting of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) with the Treatment Group of 2,000 and a Control Group of 1,000.
It is clear from evidence collected to date that it has a positive impact for those in receipt of it. The data shows that the BIA is having a consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being, and deprivation.
According to the data my Department has collected 51% of artists who do not receive the BIA live in enforced deprivation, compared to 16% of the general population. The BIA is therefore a means of addressing consistent poverty in the sector. The data also shows that at the start of the BIA the median income earned by those on the scheme was €19,200 per annum which is 54% lower than the national annual median of €41,823. At the same time, recipients’ arts-related income increased by over €500 per month on average, while their income from non-arts work decreased by around €280.
Recently, I published a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) showing that the real net fiscal cost of the BIA pilot was just under €72 million over the three years (compared with a gross cost of €105 million over 3 years). This is because the BIA generated returns in the form of tax revenues of €36 million and savings in social protection payments of €6.5 million. For every €1 of public money invested in the pilot, society received €1.39 in return.
The CBA shows that audience engagement with the arts generated an estimated €16.9m in social value over the three pilot years and improvements in psychological wellbeing contributed almost €80m to total benefits. Dependence on social protection declined, with recipients receiving €100 less per month on average, and they are 38 percentage points less likely to receive Jobseeker’s payments.
The CBA shows that the scheme produced over €100m in social and economic benefits. As I mentioned, for every €1 of public money invested in the pilot, society received €1.39 in return.
The findings of the latest BIA Report on 2 years of the payment shows that BIA recipients compared to those not in receipt of the BIA:
• are 6 percentage points more likely to have worked in the arts
• spend on average 11 weekly hours more on their creative practice
• are 14 percentage points more likely to have completed new works in the previous six months
• invest more financially in their practice
The BIA research has developed a strong, irrefutable evidence base that the intervention works and has consistent positive impacts for those in receipt of the payment as well as broader society.
Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, produce more pieces of work, experience a boost to their wellbeing through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support.
The research from the Pilot has consistently demonstrated both the positive impact the BIA has had for those in receipt of it and how difficult it is to work as an artist in Ireland given the income precarity prevalent in the sector. The BIA successor scheme will help to sustain the careers of those artists who will receive it and retain their talent in the arts sector.
Based on the amount allocated to the BIA subhead in the Budget (€18.270m), the successor scheme will support the practices of at least 2,000 artists in 2026 at €325 per week, with payment beginning in Q4 2026.
Stakeholder consultation and engagement with other relevant Government Departments on the design of the new scheme will continue, to determine details such as the duration, eligibility and selection method, the details of which have not yet been decided.
Once the parameters of the scheme have been agreed by Government I intend to publish them. I hope to take a proposal to Government as soon as possible and would aim to open for applications at the earliest opportunity thereafter. I am aware that the end of the BIA pilot scheme may be a difficult time for pilot recipients; the BIA team intends to contact all recipients in the coming weeks with any details they can provide on resources which might be useful as the pilot ends.
While the detail of the future scheme will need to be agreed by Government, this is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland and, as I've mentioned, I was delighted to have secured an allocation for a successor scheme as part of Budget 2026.
Sports Funding
Questions (172)
Thomas Gould
Question:172. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he is aware that there is no facility for grants for children seeking to play darts on the world stage. [3469/26]
View answerReply not received from the Department.
National Broadband Plan
Questions (173)
Brian Stanley
Question:173. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the date for completion of the final of roll-out of the national broadband scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3423/26]
View answerWritten answers
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland and will be delivered through investment by commercial enterprises coupled with intervention by the State in those parts of the country (Intervention Area) where private companies have no plans to invest. The Intervention Area is identified by the AMBER area on the high-speed broadband map which is available on my Department's website www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/.
The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.
Along with the NBP intervention contract, progress is being made by commercial operators Open Eir, Virgin Media and Siro in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State in the non-intervention area which is identified by the BLUE area on the high-speed broadband map ensuring the targets set out in the Digital Connectivity strategy are achieved.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, over 443,370 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. The remaining circa 124,000 premises will be passed by the end of 2026. Over 161,687 premises are already connected to the National Broadband Plan high-speed broadband network.
Based on current plans and achievements, the Department expect to deliver the deployment of the NBP by the end of 2026, as per the Programme for Government commitment.
