-----on the broader economy but also on our commitment to developing League of Ireland infrastructure.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 9, 16, 21, 47, 49, 52, 61, 65, 68 and 70 together. The sports capital and equipment programme is the primary vehicle for the Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and for the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. More than 13,000 projects have now benefited from the sports capital and equipment programme since 1998, bringing the total allocation to more than €1.1 billion. The programme for Government commits to cont…

I thank Deputy Dillon in the first instance. Communities throughout County Mayo have responded to the programme and I acknowledge his input in that regard. As in all previous rounds, a review will be undertaken. We will take the learnings from this round, and once that has concluded, we will be able to provide a specific timeline. I do not want to mislead people about whether the process will open in a particular month or on a certain date. The programme for Government is clear that we are committed to running regu…

I will try to respond quickly. A couple of key questions have been asked. I repeat that we will conclude the review and we will then provide clarity on when the next round will be announced. The appeals process will be published shortly. Unsuccessful or invalid applicants will obviously be able to appeal. It will be a broader appeals system than before. The previous appeals system was based on a mistake that the Department may have made. It would be a broader appeals system compared to the previous round. Different…

It will be a broader system than before.

Mar is eol don Teachta, luaitear sa chlár Rialtais go ndéanfar athbhreithniú ar struchtúir fheidhmiúcháin agus rialachais Údarás na Gaeltachta agus ar an bpróiseas roghnúcháin nó toghcháin i ndáil le bord an údaráis. Mar a bhaineann sé leis an athbhreithniú ar an bpróiseas roghnúcháin nó toghcháin i ndáil le bord an údaráis, cuireadh tús le gairid le comhairliúchán poiblí mar chuid den athbhreithniú. Tá sé seo á dhéanamh sa chaoi is go mbeidh an deis chuí ag páirtithe leasmhara agus ag an bpobal trí chéile a dtuair…

Leis an bpróiseas comhairliúcháin poiblí, beidh deis ag gach duine ar fud na tíre páirt a ghlacadh sa phróiseas. Aontaím leis an Teachta go mbeidh sé an-tábhachtach deis a thabhairt do gach duine páirt a ghlacadh ar bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta. Mar is eol don Teachta, beidh an próiseas comhairliúcháin poiblí ag tosú go luath. Tá súil agam go mbeimid in ann an t-athbhreithniú a thosú chomh luath agus is féidir. Nuair atá an próiseas seo críochnaithe, beimid in ann an struchtúr nua a chur amach agus na ceisteanna agus…

Tá nasc idir an bord agus an pobal agus is é sin an fáth go bhfuilimid ag déanamh an phróisis seo anois chun deis a thabhairt do dhaoine páirt a ghlacadh sa phróiseas comhairliúcháin poiblí. Ina dhiaidh sin, beimid in ann an struchtúr nua a chur amach nuair a bheidh an t-athbhreithniú críochnaithe. Beimid in ann na céimeanna eile a fhoilsiú nuair a bheidh an t-athbhreithniú críochnaithe maidir leis an mbord eile. Táimid ag déanamh na hoibre sin anois agus nuair a bheidh an t-athbhreithniú foilsithe, beimid in ann n…

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that there will be a shared island dialogue on sport this afternoon. It will be the ninth event in the shared island dialogue series that was launched by the Taoiseach in October 2020. This event is being held in the Sport Ireland national sports campus in Blanchardstown and can also be watched online from 2.30 p.m. Current and former sports stars, sports organisations, clubs, community groups and health and well-being professionals will come together today to examine the role that…

More than two thirds of the 70 or so NGBs have decided to run their sports on an all-island basis. They have produced some brilliant teams across so many sports. We have also seen that in our international representation in athletics and a range of other sports. It is important that we strengthen those ties and ascertain how we can share sporting facilities. The Department and Sport Ireland have a lot of engagement with Sport Northern Ireland on how we can achieve that across the board. Sport has a key role in allo…

The shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach is supporting today's event. That will allow future conversations on what cross-Border initiatives might be possible. That is across all areas of government. That structured conversation with people who have experience and who have grown up, North and South, on how we can build those bridges and break down barriers, leave their differences at the door and celebrate different traditions through sport is important. We have seen many examples where sport in com…

I thank Senator Keogan for raising this matter. Equality in sport is a key priority for both myself and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. Our overall vision for women in sport is one where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport. A fundamental aim of the Government's National Sports Policy 2018-2027 is to increase the levels of participation in sport and physical activity across the population, with a specific focus on less-represented grou…

I thank Senator Keogan. The last year has, as we know, been dominated by amazing moments for women's sport and our sportswomen very deservedly received many plaudits in the recent months. The Senator's own county of Meath has had tremendous success in Croke Park. It was one of the best games, despite my county being on the losing side of it. Sportswomen like Rachel Blackmore, Leona Maguire, Kelly Harrington, Fionnuala McCormack, Amy Hunter and Emma Slevin, along with female players in many teams across all codes pr…

I am pleased to have this opportunity to outline to the members of Seanad Éireann the objective of and basis for the motion before the House today to establish two new citizens' assemblies. Over the past decade, citizens' assemblies have become established as an important part of the Irish democratic process, with previous forums making recommendations on a variety of matters including marriage equality, the eighth amendment, climate change and, most recently, gender equality. The views expressed by citizens' assem…

I thank the Members of this House for their passionate and constructive contributions to today's debate. I have listened very carefully to everyone's views and will convey many of the suggestions back to the Government and to the assembly secretariat, as appropriate. We have had some excellent contributions and I absolutely and fully take on board the constructive and sincere points people have made. I might address them later on in my closing statement. Clearly, there is considerable support in Seanad Éireann for …

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer, following those next set down to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Minister for Defence Minister for Education Minister for Social Protection Minister for C…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. The Central Statistics Office's preparations for census 2022 are at an advanced stage. Recruitment for the three layers of field managers is complete and those staff have commenced their employment. The Central Statistics Office, CSO, is currently in the process of recruiting over 5,000 enumerators and they are expected to begin their work with the delivery of the census forms to the public at the end of February. The delivery of the forms will be accomp…

I note the views of Members on the time capsule. It will be fascinating to see what views Members of this House put into the time capsule to be opened in 100 years' time. I hope things are a lot more positive than Deputy Boyd Barrett's negative disposition.

That is why the Government is absolutely committed to delivering on housing, giving that hope and ensuring the progressive delivery of social and affordable homes for many people. As regards the Deputy's point on dereliction, I sent him a letter in recent weeks with the factual position on that. I will ask my officials to send him an updated note on that again, but I did follow up on it. I am not sure whether the Deputy has seen it, but I wrote to him in recent weeks with the factual position on dereliction and vac…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: approves the calling of two Citizens' Assemblies to consider the following matters and to make such recommendations as it sees fit and report to the Houses of the Oireachtas: (1) a Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, with a total of 100 members including an independent Chairperson and 99 randomly-selected members of the public, to examine how the State can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss, and to bring forward proposals in that regard; the Assembly shall conside…