Written Answers
9. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the nationwide audit of sports facilities to address shortages in areas underserved including towns with populations over 1,500; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33372/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe need to catalogue all sports facilities, to address shortages in areas that are currently underserved was first raised in the National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027 which recognised the importance of having an up-to-date database of sports facilities as the basis for a more long-term planned approach to facility investment for all stakeholders.
To this end, Sport Ireland developed "Get Ireland Active", which was launched in October 2023 and represents the first phase of a comprehensive national database of sports facilities. It 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.
Sport Ireland will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders in my Department, local authorities, public bodies and National Governing Bodies of Sport 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.
My Department is currently preparing for a further round of the Community Sport Facilities Fund, the CSFF, and it is anticipated that this round will particularly target areas and sports that have been under-invested in over the years. I hope to open this round in the first half of this year.
14. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the supports available through his Department and bodies under its aegis, such as Sport Ireland, to support darts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33096/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSport 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 under its various programmes. Sport Ireland does not provide direct funding for clubs or individuals but channels the funding through the relevant NGB, or National Governing Body for Sport.
As there is no Sport Ireland-recognised NGB for darts, there is no mechanism by which darts organisations, clubs or players can secure funding from Sport Ireland. There is no discretionary funding available to my Department through which financial assistance can be provided to support darts.
However, Sport Ireland operates a formal recognition process for organisations wishing to become eligible for support as NGBs. The recognition criteria set out the minimum requirements for NGB recognition and the additional criteria that may need to be met to receive financial investment from Sport Ireland. There is no alternative mechanism for organisations to seek NGB recognition or support from Sport Ireland outside of this process.
I recognise the wide levels of interest in darts in Ireland and I would encourage any organisation wishing to gain Sport Ireland recognition as a NGB for darts to engage directly with Sport Ireland which can then advise as to the detail of the application process. In this regard, the relevant organisation should request a formal meeting with Sport Ireland to discuss its proposed application and the wider process, prior to submitting a formal application for recognition as a NGB to Sport Ireland.
17. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the work of the Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage, specifically on matters pertaining to items of Irish origin in international collections and how best to repatriate these, if necessary and when appropriate. [33098/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of restitution and repatriation of cultural heritage is a complex one, involving sensitive matters, especially against the backdrop of the current global context and discourse. The Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage was 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. As part of its work, the Advisory Committee considered the associated legal, ethical, policy, procedural, and institutional issues, and reviewed the international best practice research available in this area. In 2024, the Heritage Council undertook a national survey to better understand the scope and scale of cultural heritage collections in Ireland. These findings have significantly informed the Advisory Committee's work and will also be of great interest and benefit to the cultural heritage sector.
The Advisory Committee has been expertly chaired by Sir Donnell Deeny, Chairman of the U.K. government’s Spoliation Advisory Panel and member of the Court of Arbitration for Art in The Hague. The Heritage Council provides the Secretariat, and the Committee's membership brought together diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives from potential claimant communities, the national cultural institutions and other collecting institutions, and the fields of law, ethics, academia, public policy, and cultural heritage.
Through its work, the Advisory Committee will provide guidance to support cultural institutions and other bodies that have responsibility for managing historic collections, on associated matters, including collections management and provenance research. This important work is nearing completion and I am very pleased with the Advisory Committee's progress. I am looking forward to receiving their final report and bringing it to my colleagues in Government before the Summer Recess. I intend to publish the report then without delay.
I am also conscious of the growing public interest in the potential return of cultural objects of Irish origin held in collections abroad. I believe that the Advisory Committee's work and recommendations will foster goodwill, trust, and mutual co-operation, which could in turn support any future Irish efforts to seek the return of cultural heritage materials from abroad. Existing relationships between Irish cultural, collecting, and research institutions and their internationally based colleagues are positive and well-established, and these provide a strong foundation for enhanced collaboration and co-operation.
20. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the value-for-money assessment that was undertaken in evaluating a pay increase for the Director General of RTÉ. [31948/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn April 2024, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation requested the Senior Posts Remuneration Committee (SPRC) to review the remuneration arrangements for CEOs of Commercial State Bodies. The Committee’s Report was submitted to Minister Chambers on 31 March 2025.
To establish a comprehensive understanding of the position regarding CEO remuneration, the Committee carried out wide-ranging research including consultation with key stakeholders and with international and technical experts, together with data collection and technical analysis supported by NewERA. The Report found that CEO remuneration packages had fallen out of alignment with the market, and that there was a need for a transparent and robust framework for regular review of CEO remuneration, to ensure that it recognises and rewards performance and attracts the best prospective candidates into the future.