National Broadband Plan
Questions (174)
Brian Stanley
Question:174. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the person or body which will have ownership of the national broadband scheme at the point where roll-out and delivery has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3425/26]
View answerWritten answers
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland.
The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.
The NBP contract, signed on 19 November 2019, is a 25-year agreement between the Minister and National Broadband Ireland (NBI) for the delivery of a future-proofed high-speed broadband to people living and working in the intervention area. The intervention area is identified by the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan map which is available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/ on my department’s website.
The NBP network will offer premises in the Intervention Area a high-speed fibre broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. The network is future proofed to deliver up to 10Gbps speeds.
National Broadband Ireland (NBI) will own any new infrastructure it builds for the National Broadband Plan. However, where possible, some infrastructure i.e., poles and ducts is leased from commercial operators, NBI will be required to manage these assets over the full lifetime of the 25-year contract and is responsible for all associated costs where network assets must be maintained or replaced. Importantly, the Department retains responsibility for overseeing NBI’s performance and ensuring that NBI meets all contractual obligations throughout the entire 25-year term, and this oversight continues even after the 7-year deployment phase has been completed.
At the end of the contract, ownership of the network and associated infrastructure build reverts to NBI, however there is a commitment to maintain the services at no cost to the State for a further 10 years.
Under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) contract, National Broadband Ireland (NBI), will roll out a high-speed and future-proofed broadband network within the State Intervention Area, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 as per the commitment in the Programme for Government.
Departmental Correspondence
Questions (175)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:175. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 21 of 2 October 2025, if his Department has received a further update from the an organisation (details supplied) regarding a new location for the Munster centre of excellence in Cork; when his Department expects to receive a business case from that organisation outlining the revised location, scope, and partnership arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3763/26]
View answerReply not received from the Department.
Sports Facilities
Questions (176)
Shane Moynihan
Question:176. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport his plans to support local authorities in the acquisition of land for new playing pitches. [4077/26]
View answerReply not received from the Department.
National Broadband Plan
Questions (177)
Michael Cahill
Question:177. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 1311 of 13 January 2026, if the Minister can advise when these commercial providers are going to roll out high speed broadband to these areas; if there is a timeframe, or if towns such as Listowel and others in Kerry will be black spots for high speed broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3919/26]
View answerReply not received from the Department.
Sports Funding
Questions (178)
John Paul O'Shea
Question:178. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the level of investment made through the most recent Sports Capital and Equipment Programme in Cork north-west; the number of projects approved, completed and paid out; whether further allocations will be considered to address gaps in sports infrastructure in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4073/26]
View answerReply not received from the Department.
National Broadband Plan
Questions (179)
Albert Dolan
Question:179. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the plan in place for servicing villages that have a small to medium population but are not going to be connected under the fibre broadband rollout; who is responsible for servicing these villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4063/26]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published in 2022, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030.
The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland including those in small to medium sized population areas.
The Government identified a need to deliver broadband services where commercial operators would not operate such as in parts of rural Ireland. As part of the NBP, the Government appointed National Broadband Ireland to deliver wholesale broadband services to those parts of the country, primarily in rural areas, not served by commercial operators.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, over 443,370 premises are passed across all counties mainly in rural areas are available for immediate connection with over 161,685 already connected. The remaining circa 124,000 premises will be passed by the end of 2026.
Based on current plans and achievements, the Department expect to deliver the deployment of the NBP by the end of 2026, as per the Programme for Government commitment.
Along with the NBP intervention contract (with National Broadband Ireland (NBI)), progress is being made by commercial operators in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State, including small and medium sized population areas and ensuring the targets set out in the Digital Connectivity Strategy are achieved.
Commercial Fixed line operators Open eir, Virgin Media and SIRO are currently delivering or have plans to deliver high-speed broadband services in the blue area on the broadband map which is available on my Department's website www.gov.ie/en/publication/5634d-national-broadband-plan-map/.
Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace, Open eir have already passed over 1.4 million homes across the State. SIRO has reached a milestone of having passed over 695,000 premises for full fibre. Virgin Media plan to bring gigabit broadband upgrades to 1 million premises, to date it has passed 550,000 premises with full fibre. The activities of commercial operators delivering high-speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and the Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.
Sports Funding
Questions (180)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:180. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the status of the LSSIF projects in Cork City and Cork County; the number of projects that have proceeded with drawdowns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3764/26]
View answer
Reply not received from Department.
