Vol. 657 No. 3
67 Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the study published by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, Creative Engagement; the plans his Department’s officials have to meet officials from the Department of Education and Science with a view to promoting arts in education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24507/08]
The Creative Engagement, The Art in Our Schools pilot programme, was set up by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, NAPD, in 2004, co-funded by the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, to encourage students to engage with the arts. The NAPD is a well established body with close links to the Department of Education and Science.
In September 2004, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism provided €60,000 to the NAPD under this initiative to develop a programme of art activities in approximately 20 schools. A further €69,000 was allocated in 2006 for a continuation of the programme, which supported programmes in 32 schools. Recently, the NAPD has produced an extensive evaluation of the programme, focusing on the 32 schools in the 2006-07 scheme as part of the agreement with the NAPD underpinning its grant conditions.
From a preliminary examination of the conclusions, it is clear that there is a strong recommendation to have an arts in education ethos more embedded within the school curriculum. Furthermore, more formal support from the two Departments and the Arts Council is also sought. On completion of the examination of the report by my Department, I will raise the issues with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science.
I will not go into any great detail on this issue because it has been discussed somewhat with Deputy Upton's priority question. I would point out that arts in education was a Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism initiative. Apparently, the Minister's predecessor's last word on the subject was that he had referred back to the Arts Council for practical recommendations as to how it should be brought forward. Have those practical recommendations been provided and what steps are envisaged on foot of them?
With our economy perhaps not doing as well as it was, we need formal arts education in our schools not only to grow audiences for the future but to grow independent, creative thinkers, which is essential. As the Minister rightly said, there are some good projects and Creative Engagement was a pilot project. What we need is to have a formal embedded arts programme within the schools. If there is to be progress in this area, it will not come from the Department of Education and Science. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism will have to drive it.
This report is welcome and positive and we are very enthusiastic about arts and education. However, on the one hand, this report has come forward and, on the other, there is the arts in education report. The body which wrote up the arts in education report, the Arts Council, is also responsible for the other report, or at least had an input into it. Is this tied into the arts in education report? Is this not another case of the right hand talking to the left hand? How do they mesh together?
It is a fair point. They mesh extremely well. The report to which I referred in my reply was specific because of the 32 schools that were supported. It has only come into the Department in the past week or so and its assessment is only being carried out at present. The indications are that it has a very positive impact.
It is important to point out that a whole range of bodies in Departments, agencies, local authorities, libraries and so on are engaged with all the schools and there is a depth of arts activity taking place in the schools through various bodies. Clearly, the major report states that we want a more focused approach in terms of arts in education. That can only be positive for the development of our children.
Obviously, there are pressures on the other side and from the Department of Education and Science's perspective the school curriculum can only be so big. It is a question of trying to find space for all the demands that exist within the programme, which is a fair point. However, I am heartened because we would all admit, given the evidence we find in visiting schools, as we do, that the uptake in recent years in terms of general interest in arts and arts activity among primary school students in particular has increased significantly. What we want to do is capture all that good effort, formalise it and get it active in all the schools throughout the country. That is what I will be discussing with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science.
68 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the plans there are to review the national development plan and its targets for tourism development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19801/08]
95 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on whether the Government should increase its financial commitment to the tourism industry to maintain and improve the industry here in view of the fact that the total revenues generated by tourism exceed €6.5 billion a year and the industry employs more than 250,000 people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24583/08]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 95 together.
The National Development Plan 2007-2013 includes the largest ever Government investment programme for development of Irish tourism, providing €800 million in investment for the following: an international marketing sub-programme of €335 million to promote the island of Ireland in key international markets; a product development and infrastructure sub-programme of €317 million to upgrade and supplement tourism attractions and activities around the country and to deliver the national conference centre in Dublin; and a training and human resource development sub-programme of €148 million for education and training, and improving management capability.
The NDP investment is planned within the strategic policy framework in New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action, the 2003 report of the tourism policy review group. This set ambitious targets for the period 2003 to 2012 of doubling overseas tourism revenue to €6 billion and increasing visitor numbers from 6 million in 2002 to 10 million in 2012.
The tourism strategy implementation group was set up in 2006 for a two-year period to follow up on the recommendations of New Horizons, to review the targets in light of performance to 2006 and to recommend a possible framework for a mid-term review in 2008. I recently received the report of the group and I will bring it to the attention of my Government colleagues shortly. It is my intention to publish the report and to put in place arrangements for the mid-term review as soon as possible thereafter.
