815 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to encourage more schools to apply for funding under the sports capital programme by collaborating with their local sports clubs or community groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47796/08]
814 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to promote greater sharing of school and community sports facilities and make it a condition of the sports capital programme that facilities be made available to schools where appropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47795/08]
813 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to produce a Green Paper on animal welfare in sport and recreation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47791/08]
807 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to change the application criteria of the sports capital programme grants to require only 10% of own funding or contribution where applicants are located in a recognised area of urban disadvantage such as RAPID and a local drugs task force area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47785/08]
806 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to promote a national advertising campaign highlighting the health benefits of sport and exercise; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47784/08]
805 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to continue to support the Irish Sports Council as the statutory agency for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47782/08]
803 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to fund Special Olympics clubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47780/08]
802 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to prioritise sports capital programme grants towards those areas identified as most in need of funding and facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47779/08]
799 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to roll-out the local sports partnership programme on a nationwide basis to promote the development of sport at community level; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47776/08]
798 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to implement in full the Fáilte Ireland competing through people programme, which looks to people working in the industry as a principal source of competitive advantage, and their skills as a key variable in delivering strong business results; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47775/08]
797 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to invest €149 million under the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 in training and human resources in the tourism sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47774/08]
796 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to invest in new information and communication technologies for marketing and customer relations management and training work with the regional tourism development boards, in conjunction with local authorities and the tourism industry, to develop comprehensive, interactive local area tourism websites; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47773/08]
795 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to seek, with the tourism agencies and local authorities, suitable areas to develop and promote eco tourism, as well as enhancing the existing north-west project, the green box; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47772/08]
794 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to encourage the tourism agencies to highlight national games here to a greater degree in their promotional activities and continue the policy of attracting suitable major sporting events to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47771/08]
793 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to investigate the feasibility of a regional conference centre in the Shannon/Limerick area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47770/08]
792 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to put in place a strong promotional programme for the new national conference centre in Dublin with a view to doubling the level of business tourism to Ireland from €400 million to €800 million per year over the next ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47769/08]
791 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to undertake a strategic review of new and developing markets to identify the investment and action needed to realise their potential; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47768/08]
790 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to build on the opportunities presented by the increasing availability of low cost flights from mainland Europe and the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47767/08]
789 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to provide marketing support to the Shannon region for a transitional period to help consolidate existing markets and develop new sources of business; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47766/08]
788 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to seize the opportunities presented by the open skies arrangement with the US to substantially increase the number of US visitors; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47765/08]
787 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to invest €335 million under the national development plan in marketing Irish tourism; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47764/08]
786 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to work with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to capitalise on the beauty of the countryside here and promote Ireland as a healthy activity holiday destination for walking, cycling, angling, golfing, sailing, equestrian and marine holidays; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47760/08]
785 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to develop a rolling programme of national culture, musical and literary festivals to enhance the tourism product here, in particular through the establishment of a new fund of €28 million for the creation of a small number of major annual events over the period to 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47759/08]
784 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to develop with Fáilte Ireland, rural based package style holidays through which bed and breakfast owners and farm holiday operators can offer activities such as walking, angling, golfing and cycling in addition to the provision of accommodation and quality home cooked meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47758/08]
783 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to establish, through Fáilte Ireland, an innovation fund to promote and support the development of tourism products that are new to the market here and to promote best practice, particularly in terms of environmental sustainability and accessibility for tourists with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47757/08]
782 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to deepen North/South co-operation in tourism, building in particular on the success of Tourism Ireland as a dynamic and innovative cross-Border body leading the way on mutually advantageous all-island economic co-operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47756/08]
781 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to place greater emphasis on the protection, conservation, interpretation and access to Ireland’s natural and built heritage; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47755/08]
780 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to provide €300 million to assist the industry, tourism agencies and local authorities in delivering the ambitious world-class product outlined in Fáilte Ireland’s Tourism Product Development Strategy 2007 to 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47754/08]
542 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to provide significant infrastructural development in the mid-west area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47766/08]
541 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to make rural locations more readily accessible for tourists on shorter visits through the delivery of the extensive plans outlined in Transport 21; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47763/08]
540 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to enhance the capacity of the regional airports to attract more direct international services through the €86 million regional airports capital grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47762/08]
539 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to open terminal two at Dublin Airport in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47761/08]
350 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will ensure the transfer of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 to a more appropriate placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[48030/08]
335 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the many prospective adoptive parents who have selected Vietnam as their preferred country for adoption and the 1 May 2009 expiry date of the bilateral adoption agreement with Vietnam, she will ensure that an interim agreement is in place pending amendments required under the Hague Convention; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[2601/09]
311 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to discuss the question of the sponsorship of sporting events by the alcohol industry with the aim of phasing it out; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[47792/08]
310 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made in relation to the programme for Government commitment to increase the development of public play and recreation areas for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[47783/08]
237 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he will waive the travel tax in respect of all children travelling to and from here from the Chernobyl region due to the humanitarian nature of these projects and the additional financial burden on volunteer fund-raisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[48007/08]
229 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance the progress that has been made in regard to the programme for Government commitment to advance the redevelopment of Glasnevin cemetery as part of the preparations for the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[47833/08]
275 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport his view on the statement of the Minister for Finance that the new air travel tax should have little, if any, impact on aviation policy; and if he will make a statement on same and on Aer Lingus assertion that it will cost them an additional €30 million in 2009.
[46526/08]
234 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if it is envisaged that the cytology laboratories currently in public hospitals are all to be maintained; the way it is envisaged that cervical checks required outside of the screening programme are to be processed; if they too are to be screened by a company (details supplied) in the USA; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[46243/08]
235 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the audits in place to ensure quality and standards of cervical testing; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[46244/08]
233 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the cost per patient of each smear test undertaken under the cervical screening programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[46242/08]
232 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the turnaround time from sampling to result which currently pertains in respect of the cervical screening programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[46241/08]
31 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if the funding for the new exhibition space at the National Museum at Collins Barracks is provided for in the 2009 capital budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41275/08]
45 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance his views on the impact of the €10 departure tax on the outcome of tourism policy here in view of the fact that it will increase the costs on tourists visiting; the discussions that he has had with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Department of Transport on the impact of a departure tax in terms of the effect that it will have on the numbers of tourists that will visit here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[41831/08]
127 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he will postpone the introduction of the VAT for inward tour operators, at least until 2011, in order that it can be incorporated in quoted prices, as contracts for 2009 and 2010 are already negotiated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[45537/08]
313 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if, in respect of the sports capital grant to a club (details supplied) in County Dublin, he will permit the club to draw down as part of its 2008 allocation, money it was unable to draw down from its 2006 allocation money due to the arrangements by which the facility was brought into being; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[44763/08]
312 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the details of the location chosen for the new building to store the National Archives; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[44762/08]
311 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if a subsidy will be required for the operation of the aquatic centre in Abbotstown for the year 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[44761/08]
310 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of the subsidy required by the National Aquatic Centre for its operation throughout 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[44760/08]