Question No. 181 taken with Question No. 170.
Sports Facilities
Questions (182)
John Connolly
Question:182. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the support the Government is providing for the redevelopment of a stadium (details supplied). [4129/26]
View answerWritten answers
In February 2024 the Government agreed a range of funding allocations of more than €800 million to affirm its commitment to work with the Northern Ireland Executive, and with the UK Government, to make cross-border investments that will make the island of Ireland a better place to live for all who call it home. This is evidence of our commitment to Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement-North/South Co-operation and is the largest ever package of Government funding for cross-border investments.
As part of this wider set of commitments, the Government announced a commitment of €50 million through the Shared Island Fund to contribute to construction of a redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast. This is both a North/South and an East/West project, and it is the Government’s wish that the ground will be made available to a wide range of sporting and cultural events.
Consistent with the Government’s policy on funding for large scale sports infrastructure, principles for funding of the project will be agreed such that it is accessible to and will benefit a range of sports, and is operated to facilitate equality, diversity and inclusion in sport, including supporting cross-community relationships in Northern Ireland and across the island.
Last year, I welcomed the UK Government’s funding commitment of £50 million, as part of the UK Chancellor's Spending Review, for the redevelopment of Casement Park.The Government and the UK Government have now each made significant funding commitments to support the delivery of a redeveloped Casement Park. It is for the Executive and the GAA to confirm their respective final funding commitments for the project and to define the overall funding package available that will allow redevelopment to proceed. I am hopeful that this total amount would then be sufficient to see the project move ahead.
Sports Facilities
Questions (183)
William Aird
Question:183. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if his Department has considered the construction of a multi-purpose sports arena in the Laois constituency; the level of engagement, if any, that has taken place regarding such a development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3660/26]
View answerReply not received from the Department.
National Broadband Plan
Questions (184)
Brian Stanley
Question:184. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the amount which has been paid to a company (details supplied) by the national broadband scheme for use of their poles, ducting and infrastructure in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3424/26]
View answerWritten answers
In December 2022, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy was published which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and set out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is a major infrastructure project that is delivering high-speed, reliable digital connectivity to all premises in Ireland where commercial operators are not providing a service.
This is a key priority for Government and a core element of the Digital Connectivity Strategy.
The delivery of the NBP network by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) relies on the use of existing telecommunications infrastructure, including the use of significant volumes of poles and ducts from eir.
Total infrastructure rental costs are forecasted to be approximately €900 million over the life of the project. This figure encompasses payments to several infrastructure providers, including the company referred to in the question. The prices charged by infrastructure providers to NBII are primarily regulated prices for the rental of poles and ducts. However, the specific annual amounts paid to individual companies for the use of poles and ducting are commercially sensitive and governed by private contractual agreements. Consequently, these individual payment details cannot be disclosed.
Ceisteanna Craolacháin
Questions (185)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:185. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Cultúir, Cumarsáide agus Spóirt cén dearcadh atá aige faoi mholadh an Choimisiúin um Thodhchaí na Meán go mbeadh neamhspleáchas eagarthóireachta ag TG4 maidir lena sheirbhís nuachta féin; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [4123/26]
View answerWritten answers
Mhol an Coimisiún um Thodhchaí na Meán (FOMC) go mbeadh smacht eagarthóireachta neamhspleách ag TG4 ar a sheirbhísí nuachta. Moladh sin chun go mbeidh iolracht níos leithne i gclúdach nuachta agus chun cur ar chumas TG4 seirbhís fheabhsaithe a chur ar fáil dá lucht féachana. Glacadh leis an moladh i bprionsabal sa Rialtas faoi réir breithniú a dhéanamh ar na himpleachtaí airgeadais agus oibríochtúla a bhaineann lena chur i bhfeidhm.
Tacaím leis an moladh, agus measaim go bhfuil sé tábhachtach ó thaobh iolrachta agus rogha níos leithne a chinntiú ó thaobh clúdaigh nuachta de.
Chun na críche sin, tá Coimisiún na Meán ag obair leis an dá chraoltóir chun impleachtaí an mholta a mheas, na roghanna féideartha chun rialú eagarthóireachta níos fearr a sholáthar do TG4 ar bhealach cost-éifeachtúil a d’fhéadfadh an beart a dhéanamh don lucht féachana, agus conas a d’fhéadfaí é sin a bhaint amach re réir a chéile. Tá ceisteanna go leor le tabhairt faoi mar chuid den phróiseas sin, ó chúrsaí airgeadais go hacmhainní daonna agus tionchair oibríochtúla.
