Written Answers Nos. 471-486
471. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the available guidelines for adult safeguarding for adult members of sports clubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32051/26]
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 athlete welfare.
Sport Ireland works with National Governing Bodies of Sport (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 react to and handle complaints or issues when they arise.
Ultimately, NGBs are independent autonomous organisations responsible for their own governance including safeguarding procedures and disciplinary and complaints processes.
I have referred the Deputy's questions to Sport Ireland for direct reply in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy and I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
472. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if there are plans to introduce legislation whereby companies such as EIR increase the retirement age beyond 65 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32074/26]
View answerAdministration of the Eircom Superannuation Scheme is a matter for the Trustees of the Scheme, in accordance with the Eircom Superannuation Scheme Rules and the Eircom Pensions Accord 2010, which sets out the normal retirement age for employees of the Company. Alterations to the Scheme Rules are matters for Eircom Ltd in conjunction with the Trustees of the Scheme. I have no direct day-to-day involvement in the Scheme.
With regard to the general matter of employees remaining in employment until the pensionable age of 66, I am aware that the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025, which is a matter for the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, was enacted last year but has not been commenced.
473. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of protected disclosures that have gone missing or have been compromised that have been submitted to his Department or State bodies that are responsible to his Department.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32283/26]
View answerMy Department is committed to fostering an appropriate environment for addressing concerns relating to potential serious wrongdoing in the workplace and to providing the necessary support for staff and others working with us who raise concerns regarding such matters. Policy and guidance is available to all staff.
Any disclosures received are processed in accordance with internal procedures and in line with the Protected Disclosures Act.
I'm advised by my officials that no related records have gone missing or have been compromised. Confidentiality is maintained in line with the legislation by restricted access to designated recipients.
The processing of Protected Disclosures by bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for those bodies.
474. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the funding his Department has provided, directly and indirectly, to the League of Ireland per annum for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32809/26]
View answerThe Government’s current funding support for the development of football in Ireland is channelled, via Sport Ireland, to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The State has allocated approximately €80 million in current funding to FAI between 2019 and 2025, to support football development and grow participation. The bulk of this funding goes towards the FAI’s Youth Field Sports grants, which are aimed at encouraging and creating more opportunities for young people to participate in football through coaching and games development supports at local level. I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply in relation to FAI funding for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
Significant capital funding has been granted to football projects around the country in recent years. Under the Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF), €48.9 million has been allocated to stadium development projects at Finn Harps, Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers and Wexford FC.
In addition, €75.6 million has been allocated to support the development of 1,005 grassroots club football facilities nationwide, including League of Ireland clubs, under the 2020 and 2023 rounds of the Community Sport Facilities Fund.
As part of Budget 2026, I was pleased to announce first year funding of €3 million as part of a multi-annual allocation to support the development of a modern and professional soccer academy system that will provide the structures and pathways required to support future generations of Irish players, male and female. This builds on the additional funding of €1 million provided by my Department to the FAI in 2024 which enabled it to produce a detailed report on the League of Ireland academies system.
The Government is committed to supporting the development of Ireland’s sporting ecosystem and the support that continues to be provided for football is a key example of that commitment in action.
475. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will provide the designated member email addresses for each of the State agencies under the aegis of his Department. [33306/26]
View answerIn line with Circular 25/2016 (“Protocol for the Provision of Information to Members of the Oireachtas by State Bodies under the aegis of Government Departments/Offices”), a contact list for Oireachtas members wishing to contact the bodies under the aegis of my Department is provided below.
