minister for transport tourism and sport ireland

Transport, Tourism and Sport

This department’s status has arguably risen with the transfer of tourism in March this year and the jobs initiative in June, which emphasised tourism’s role in economic recovery e.g. through the reduction in VAT on tourism-related services.

The department has six sub-sections: land transport and investment; corporate services and road safety; maritime; aviation and sustainable travel; tourism; and sports.

A wide definition of transport policy covers road safety, the public transport system, ports and shipping policy, and enforcing maritime safety and security standards.

National tourism policy, produced by the department, is implemented by its tourism agencies, including the all-island body; Tourism Ireland. Sports policy is delivered through current funding, which is delivered by the Irish Sports Council, and capital funding, which is provided directly by the department.

The department has one of the largest budgets in government (lower only than justice, health, education and social protection), and its capital budget is the largest of all departments. When accounting for the re-allocation of tourism and sport portfolios it has a total gross budget of €2.3 billion, out of a government gross spend of €57.5 billion. Transport amounts to approximately 31 per cent of government capital spending.

Agencies and related public sector organisations in aviation include three airport authorities, the Irish Aviation Authority and the Commission for Aviation Regulation. Marine bodies include the Irish Coastguard, six harbour authorities and 10 port companies. Amongst the other transport agencies are the CIÉ group, the Railway Procurement Agency, the Dublin Transportation Office, the National Roads Authority and the Road Safety Authority.

Under the sports remit the department is responsible for the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. Through tourism the department is responsible for Tourism Ireland and the National Tourism Development Authority (Fáilte Ireland).

The department is headed by the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, and has two ministers of state: Alan Kelly (Public and Commuter Transport) and Michael Ring (Tourism and Sport). Minister Varadkar has two advisers: John Carroll on policy and Nick Miller on press relations. Tom O’Mahony is the department’s Secretary General.

Shadowing the Minister for Fianna Fáil is Timmy Dooley, whilst Dessie Ellis is Sinn Féin’s spokesman on transport and Sandra McLellan is its spokeswoman on tourism and sport.

www.transport.ie

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Kieran Mulvey To Be Appointed As Chair Of Sport Ireland

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, and the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, today (Tuesday) announced that Mr Kieran Mulvey is to be appointed as the Chairperson of the newly-established Sport Ireland.

Sport Ireland, which is the new State Agency with responsibility for sport, arising from the merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority, came into operation with effect from 1st October 2015. The Sport Ireland Act 2015 was signed into law on 13th May.

Minister Donohoe said: 'I have today informed the Government that I intend to appoint Mr Kieran Mulvey as Chairperson of the Board, subject to the endorsement of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications. I am delighted that Kieran has agreed to serve as Chairperson of the new Board and I am sure that his experience as Chairperson of the Irish Sports Council over the last five years will be of considerable value to Sport Ireland'.

Minister Michael Ring said: 'The establishment of Sport Ireland is a positive move for Irish sport, delivering a single well-structured agency focused on the continued development of Irish sport. I am confident that Mr Mulvey has the right skills to take the new agency forward and that he and his Board will work hard to make sure that the transition to a single Sport Ireland is a safe and smooth one. I wish the Board and the Sport Ireland management and staff well in their work for Irish sport'. In addition to the Chairperson, 10 members who previously served on the Boards of the Council and the Authority have been appointed to the Board of Sport Ireland. They are Bernard Allen, Seلn Benton, Donal سg Cusack, Roy Dooney, Mary Dorgan, Frances Kavanagh, John Maughan, Caroline Murphy, Patrick O'Connor and Liam Sheedy. Minister Ring said: 'Some members of the Council and the Authority have been appointed to the new Sport Ireland Board in order to ensure some continuity on the Board. We are at a critical and exciting phase in the development of the National Sports Campus, with construction of the National Indoor Arena well underway. Also we recognise the significant contribution that members of the Council and the Authority have made to the work of their respective agencies and the need to ensure a continuation of that work for Irish sport. I believe that the experience and skills of those members will be very valuable over the next few months as we move from two agencies to one'.

Sport Ireland Board - Information Note The Sport Ireland Act 2015 provides for a Board of 13 members, including a Chairperson. In addition to the 11 positions listed above, the remaining 2 positions on the Board will be filled following an advertising and selection process by the Public Appointments Service. It is expected that the selection process will be completed and the 2 Members appointed before the end of the year. To allow for the establishment of Sport Ireland on 1st October with a full Board membership, the Minister has appointed two representatives from his Department for the first meeting of the Board, who will be replaced once the PAS process is completed.