The SPRC also found that there was a need for the Boards of Commercial State Bodies to have appropriate flexibility to manage CEO remuneration, in line with the organisation’s business needs, performance and capacity to pay, with an enhanced system of governance in place.
The Report was subsequently considered by Government and published on 29 April 2025.
A banded salary structure for a three-year period, has now been put in place for each relevant body, including RTÉ, which ranges from the current salary of the CEO or DG to the relevant market median advised by SPRC, which must be adhered to.
Operational details and guidance were prepared by Minister Chamber’s Department to give effect to Government’s consideration of this matter. These details, together with the band agreed for the DG of RTÉ, were shared by me with the Chairperson of the RTÉ Board. The Board are responsible in the first instance for issues related to the performance of the DG, including setting targets and reviewing performance.
Last December, the Board of RTÉ presented a business case to me in line with the guidelines and salary range notified by Minister Chambers. Having reviewed the submission and associated assessment of my officials and NewERA, I submitted a recommendation to Minister Chambers in March, for his approval as required. In addition, given the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 2009, the consent of Government will also be required to alter the remuneration of the DG of both RTÉ and TG4.
As the matter remains under active consideration at present, it is not possible to provide further details on the proposal or the timing of any final approval.
21. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the development of the national cricket stadium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32816/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSignificant progress has been made on the development of the National Cricket Centre, the NCC, at the Sport Ireland Campus since planning permission for Phase 1 of the project was granted in November 2025.
The overall project will be be delivered in two phases. Phase 1 will deliver the main field of play, 4,240 spectator seats, a high-performance centre and a player and match officials' building. This first phase will be managed in two distinct construction contracts to ensure that the playing surface will be adequately prepared in time for the 2030 T20 World Cup tournament, which Ireland will co-host. Contract 1 will deliver the main cricket oval, seating bowl and concourse, two toilet blocks, an energy centre, a maintenance building, and all associated civil and infrastructure works.
The procurement process for Contract 1, which is being managed by Sport Ireland, is complete and John Sisk & Sons Limited is the preferred tenderer at a cost of €45.45 million, including VAT, contingency and professional fees. Sport Ireland is engaging with John Sisk & Son Limited on final contractual arrangements and I expect that site works for Contract 1 will commence in the coming weeks.
The procurement and business case processes for Contract 2, to deliver the remaining requirements of Phase 1, will take place later this year and it is anticipated that the facility will be completed and operational by Q3 2029.
Beyond its role as a host venue for the 2030 T20 World Cup, the NCC will play a crucial role in enabling Ireland’s elite cricket teams to compete at the highest international levels. It will also provide Cricket Ireland with the facilities to assist in growing participation in cricket more generally.
22. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to urgently address the extremely poor mobile phone service at numerous locations across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33220/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMobile network operators are continuously improving their network coverage across both rural and urban areas to cater to ever increasing traffic volumes across their networks. However, I am aware that the quality of network coverage is not uniform across the country. Many factors, such as the terrain and topography of an area, will affect how well radio signals propagate from base stations to users’ phones.
While the availability of mobile phone coverage is primarily a matter for mobile network operators, operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market, they are regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and they are assessed against the terms of their licence.
Where customers are not receiving good coverage, they should contact the customer care team of their mobile phone operator to make a complaint regarding poor coverage and then follow their official complaint procedure. If complaints are not resolved to the consumer's satisfaction they can then be escalated to ComReg.
To assist consumers to choose the mobile network provider that best meets their needs, ComReg continually updates and enhances its online national outdoor mobile coverage map at coveragemap.comreg.ie which provides information on mobile network operators’ outdoor coverage.
In addition, the Department supported ComReg’s completion of a Multi-band Spectrum Award in January 2023 to assign additional long-term rights of use across four spectrum bands to enable operators to provide improved services to meet increasing consumer demand for mobile services.
These awards represented a 46% increase in the harmonised spectrum assigned for the provision of wireless broadband services, including 4G and 5G, in Ireland and included significant coverage obligations for operators.
Those licence obligations place a key focus on delivering improved coverage to population centres, such as places where people work and live, rather than solely focusing on geographical coverage. They also focus on improving network coverage of the national primary road network. Those obligations come into effect on an incremental basis 3, 5 and 7 years after the licences were first awarded in 2023.
Operators continue to add new capacity to their networks using both their newly acquired radio spectrum and by upgrading the radio technologies on their existing spectrum. The timing of the improvements delivered by mobile operators are influenced in part by their ability to acquire and build new sites for increased coverage.