|
Body under the Aegis of the Department |
Oireachtas Email Address |
|
An Post |
OireachtasEnquiries@anpost.ie |
|
Arts Council |
Oireachtasqueries@artscouncil.ie |
|
Chester Beatty |
Oireachtasqueries@cbl.ie |
|
Coimisiún na Meán |
oireachtasqueries@cnam.ie |
|
Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) |
oireachtas@comreg.ie |
|
Crawford Art Gallery |
oireachtas@crawfordartgallery.ie |
|
Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) |
oireachtas@thedigitalhub.com |
|
Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) |
oireachtasqueries@imma.ie |
|
National Concert Hall |
Oireachtasquery@nch.ie |
|
National Gallery of Ireland |
oireachtasqueries@ngi.ie |
|
National Library of Ireland |
oireachtasqueries@nli.ie |
|
National Museum of Ireland |
oireachtasqueries@museum.ie |
|
Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) |
Oireachtasmembers@rte.ie |
|
Screen Ireland |
oireachtasqueries@screenireland.ie |
|
Sport Ireland |
oireachtas@sportireland.ie |
|
Teilifís na Gaeilge (TG4) |
Oireachtasqueries@tg4.ie |
476. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if a person (details supplied) will be issued with an invitation to attend the Irish Famine Commemoration in Portumna Workhouse on 17 May 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33314/26]
View answerThe National Famine Commemoration takes place on the third weekend in May. The commemoration aims to remember all those who suffered and died due to An Gorta Mór and to acknowledge its enduring legacy.
This year the Commemoration will take place in The Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, Co. Galway on Sunday, 17 May.
The event will include a keynote address from An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin T.D. and have a strong cultural and community focus. The commemoration will culminate in a formal State ceremonial event which will include the National flag and military honours, and wreath laying ceremonies.
The National Famine Commemoration is a free, public event but tickets are required to attend. A ticket has already issued to the name provided.
As with most sites there is limited capacity, but every effort has been made to facilitate as wide an audience as possible. This includes making tickets available to the public through the Eventbrite platform. The event will also be broadcast live on the RTÉ News Channel, RTÉ.ie and RTÉ Player starting at midday on Sunday 17th May.
The commemoration will also be made available to review along with the ceremonial booklet on www.irishfamine.ie/ at a later date.
477. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide a progress report on each of the 149 recommendations contained within the recent Arts Council report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33365/26]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) concluded its Independent Review of the Governance and Organisational Culture of the Arts Council of Ireland earlier this year.
149 recommendations are set out in the review. Of these;
• 3 are to all Government Departments regarding decision making and communication protocols.
• 17 are made to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform concerning the regulatory framework governing State Bodies, risk management and the role of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer.
• 31 relate to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport covering a number of issues including oversight of State Bodies, appointments to these bodies and, critically, changes to the Arts Act 2003.
• The remaining 100 recommendations apply specifically to the Arts Council and relate to a wide range of issues including the operation of the Board and its subcommittees, the role of the Director and the Senior Management Team, internal audit, compliance with public policy directives and communication with this Department.
When I brought this review, with its findings and recommendations, to Government on 20 January this year, I confirmed my intention to implement in full the recommendations that fall under my remit.
To ensure the robust and timely implementation of the recommendations which are appropriate to the Arts Council, my Department officials and I engaged with the Chair and Interim Director requesting they prepare and submit an implementation plan outlining the actions and associated timelines that the Arts Council will take to implement the recommendations.
That implementation plan has now been finalised and is available on the Arts Councils website at the following link: https://artscouncil.ie/publications/. The plan envisages multiple policy and procedural changes, with the overarching aim being the production of a revised governance framework for the Arts Council on a schedule due to complete before the end of 2027. The Arts Council's progress on implementing these actions will be monitored by my officials on a quarterly basis.
With respect to the recommendations addressed to my Department, these have been accepted in full and work is ongoing to ensure their effective implementation.
478. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide a detailed breakdown of all gifts received in his capacity as Minister; the nature of these gifts and potential monetary value; the procedures followed in accepting gifts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33376/26]
View answerAll office holders are bound by the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001. As the Deputy is aware, any gift which exceeds €650 in value given to an office holder, or a spouse or civil partner or child, by virtue of his or her office, must be surrendered in accordance with this Act. Any such gift is required to be disclosed in the office holder's annual statement of registerable interests. Since my appointment as Minister for Culture, Communications, and Sport, I have not received any gifts above this threshold.
479. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the supports available to community sports clubs in County Laois seeking funding for facility upgrades, including floodlighting, dressing rooms and all-weather pitches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33393/26]
View answerMy Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Sporting organisations can apply directly for CSFF funding while applications to the LSSIF must be made through either a National Governing Body (NGB) of Sport or a Local Authority.
Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated in 2024 to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.
My Department collates allocation data at county level and, under the 2023 round, over €7 million was allocated to 71 sporting projects in Laois. Since 2017, over €13.5 million has been allocated to 246 sporting projects in Laois.
Details of all CSFF allocations are available on the Department's website at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/collections/sports-capital-programme-allocations/.
In line with previous rounds of the CSFF, a review of the current funding round has been undertaken and will be finalised shortly. I have asked my Department to prepare for a 2026 round which I hope to open in the first half of this year. It is anticipated that the next CSFF round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.
480. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the additional supports being considered for local sports clubs facing increased operational and energy costs, particularly volunteer-led organisations in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33395/26]
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 across its various programmes.
Sport Ireland does not provide direct funding for teams, clubs or individuals but channels the funding through the relevant National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs). There is no mechanism by which Sport Ireland or the Department can allocate funding to clubs outside of this process. Sports clubs are advised to contact their relevant NGB directly to ascertain what funding or grant supports might be available to assist them with increased operational costs.
The Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) provides capital grants to assist clubs in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment. I have asked my Department to prepare for a further round of the CSFF in 2026, which I expect to open in the first half of the year. I encourage all clubs to prepare for this and to ensure applications are fully aligned with the goals and guidelines of the Fund. It is anticipated that this next round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.
481. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the measures being put in place to support the sustainability of local and regional media outlets in light of changing advertising revenues and increased digital competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33396/26]
View answerI understand the importance of protecting and supporting our local and regional independent media in order to sustain the continued provision of independent, high-quality journalism, which plays an indispensable role in providing objective, trustworthy and accurate news coverage to the public.
The Programme for Government recognises and acknowledges this and sets out our commitment to have a strong, independent media sector that provides essential public service broadcasting, supports local journalism, and upholds press freedom.
In line with the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission, the General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill contains measures to convert the statutory Media Fund to a platform-neutral Media Fund, providing greater certainty of support for the sector. This will fund all schemes prepared by Coimisiún na Meán to support the production, distribution and archiving of public service content by the wider media sector including local and regional outlets.
A suite of funding schemes catering to all parts of the media sector currently operate on an administrative basis, pending the establishment of the statutory Media Fund. In January of this year, Coimisiún na Meán announced a total package of just over €15m in supports for the sector, broadly aiming to enhance the provision of public-interest journalism, to assist the modernisation of technology and digital infrastructure and to support the upskilling of staff within the sector.
The Local Democracy and Courts Reporting Schemes aim to enhance the vital role of media service providers in reporting on public interest matters by funding comprehensive, professional and publicly accessible reports of court proceedings and the proceedings of Local Authorities at a local and regional level. Over €11.3m has been awarded by Coimisiún na Meán through these Schemes across two funding rounds, supporting print, online and radio.
The News Reporting Scheme supports the coverage of news matters which are under-reported on or are at risk of under-reporting. €3.8m was awarded through the pilot News Reporting Scheme this year, with Coimisiún na Meán opening a second funding round at the end of April.
€2.7m was awarded through the pilot Digital Transformation Scheme, providing vital support for media outlets to upgrade and enhance their technology and digital infrastructure as well as to provide training and upskilling opportunities for existing staff in the context of an ever-changing and increasingly digitalised media landscape.
Further to this, €1m was secured in Budget 2026 for the development of a Community Media Scheme which is expected to be launched in 2026. This reflects the invaluable role that community media plays in community engagement, cohesion, and in the promotion of social inclusion in communities across the State.
These supports are in addition to the Sound and Vision Scheme which continues to provide vital support to the audiovisual sector and through which €6.4m in funding support has been awarded so far in 2026. Coimisiún na Meán also intend to introduce an updated Sound and Vision scheme to align with the enactment of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill and will be engaging with stakeholders to inform the design of that scheme in due course.
Local and regional media outlets play a vital role in providing valuable public service content to the Irish public and contributing to the diversity and plurality of trusted voices in our media sector, which enhances democratic participation and safeguards our information space.