Biographies of Board Members

Kieran Mulvey - Chairperson Kieran was Chairman of the Irish Sports Council. He has been Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Commission since 1991. He is the Director General of the new Workplace Relations Commission. He is a former General Secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT). He has also acted as a Consultant with the EU and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on matters relating to public management, human resources and industrial relations. He chaired the negotiations which led to the Public Service Croke Park, Haddington Road and Lansdowne Road Agreements. He is a Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the National University of Ireland.

Bernard Allen Bernard was a Member of the Irish Sports Council. He was Lord Mayor of Cork City 1988 - 1989. He was a member of Dلil ةireann from 1981 to 2011. A front bench spokesperson for Health, Social Welfare, Environment and Local Government, Foreign Affairs, and Tourism, Sport and Recreation, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Education and the Environment with special responsibility for Youth and Sport from 1994 to 1997. He is a member of the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland, Bol Chumann na hةireann, Golfing Union of Ireland, GAA and FAI.

Seلn Benton Seلn was Chairman of the National Sports Campus Development Authority. He is Chairman of Our Lady's Hospice and Care Services, Harold's Cross and Blackrock; former Chairman of the Education and Finance Board, former Chairman of the Office of Public Works (OPW); previously a Commissioner of the OPW and former Director of Finance at the Department of Health.

Donal سg Cusack Donal سg was a Member of the National Sports Campus Development Authority. He is an Engineer by profession. He is a former Cork Hurling goalkeeper and winner of several All-Ireland medals and All-Star Awards. He is also a media pundit and Chairman of the Gaelic Players Association.

Roy Dooney Roy was a Member of the National Sports Campus Development Authority and was Chairman of the NSCDA Operations Company Ltd. He is a Communications Consultant by profession. Roy was a Member of the National Sports Strategy Group from 1995-1997 and a former Commissioner of the Eircom League. He is a former international athlete who represented Ireland at Marathon, Road and Cross-Country championships at European and World levels. Roy is a former co-opted member of the Board of Athletics Ireland.

Mary Dorgan Waterford based Mary Dorgan was a member of the Irish Sports Council. She is the former Assistant CEO of the Health and Safety Authority. Mary is a certified Mediator and has extensive experience as non-executive director across both public and private sectors. She was recently appointed to the Board of the National College of Art and Design. Mary has a keen interest in all sports and particularly in promoting participation. Frances Kavanagh Frances was a member of the Irish Sports Council. She is a Senior Director of Sport with Special Olympics Ireland and also served as Director of Sport and Competition for the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. She has served on many committees and Boards representing Special Olympics at National, European and International level and has also been Chair of the International Sports Rules Advisory Committee. Frances is a former Board Member and President of the Federation of Irish Sport.

John Maughan John was a member of the Irish Sports Council. He was Senior Football Manager of Clare, Mayo, Roscommon and Fermanagh and led Mayo to the 1996, 1997 and 2004 All-Ireland Senior Football Finals. He also managed the Mayo under 21 side to an All-Ireland in 2004. He inspired Clare to win the Munster Football title for only the second time in 1992 and also managed NUI Galway in the Sigerson Cup. He is currently coaching underage footballers in his club, Castlebar Mitchells. He held the position of Captain with the Defence Forces of Ireland. He is a football analyst for RTة Radio Sport. John is currently employed as a Purchasing Procurement Officer with Mayo County Council.

Caroline Murphy Caroline is a Broadcaster and Psychologist who runs her own Communications Consultancy. She presents 'It Says in the Papers' on Morning Ireland and has many years' experience of Sports Broadcasting in both Radio and Television. She was a member of the National Sports Campus Development Authority and its representative on the High Performance Committee of the Irish Institute of Sport.

Patrick O'Connor Patrick was a member of the Irish Sports Council. He is a Solicitor, Coroner, Arbitrator and Notary Public and is a former Vice Chairman of the Press Council of Ireland. He is a member of The Law Society of Ireland, The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Mental Health Tribunal, and the IRB, ERC, 6 Nations and IRFU Disciplinary panels. He has previously served on the Board of Management of St. Louis Community School, Hope House, the Irish Association of Suicidology, the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board and the Courts Service Board. He has held various offices within the Law Society of Ireland most notably as President (1998-99).