It is also important to note that emergency 999/112 calls from mobile devices can use any available mobile network, even a network that the end user is not a customer of.
23. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the funding available to offset the cost of facilitating summer camps in sporting clubs. [31947/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSport 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 engage directly with sports clubs or community groups; instead, its interactions are with National Governing Bodies of sport and Local Sports Partnerships.
The National Governing Bodies of Sport, or NGBs, are independent, autonomous bodies, responsible for their own governance and operational procedures, including the organisation of summer camps and player/athlete development. Sport Ireland provides direct, regular, financial support to 100 sports organisations including 65 NGBs, 10 other funded bodies, and 29 Local Sports Partnerships, or LSPs. Sport Ireland encourages direct engagement between clubs and the NGBs and LSPs to explore, inter alia, potential avenues of support and collaboration, including for summer camps.
My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund, or CSFF, and the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, or LSSIF. Sporting organisations can apply directly for CSFF funding while applications to the LSSIF must be made through either a NGB or a local authority.
As Minister for Sport, I recognise the importance of sport and physical activity for the health and wellbeing of our society. Through participating in sports, young people learn to be physically, mentally, and emotionally fit. They acquire new skills, increase confidence, and most importantly, they get to experience the joy of sport and make life-long friendships.
This Government is committed to ensuring that Irish sport is inclusive and that we have the facilities to enable as many people as possible to participate.
24. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 65 of 2 October 2025, to provide an update on the procurement of a cell based public warning system for use during public emergencies, such as in times of flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31762/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn November 2023, Ireland put in place a mobile SMS-based emergency public warning system, via S.I 583 of 2023, as required under Article 110 of the EU Electronic Communications Code Directive. This system enables mobile phone operators to send texts to the public on behalf of the Government during an emergency. Whilst this system meets the needs of the Directive, the effectiveness of distributing public warning via SMS is impacted by network capacity, congestion and SMS character limits.
Government intends to establish a cell broadcast public warning system (CB-PWS) for transmitting public warning messages. Cell broadcast is an effective technology for distributing public warning messages and it utilised in many other jurisdictions. CB-PWS messages are not impacted by the same issues as SMS and can be sent to mobile phone users in a specific geographic area.
An advisory service was procured in Q3 2024 which has enabled my Department to develop technical specifications and recommendations in relation to this project.
My Department is working closely with the Department of the Taoiseach, Department of Defence and Office of Emergency Planning to identify the Government entity which will be operationally responsible for the CB-PWS. Designation of this entity by Government is necessary to advance to procurement of the system, and in that regard I expect to bring a memorandum to Government shortly. I expect procurement of the CB-PWS to begin this year.
The CB-PWS will become part of existing emergency communications structures that are already in place and, in the appropriate circumstances, it will be another channel to provide information to the public among those already existing, such as social media, TV and radio.
25. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the current status of the two outstanding Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund applications submitted by Clare County Council in 2024 in respect of clubs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33117/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund, or LSSIF, was established to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sport Facilities Fund.
The 2024 round of LSSIF received an unprecedented demand for funding, amounting to €665 million from 96 applicants. As a result of this significant demand, a range of valid applications did not receive an LSSIF allocation at the initial allocation stage. Unfortunately, the Active Kilrush Sports Complex application did not receive an allocation at that time. With regard to the funding application by Kilkee-Aqua Club Centre of Excellence, my Department advised the applicants in July 2024 that a number of key items were missing from the application such as proof of match funding, proof of title and proof of a Similar Access Policy. As this information was not subsequently submitted, the application was not processed any further.
It should be noted that, should additional funding become available, eligible applications that did not receive funding under the 2024 round and whose proposed projects align with key strategic national priorities and strategies such as the National Swimming Strategy could be considered for funding support in advance of a future round of the LSSIF.
With regard to a future round of the LSSIF, my current focus is on ensuring project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF, 2018 and 2024, and this process will inform any decisions regarding the timing of the next round of LSSIF funding.
26. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the up-to-date position on connection timeframes for NBI deployment areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33166/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra28. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 45 of 16 April 2026, where under the revised 2025 National Development Plan under the National Strategic Outcome (NSO) 3 the National Broadband Plan is on track for completion by the end of 2026, to confirm that NBI deployment areas (details supplied) in Cork County are on track for connection in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33167/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 28 together.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland. In addition, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that over 465,810 premises are passed across all counties, mainly in rural areas, and are available for immediate connection with over 173,690 already connected. The remaining circa 85,000 premises will be passed by the end of 2026.