My Department and Coimisiún na Meán will continue to work closely together to assist media outlets at a local, regional and national level in navigating the challenges they face and to ensure that necessary supports are available in order to maintain and promote an independent and thriving media that is reflective of contemporary Irish society and that continues to play an invaluable role in community engagement, cohesion and the promotion of social inclusion across the country.
482. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the progress being made in expanding investment in community arts, cultural infrastructure and heritage projects outside major urban centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33397/26]
View answerA network of cultural infrastructure exists throughout the country with the majority in the ownership of local authorities. Annual support, including programming and revenue supports, is provided to these arts centres by local authorities and the Arts Council.
My Department focuses on providing capital grant funding to develop and maintain these arts and culture facilities with significant investment across all regions in recent years including the recent Stream E of the Cultural Capital Scheme, which provided grants of up to €50,000 for capital works and equipment.
Another programme operated by my Department is the €6 million Artist Workspaces Scheme where local authorities outside Dublin City Council are invited to propose projects which enable them to provide additional artist workspaces in their regions on a sustainable basis and produce fit for purpose workspaces.
The significant increases in support for arts and culture across the country also includes annual funding provided to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and the capital support scheme for the Night Time Economy which supports the development of vibrant late night arts and culture scenes in Irish cities, towns and villages.
In Budget 2026, the Department was allocated €6m for a new programme of capital funding for arts and culture organisations across the country, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government.
A pilot scheme has been under design in recent months and earlier today I updated Government about progress. Subject to receipt of sanction, the scheme will provide necessary funding to arts and culture facilities for equipment, building upgrades and refurbishment works, along with equipment funding to community and voluntary groups for the purpose of increasing arts/culture participation in communities across the country. I intend to launch the pilot scheme in the coming weeks.
Heritage projects are a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
483. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the actions being taken to improve participation in sport and physical activity among young people, particularly in disadvantaged and rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33398/26]
View answerIncreasing participation levels in sport among all cohorts is a key objective of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 (NSP) and is a priority for me in my role as Minister for Sport
Sport Ireland's network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) plays a crucial role in implementing the NSP and increasing participation levels in sport and physical activity particularly in underrepresented and at-risk groups in all parts of the country.
The LSPs deliver targeted programmes to a range of cohorts including young persons, the unemployed, and those living in disadvantaged communities.
In 2026, the LSP network received €12,655,000 in core funding and this was supplemented by additional investment from other funding streams, including Dormant Accounts Funding (DAF) and the European Social Fund (ESF+) Programme. Through DAF, LSPs can connect national funding priorities with local community needs, ensuring funding reaches the groups, clubs and people that need it most.
Sport Ireland has successfully applied to the European Social Fund (ESF+) Programme 2021-2027 and has been awarded €11 million for implementation of a social innovation and inclusion programme over the lifetime of the Programme. The ESF+ funding has enabled Sport Ireland to establish the Sport4Empowerment (S4E) Programme which aims to use sport and physical activity as a tool for social inclusion and empowerment. S4E targets four population cohorts, including youth at risk and persons from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The programme is delivered through Sport Ireland’s network of Local Sports Partnerships, with ESF+ Social Innovation in Sport Officers currently based in 24 LSPs. The Officers are responsible for the piloting and implementation of range of new targeted programmes which aim to enhance the wellbeing, education, and economic prospects of participants.
As Minister for Sport, I will continue to promote sport to all cohorts and work to remove any barrier to participation.
484. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if his Department has conducted an audit of sports facilities in north Kildare per head of population; the findings of the audit; if not, to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33429/26]
View answerThe need to develop a nationwide database of sports facilities, whether in public or private ownership, was highlighted in the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2018 – 2027. The NSP recognised that such an up to date database could support a more long-term planned approach to facility investment.
To this end, Get Ireland Active (GIA), which was developed by Sport Ireland, was launched in October 2023 and represents the first phase of a comprehensive national database of sports facilities.
This database, which can be accessed by browser or a mobile app, currently consists of more than 15,000 opportunities to be active across the country, including sports and recreation facilities, public places such as playgrounds and trails for walking, running and biking.
Additionally, other data – such as the Pobal Deprivation Index – can be overlaid on the database to identify areas that are under or over-served.