Liam Sheedy Liam was a member of the Irish Sports Council. He is Area Manager for the Mid-West Region with Bank of Ireland. A former Tipperary hurler he went on to manage his county to All Ireland Minor glory in 2006 and delivered National League and two Munster titles at senior level before capturing All Ireland success in 2010. He is also an RTE hurling analyst on The Sunday Game.

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Irish America

Ministers across island of Ireland pledge to work together to promote sustainable tourism

June 25, 2024 by

MINISTERS from across Ireland have agreed to work together to promote sustainable tourism on the island.

At a North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Tourism Sectoral meeting Northern Ireland’s Tourism Minister Conor Murphy and the Republic of Ireland’s Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin signed a joint statement supporting sustainable tourism.

The meeting, held yesterday, was the first to take place since the Northern Ireland Executive was restored in February.

In their statement both governments agreed that tourism “must to be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable on the island of Ireland”.

The ministers further affirmed their commitment to grow a “vibrant and competitive tourism sector that makes a significant contribution across the island, is environmentally sustainable, helps promote a positive image of the island of Ireland overseas, and enables local communities to prosper”.

Minsiter Martin said: “The importance of tourism, on both sides of the border, and the joint approach taken to the promotion and development of the sector, led to tourism being one of the areas chosen for formal North-South cooperation.

“That co-operation has been hugely beneficial, with the tourism sector now an exemplar of what can be achieved when we work together on this island, with a shared purpose.”

She added: “It was great to resume North South Ministerial Engagement on tourism matters.

“In particular, to affirm my commitment to work together with all stakeholders towards achieving a sustainable tourism sector.”

She explained: “I want to see a vibrant tourism sector that drives improved visitor satisfaction levels with a greater regional spread across the island, is environmentally sustainable, helps promote a positive image of the island of Ireland overseas, and makes a positive impact on local communities.”

Minister Murphy said signing the statement was a “critically important” move.

“Tourism is a vital contributor to the all island economy,” he explained.

“We must embrace the opportunity the sector presents as we grow our economy, in a sustainable way.”

He added: “I see this as critically important and done right, the transition to a greener and more sustainable economy can be a just transition that also generates prosperity for all.”

Minister Murphy explained: “The joint Ministerial statement affirms the importance of sustainability in the tourism sector and I was pleased to have the opportunity to discuss this at the North South Ministerial Tourism meeting today.

“We are committed to ongoing collaboration between our tourism agencies, industry and stakeholders as we drive sustainable growth for our tourism sector.”

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Ministers committed to all-island sustainable tourism

T he ministers signed a joint ministerial statement supporting sustainable tourism in advance of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Tourism Sectoral meeting in Armagh on Monday 24 June.

Ministers affirmed their commitment to have a vibrant and competitive tourism sector that makes a significant contribution across the island, is environmentally sustainable, helps promote a positive image of the island of Ireland overseas, and enables local communities to prosper.

Minister Murphy said: “Tourism is a vital contributor to the all-island economy. We must embrace the opportunity the sector presents as we grow our economy, in a sustainable way.

“I see this as critically important and done right, the transition to a greener and more sustainable economy can be a just transition that also generates prosperity for all.

“The joint ministerial statement affirms the importance of sustainability in the tourism sector and I was pleased to have the opportunity to discuss this at the North South Ministerial Tourism meeting today.

“We are committed to ongoing collaboration between our tourism agencies, industry and stakeholders as we drive sustainable growth for our tourism sector.”

The need for tourism to be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable on the island of Ireland is widely accepted by those involved in the sector. Policy in both jurisdictions is evolving to reflect this reality.

Following the meeting, Minister Martin added: “The importance of tourism, on both sides of the border, and the joint approach taken to the promotion and development of the sector, led to tourism being one of the areas chosen for formal North-South cooperation.

“That cooperation has been hugely beneficial, with the tourism sector now an exemplar of what can be achieved when we work together on this island, with a shared purpose.

“It was great to resume North South Ministerial Engagement on tourism matters today. In particular, to affirm my commitment to work together with all stakeholders towards achieving a sustainable tourism sector.

“I want to see a vibrant tourism sector that drives improved visitor satisfaction levels with a greater regional spread across the island, is environmentally sustainable, helps promote a positive image of the island of Ireland overseas, and makes a positive impact on local communities.