The NDP provides a financial framework within which Departments and agencies can plan and deliver the implementation of public investment. The Government remains firmly committed to the progressive delivery of the investment priorities to be financed under the NDP, which will be subject to a comprehensive mid-term review in 2010. In the meantime, priorities for Exchequer investment will be considered in the annual Estimates process in the normal way. In line with the NDP, in 2008 the Government increased the tourism services budget by 10% compared with the outturn in 2007, bringing the allocation to almost €170 million, the largest ever Exchequer budget for Irish tourism.
There is no doubt that 2008 will be very challenging for Irish tourism in the context of global economic uncertainty and pressure on consumer confidence in key markets. I believe the strategic approach taken to tourism in recent years by the public and private sectors has given the sector the capacity to withstand such cyclical external challenges and to sustain its performance in the coming years.
I thank the Minister for his reply. There is no doubt that in recent years we have seen increases, year on year, in the number of tourists coming to this country. There will be a significant curtailment this year, but to what level we will have to wait and see.
I wish to ask the Minister about the regional element of tourism because the difficulty is that my part of the country, namely the midlands, has been ignored when it comes to tourists. There is probably a greater opportunity to see a dodo than there is to see a tourist in the area, unless he or she happens to be passing through. Are there any plans to re-examine the situation whereby the River Shannon is being used as a barrier to tourism development rather than an asset with a region built around it? With regard to the clustering of attractions, will we see a repeat of what has happened in the past, whereby investment goes to the seaboard counties? We need investment in the midlands, where there has been a lack of tourism development.
What element of funding will be put in place for signposting, which is consistently raised by tourists as being hugely problematic, particularly in the midland counties where there has not been any significant investment? The one tourism asset in the midlands region is angling but it has only been given lip service in the current national development plan. In the previous national development plan, €21 million was committed to angling but was not spent on the sector. Can the Minister give any assurance that specific investment will be made to develop angling projects in the counties that have the least developed tourism sectors?
I do not agree that any particular part of the country is being ignored when it comes to spending on tourism. Tourism Ireland's marketing strategy is such that it markets the entire island of Ireland as a destination for tourists, which has clearly benefitted every part of the country. However, the dynamic of the regional tourism boards certainly comes into play and it is obvious that very good people are working in some boards, while in others, the people are not as good, are not able to develop the product as well as they could and should and do not seem to have the same commitment as others.
Tourism numbers exceeded 8 million last year. I do not believe we will see a massive downturn this year because, as I have said already, the first quarter of this year shows growth of 4.5%. While I do not expect that growth to be maintained throughout the year, I hope we will be able at least to sustain the levels of last year. Whether the time spent in the country by tourists is the same remains to be seen and any changes in that regard will have revenue implications.
Clearly, the tourism horizons programme that was laid out for the development of tourism has worked extremely well for the entire island. There has been enormous growth in tourism development in all parts of the country. Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are in constant contact with the regional tourism boards regarding developing tourism products and the Department has provided funding, through various agencies, for investment in tourism products. We must continue to develop our tourism products to be attractive and we must also be imaginative in such development.
I do not have specific information on signage to hand but if the Deputy tables a parliamentary question, I will obtain the relevant data. I know from my time in the Department of Transport that there was a big effort made and considerable funding was provided through the NRA to local authorities for signage improvements generally. I am not aware that my Department has specific resources at its disposal for signage but I urge the Deputy to table a parliamentary question, which I will endeavour to answer. It is through the local authorities, the Department of Transport and the NRA that the bulk of the budget for signage is delivered.
Following up on the issues of transport and traffic, I wish to comment on the city of Dublin. Clearly, Dublin is hugely important from a tourism point of view but the specific criticisms we encounter relate to the lack of integrated ticketing and appropriate transport, as well as gridlock. I urge the Minister to co-operate with his colleagues in the Department of Transport on those issues because tourists have repeatedly referred to them as barriers to visiting what is a very expensive city.
In order not to incur the wrath of Deputy Naughten, I wish also to raise the matter of access from the city of Dublin. We must examine how to more effectively transport people from Dublin to other regions.
Hear, hear.
While I do not want to lose tourists from Dublin and from my constituency by any means, access to other parts of the country is very important.
In the context of more imaginative tourism attractions, to which the Minister referred, we must look at the changes in rural Ireland and perhaps place more emphasis on agri-tourism. Furthermore, with the Olympic Games due to be held in Britain in 2012, sports tourism should be developed in the coming years.
The fundamental flaw regarding the issues I have raised is that no one is articulating a view on behalf of the counties that are least developed. Surely it would make sense to have a regional body promoting the single biggest waterway in the country, the River Shannon, rather than the current situation where the river is used as a dividing line between the various regions.