Mar chuid den phróiseas sin, leanann TG4 agus RTÉ araon ag dul i ngleic leis sin chun gur féidir TG4 bogadh i dtreo smachta eagarthóireachta ar Nuacht TG4 a bhaint amach. Tuigim go bhfuil dul chun cinn maith á dhéanamh ag an gCoimisiún agus ag na craoltóirí maidir le plean comhaontaithe a fhorbairt atá cost-éifeachtúil, inbhuanaithe agus a fhreastalaíonn ar riachtanais an lucht féachana.
Cé go bhfuil obair ar siúl i ndáil le plean a fhorbairt chun go mbeadh smacht eagarthóireachta neamhspleách ag TG4 ar a sheirbhís nuachta, chonaic Coimisiún na Meán fiúntas i leith na hacmhainneachta atá ag TG4 seirbhís nuachta digiteach neamhspleách a fhorbairt. Rinne an Coimisiún cur síos air mar chéad chéim chuiditheach sa phróiseas, agus táthar ag súil go mbeadh costas thart ar €2.2m in aghaidh na bliana uirthi. Cé go bhfuil TG4 neamhspleách ó thaobh an dóigh a leithdháileann siad a gcuid acmhainní, is rud é seo a dtacaím leis, agus cuireadh san áireamh é agus maoiniú poiblí méadaithe á sholáthar do TG4 i mBuiséad 2026. Tuigim go bhfuil TG4 ag obair ar phlean chur chun feidhme chun é seo a thabhairt chun críche níos déanaí in 2026.
Leanann an Roinn de mhonatóireacht a dhéanamh ar an scéal, agus tá Coimisiún na Meán ag tabhairt comhairle di ar an dul chun cinn. Is é an aidhm atá leis ná moladh comhaontaithe atá praiticiúil agus cost-éifeachtúil, agus a thugann luach ar airgead agus a fhreastalaíonn ar lucht féachana na hÉireann ar an mbealach is fearr. Tá súil agam go ndéanfar dul chun cinn suntasach air sin, agus táim ag súil le tuilleadh a chloisteáil ó Choimisiún na Meán agus ó na craoltóirí níos déanaí i mbliana.
Telecommunications Services
Questions (186)
David Maxwell
Question:186. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will introduce legislation to provide for SMS scam filters to be deployed in Ireland, similar to those permitted in other EU jurisdictions, in response to the ongoing proliferation of fake SMS messages. [74098/25]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is committed to tackling scam calls and texts across electronic communications networks and services.
Both my Department and the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the statutorily independent regulator under the aegis of my Department, continue to explore and evaluate interventions to protect consumers from nuisance communications, the unsolicited communications, whether via voice calls or Short Messaging Service (SMS) text messages generally directed at large groups of the population.
ComReg established an industry action group to address the growing menace of scam calls and texts, the Nuisance Communication Industry Forum (NCIF). This cross-industry body builds on the work of the previous Nuisance Communications Industry Taskforce (NCIT), established in February 2022.
In April 2024, informed by the submissions to its consultation in June 2023 and by the work of the NCIT, ComReg mandated six interventions. The interventions focus on restoring trust in Ireland’s telecommunications services by identifying and deploying interventions to decrease the prevalence and damaging effects of nuisance communications. These include:
Do Not Originate (DNO) list: a list of numbers that will be blocked for call origination.
Protected Numbers (PN): The blocking of numbers that have not been assigned by ComReg.
Fixed Calling Line Identification (CLI) Call Blocking: Identifies and blocks scam calls originating from international networks, but present as an Irish landline caller.
Mobile CLI Call Blocking: Identifies and blocks scam calls originating from international networks presenting as an Irish mobile caller.
SMS – Sender ID Registry: Allows businesses to register their Sender ID. Operators currently label unregistered Sender IDs as 'Likely Scam'.
Voice-firewall: A dynamic approach to blocking scam calls that can be updated in real-time to better account for the adapting strategies of fraudsters.