“This is an issue that is at the heart of the new national tourism policy framework that is being developed by my Department. The framework will integrate environmental, social and economic considerations across all policy objectives.”

Jack Chambers named as new Minister for Finance

Chambers replaces michael mcgrath who has been nominated as ireland’s next european commissioner.

Dublin West Fianna Fáil TD Jack Chambers will become Minister for Finance

Jack Chambers has been selected to take on the role of Minister for Finance, replacing Michael McGrath who has been nominated by the Government as Ireland’s next European commissioner.

The Dublin West Fianna Fáil TD is to take the reins at the Department of Finance as the Coalition prepares for its crucial last budget before the next general election.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin described Mr Chambers as a “very able, intelligent, highly effective politician”, adding that he had “no doubt he will make a very effective Minister for Finance”.

Mr Chambers was announced as Fianna Fáil deputy leader last week.

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Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday afternoon, Taoiseach Simon Harris said Mr Chambers would be formally nominated as Minister for Finance in the Dáil on Wednesday afternoon and there would be a vote by TDs.

Earlier, Mr Harris described Mr McGrath as “a dedicated public servant, a skilled Minister and an extremely diligent and hard worker”.

The Taoiseach said he would be bringing his nomination to the European Council later this week and he added that he hoped member states’ nominee for commission president would be finalised at the same meeting.

Outgoing commission president Ursula von der Leyen is widely expected to be nominated by the council for a second term but will face a vote in the European Parliament before she can be confirmed in the position.

Mr Martin praised Mr McGrath for his “shrewd stewardship” of the economy in his time as both minister for finance and minister for public expenditure.

He said one of Mr McGrath’s “great legacies will be the Future Ireland Fund and the Climate Infrastructure Fund which are about future-proofing this country”.

Asked what portfolio he would prefer at EU level, Mr McGrath, a chartered accountant by profession, said an economic or financial portfolio would “seem to be an obvious area” given his qualifications and political experience.

“But it is something we will discuss over the days ahead. And as you know, when it comes to the allocation of different portfolios by the president of the commission, there are many factors that come into play.”

Mr McGrath said it was “an incredible honour” to be nominated as Ireland’s commissioner.

He thanked the people of his constituency, Cork South Central, and also said: “I certainly could not have done any of this without the extraordinary love and support of my family, especially my wife Sarah.”

Mr McGrath said the past four years in Government had been hugely rewarding. “There really hasn’t been a dull moment,” he said. “I’m leaving the Department of Finance at a time when our economy is in very good health overall.”

He said Mr Chambers “has all the qualities to be an excellent Minister for Finance”.

“He has the intellect, he has the integrity and I think he will continue the very good working relationship that I have developed with Minister Paschal Donohoe over the last number of years.”

Mr Martin was asked by reporters if Ireland would put forward a woman nominee for commissioner if Ms von der Leyen asks for gender-balanced options as she did previously.

“All the indications are that Ursula von der Leyen will be the president and then there’s a formal process. The president may write to the Government. The Government will consider that at that stage, but essentially, we have recommended Michael McGrath as our nominee,” he said.

[  Jack Chambers: young Dublin West TD catapulted into the deep end of Irish politics  ]

The nomination of Mr McGrath was discussed at a meeting of the three Coalition leaders on Monday before being approved at Cabinet on Tuesday.

Mr Harris said that although the European commissioner nominee was made by Fianna Fáil under the terms of the programme for government, it was not “a party political” position.

“For me, this isn’t about tribal politics or party politics or partisan politics, just by putting our best foot forward and about sending the best person that we can to the European Commission.”

Mr McGrath succeeds Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness.

[  Michael McGrath to be nominated as Ireland’s next European Commissioner  ]

Mr Harris signalled that the Government was hoping for an economic portfolio for Mr McGrath in the next European Commission.

Mr Harris said he would be attending a European Council summit later this week. “I will obviously do so armed with the name of the person that Ireland wishes to be our next commissioner and that will I suppose enable Ireland to begin to engage on what portfolios might be appropriate.

“It’s important we take this step by step but I do think that a portfolio in the economic space is often an area that Ireland would seek.”

Michael McGrath TD is Ireland's nominee for the European Commission with Jack Chambers set to take over as Minister for Finance. Video: Bryan O'Brien

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Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn is a Political Correspondent at The Irish Times

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