GIA is currently undergoing further development and, once this is completed, Sport Ireland intends to launch a promotional campaign to raise awareness of the benefits that it can offer. A nationwide audit of both public and private facilities is a significant and resource-intensive undertaking and members of the public will be encouraged to report any unlisted facilities via the GIA website in order to develop as comprehensive a national database as possible.
Sport Ireland continues to engage with colleagues in my Department, local authorities, relevant public bodies and NGBs to further develop the database and to ensure that it remains up to date and available as a resource to guide decisions regarding the prioritisation of funding to sport infrastructure under my Department's capital funding programmes.
In this context, my Department is currently preparing for a further round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and it is anticipated that this round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years.
€8.8 million was allocated to 102 sporting projects in Kildare in the 2023 CSFF round and, since 2017, over €21 million has been allocated to 374 sporting projects in Kildare from this fund.
A full list of all allocations is available on the Department's website at the link below.
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/collections/sports-capital-programme-allocations/
485. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will introduce a mandatory amenity plan for local authorities to put on future housing developments to ensure recreational amenities are introduced alongside all new housing, as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33430/26]
View answerWhile the making of a development plan is a reserved function of the elected members of each planning authority under the Planning and Development Acts, the Development Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2022) require that when making zoning decisions, consideration must be given to the future availability of (or the capacity to provide) supporting local community and amenity services and infrastructure, including recreation and sports facilities.
The Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines (2024) indicate that planning authorities should plan for an integrated network of well-designed neighbourhoods that can meet day-to-day needs (including sporting needs) within a 10 to 15-minute walk of all homes. In the case of larger settlements, the residents of less central neighbourhoods should have opportunities to travel by public transport and other sustainable modes such as greenways to access higher order services and amenities at more central and accessible locations.
Policy Objective 5.1 of these Guidelines states that statutory development plans include an objective(s) relating to the provision of public open space in new residential developments (and in mixed-use developments that include a residential element). The requirement in the development plan shall be for public open space provision of not less than a minimum of 10% of net site area and not more than a minimum of 15% of net site area save in exceptional circumstances. Different minimum requirements (within the 10-15% range) may be set for different areas. The Guidelines state that public open spaces should be designed to cater for a range of active and passive recreational needs (including play, physical activity, active travel, cultural uses and community gardens and allotments, as appropriate to the context).
Facilities to be funded by development contributions schemes made by elected members under section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, and conditions attached to permissions requiring contributions to be made towards such schemes, may include open spaces, and recreational and community facilities.
In accordance with section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001, local authorities are independent in the performance of their functions.
The Deputy may be interested to note that Sport Ireland is a prescribed body for the purposes of plan-making in accordance with the Planning and Development (Prescribed Persons - Statutory Plans) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 458 of 2025), and accordingly may be consulted by planning authorities on the preparation of statutory plans.
486. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the latest update on discussions his Department has had with Dublin City Council or the Land Development Agency in relation to the Ballymun Shopping Centre site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31856/26]
View answerThe Land Development Agency (LDA) plays a key role in the delivery of new housing under the Government’s Housing Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities.
The LDA is actively developing affordable and social housing on State lands, market acquired lands, and through its market engagement and homebuilder partnership initiative Project Tosaigh.
The Agency also works in partnership with local authorities to develop large-scale mixed tenure schemes of affordable and social housing on local authority owned sites.
I understand that the LDA is progressing plans to submit a Large-Scale Residential Development planning application for the development of affordable housing at the Ballymun Shopping Centre site. The LDA has initiated early-stage pre-planning engagement with Dublin City Council (DCC) Planning team, and this will continue in the coming months, with a view to progressing the opportunity for affordable housing development at this site.
In addition, the LDA and DCC are collaborating on numerous projects including Bluebell Waterways, An tSrúill at Cromcastle, Cherry Orchard Point, the Donore Project at St. Teresa's Gardens as well as the Dolphin House Regeneration Project.
Finally, arrangements have been put in place by my Department to ensure that public bodies under its aegis have a dedicated email address in place to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. In this regard, the LDA can be contacted by emailing oireachtas@lda.ie for further details on this matter.