Telecommunications operators have implemented these interventions in phases over recent years. As of November 2025, the majority are in place. A recent report by ComReg (September 2025) shows that over 100 million scam calls have been successfully blocked due to these measures, with over 13 million scam calls blocked in July 2025 alone. These are calls that otherwise would have been received by consumers bringing with them concern, worry and the danger of significant financial loss.
It is necessary to explore a range of solutions as there is no one panacea for phone or SMS fraud. Instead, we must look to layer multiple protections together to truly mitigate the risks and safeguard consumers. A further area of intervention that my Department has been examining is a proposal relating to an SMS scam filter that functions like email spam filters to help reduce scam messages. Any solutions to tackle nuisance communications must be considered and weighed carefully against privacy and data protection concerns.
My Department will continue to examine the options available, the proportionality of any proposed interventions and the collective responsibility to be taken by the State, industry, and customers to protect ourselves, and especially those most vulnerable in our society, from nefarious actors.
Broadcasting Sector
Questions (187)
Michael Cahill
Question:187. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to support a dedicated Irish sports TV channel, which could be a viable and even lucrative project for his Department, this Government, RTÉ and the Irish people, if it is pursued seriously with all potential stakeholders on board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3918/26]
View answerWritten answers
As I outlined in response to a similar question in May last year, Coimisiún na Meán, in conjunction with relevant media and sports organisations, has been tasked with leading on developing a Strategic Plan for Sports Broadcasting and Promotion as recommended by the Future of Media Commission. This strategy is intended to look beyond the traditional broadcast of big events on TV, to the opportunity to showcase more sports, across multiple formats and media, and to promote coverage of sports that are in line with policies designed to encourage a more active population. Development of this strategy is being progressed by An Coimisiún in collaboration with Sport Ireland and involves consultation with relevant sports bodies and their individual strategic priorities.
Sport occupies an important role in the Irish cultural landscape, and this is reflected in the prominence given to sports coverage by both our public service broadcasters, RTÉ and TG4, as they cater to the interests of their viewers.
As mentioned in my response last May, it is still my understanding that neither public service broadcaster is actively considering the establishment of a dedicated sports channel at the present time. Were such a proposal to be brought forward it would require consent from me as Minister, following a sectoral impact and public interest assessment which would be carried out by Coimisiún na Meán. Section 98 of the 2009 Broadcasting Act provides for the independence of RTÉ and TG4 in pursuit of their objects and as such it is a matter for the broadcasters.
In addition to our public service broadcasters’ provision of sports coverage, the important role of commercial, independent broadcasters in providing sports content to the Irish public should also be recognised. As such the whole of sector approach to sports coverage which the Strategy will take, is appropriate and I look forward to receiving it in due course.
Culture Policy
Questions (188)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:188. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the advisory committee on the restitution of cultural heritage last met; when it is expected to publish national guidelines; the requests, if any, that have been received by the national cultural institutions for the restitution of cultural heritage to other states; and the requests, if any, which have been made by him or his Department to institutions in other states for the restitution of Irish heritage since he became Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4122/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage is tasked with developing policy advice and national guidelines on the restitution of cultural heritage objects in Ireland that may have been illegally or unethically elicited or traded. The issue of repatriation and restitution is an important one, involving sensitive and complex matters, especially in the current global context. Through its work, the Advisory Committee will provide guidance to cultural institutions and other bodies that have responsibility for managing historic collections on associated matters, including provenance research.
I am satisfied that progress is well underway on this work and I look forward to receiving the Advisory Committee's report. Following consideration by the Government, I plan to publish the report at the earliest opportunity. The Advisory Committee met last on 3rd November 2025 and the minutes of this meeting will be published by the Secretariat [the Heritage Council] when they are agreed at the next meeting. It may be noted that a number of work programme strands are progressed between meetings via the sub-committee structure and through the work of the Secretariat.
It would be a matter for our National Cultural Institutions, who are represented on the Advisory Committee, to consider any requests regarding the repatriation of items held in the national collections. My Department works with the National Cultural Institutions on such matters which may arise from time to time and as required. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on any individual cases, due to the sensitivities which can arise. The advice and guidance from the Advisory Committee will assist in these processes going forward.
Sports Facilities
Questions (189)
Thomas Gould
Question:189. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he is aware that sporting complexes operated under the Department of Education and Youth cannot apply for Sports Ireland grants. [3468/26]
View answerReply not received from the Department.