In the Deputy’s own county of Cork, a significant investment of €314 million is being made under the NBP. There are over 62,300 premises passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 62,700 premises available to order/pre-order, with over 20,600 premises now connected. A further circa 20,700 premises in County Cork will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of the network deployment.
The National Broadband Ireland rollout will include the Dunmanway (4,200 premises), Ballingeary (963 premises) and Carriganimmy (3,974 premises) Deployment Areas. Network build is in progress for all three of the Deployment Areas, and all premises in the Dunmanway Deployment Area will be made available to order / passed in the period July 2026 to September 2026 while the Deployment Areas of Ballingeary and Carriganimmy will be made available to order/passed in the period October 2026 to December 2026.
Further details are available on specific areas within County Cork and can be monitored via the National Broadband Ireland website. This website is regularly updated providing the expected timeline for delivery and status of any works that are initiated at any point in time. National Broadband Ireland also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
Along with the NBP intervention plan, progress is being made by commercial operators in expanding their next generation networks throughout the country including the deputy’s own county of Cork ensuring the targets set out in the Digital Connectivity Strategy are achieved. These plans will see improved high speed broadband access across County Cork.
Based on current plans and achievements, the NBP is expected to come in on time and under budget with the main infrastructure build on schedule to be complete by end of 2026.
Question No. 28 answered with Question No. 26.
29. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the current status of the National Broadband Plan rollout in County Clare, with particular reference to the remaining premises in rural and coastal areas that were identified as on track for connection in the second half of 2026; the steps being taken to ensure those premises are connected within that timeline; whether any risk of delay has been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33118/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland. In addition, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
In the Deputy’s own county of Clare, a significant investment of €89 million is being made under the NBP. There are over 15,890 premises passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 18,883 premises available to order/pre-order, with over 6,255 premises now connected. A further circa 7,110 premises in County Clare will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of the network deployment.
Currently, the NBP is expected to come in on time and under budget with the main infrastructure build on schedule to be complete by end of 2026.
The NBI rollout is split into 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) across Ireland and not limited to municipal districts due to network design.
The rollout in County Clare includes the DAs of Corofin, Dunry, Feakle, Gort, Kilkishen, Kilrush, Labasheeda, Limerick, Newport, Ogonnelloe, Rahey Cross and Tiermaclane, all of which are available to order / pre-order.
Network build is in progress for Milltown Malbay DA (2,059 premises), which has an anticipated date of connection of April to June 2026. Network build is also in progress for the DAs of Ballinderry (2 premises), Behagh (537 premises) and Lisdoonvarna (2,319 premises) which have an anticipated date of connection of October to December 2026.
The latest information on when high-speed broadband will become available can be found on National Broadband Ireland’s (NBI) website at https://nbi.ie/map/. This website is regularly updated providing the expected timeline for delivery and status of any works that are initiated at any point in time. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
30. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will provide an update on the roll-out of National Broadband Ireland and efforts being made to service rural and inaccessible parts of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33293/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland. In addition, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
National Broadband Ireland are connecting circa 3,500 homes each month and the forecasted 2026 average monthly net connection number is expected to be over 5,000 per month.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, over 465,810 premises are passed across all counties mainly in rural areas and are available for immediate connection with over 173,690 already connected. The remaining circa 85,000 premises will be passed by the end of the network deployment.
In the Deputy’s own county of Dublin, a significant investment of €48 million is being made under the NBP. There are over 10,390 premises passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 11,403 premises available to order/pre-order, with over 3,060 premises now connected. A further circa 2,600 premises in County Dublin will be passed by NBI’s high speed fibre broadband by the end of the network deployment.
Currently, the NBP is expected to come in on time and under budget with the main infrastructure build on schedule to be complete by end of 2026.
The NBI rollout is split into 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) across Ireland and not limited to municipal districts due to network design. All 8 DAs in County Dublin are available to order/pre-order.
The latest information on when high-speed broadband will become available can be found on National Broadband Ireland’s (NBI) website at https://nbi.ie/map/. This website is regularly updated providing the expected timeline for delivery and status of any works that are initiated at any point in time. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
Alongside the NBP intervention contract, commercial operators continue to upgrade their networks throughout the State to primarily urban areas and contribute materially to achieving the Digital Connectivity Strategy targets by 2028.
My department is continuing to monitor these upgrades to ensure any unnecessary barriers to this investment are addressed so that the risk of any gigabit service challenged areas is mitigated.