I do not believe it is used as a dividing line between the regions, although the Deputy is correct in saying that the River Shannon is one of the biggest natural assets in the country. I would have thought there is good co-operation between the different elements in tourism and local authorities within the area, although I suppose nothing is so perfect that it cannot be improved upon. Perhaps that is the point Deputy Naughten is making, that more enhanced co-operation among the different elements——
When they are clustering, they cluster away from the Shannon, rather than towards it.
——might be mutually beneficial, if not of benefit to everybody in the region. As I do not come from Dublin, I am very conscious of the regions and understand some of the frustrations that exist regarding the dominance of the capital city. Having said that, we need a strong, thriving capital city in order for the rest of the country to benefit. In that context, a balance must be struck.
Regarding Deputy Upton's point on access, massive investment is being made in improving access to the regions, including in the five motorways that will be completed in two years. There has also been significant upscale investment by Iarnród Éireann in its rolling stock and in the rail track and there has been massive investment in bus transport, both public and private. While all the projects are not complete and there are still some difficulties, it is important to acknowledge that massive investment in recent years is already paying dividends. Within the next two to three years, we will literally transform accessibility into and out of Dublin, to the benefit of everybody in the country.
The time has come to have a fresh look at the way we promote tourism, in particular at the structures that are currently in place. The regional tourism boards have outlived their usefulness. Greater emphasis should be placed on the county tourism committees because members of such committees take great pride in their own area and are anxious to promote it to the best of their ability. The committees operate on a voluntary basis but should be given more teeth to promote the local tourism product.
We must also examine the marketing of tourism throughout the country. In particular, funding for marketing is insufficient. We are not getting our message across in Europe and fewer visitors are coming here as a result. I know we have the honey pots but they have been in place for many years.
The Deputy has made his point well. I ask him to allow the Minister to respond.
Other areas should be promoted and developed.
Very substantial changes to the tourism structures and bodies have been made in recent years. Tourism Ireland was established and is working on an all-Ireland basis, with buy-in from our colleagues in Northern Ireland. Fáilte Ireland also has expanded its remit quite substantially. Clearly, it is not possible for every county to promote itself internationally. The funding required for that would be way beyond the capacity of any county. Therefore, it is important the programmes being shaped in the tourism agencies are developed in a holistic way and are successful in attracting people to the island of Ireland.
Many of the local tourism bodies do an excellent job in producing high-quality brochures which invite tourists to their areas, where high-quality products are available. They are also targeting specific markets. For example, we see growth in walking tourism and hill climbing, which is a massive business compared to what it was a few years ago. The Deputy is correct that sports tourism is also growing. We discussed earlier the potential in terms of conferences coming to this country. We could do much more in that area.
The review of the plans for the next few years is indicative of the fact that things have been going very well because the targets that were set up to last year were well achieved. We went through the 8 million tourist barrier in 2007 for the first time, which is double the population and a magnificent achievement. The spend in total revenue is around €5.8 billion to €6 billion so it is a very important industry to this country. Approximately 240,000 people are employed in the total hospitality area so it is probably one of the largest employers in the country, if not the largest. I agree with the Deputy that we need to keep the tourism and marketing spend well focused to continue to develop and enhance the tourism numbers to the country and to have the ability to be flexible, as we need to be this year when there are serious international pressures on people's ability to travel, unlike in previous years.
69 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his Department will complete an efficiency review and audit of all State agencies and bodies under the responsibility of his Department; if he has plans to merge or abolish any State agencies or bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20596/08]
In his 2008 budget speech of 5 December 2007, the Minister for Finance announced that the Government had agreed to an efficiency review of all administrative spending across the entire public service. Under this review, my Department was required to examine all its administrative spending and that of the agencies under its aegis and report to the Department of Finance on the outcome. Departments were asked to pay particular attention in their reviews to inefficiencies which might arise due to the multiplicity of boards and agencies, the scope for efficient sharing of certain services and the scope for efficiencies in management, travel and consumables in general. The review was specifically precluded from identifying measures which would jeopardise the maintenance of front line services.
The Department established an efficiency review group to conduct the review. It examined the Department's spending from its administrative budget on back-office services which incorporate the finance unit, the human resources unit and the IT unit and front line services which, in the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, comprise the capital grant programmes in the sports and arts areas. A review was carried out within each of the agencies under the aegis of the Department along the same lines as that carried out in the Department. These reviews also examined both the front and back-end services. The report of the review was sent to the Department of Finance earlier this year. My understanding is that the Department of Finance is reviewing the report for my Department and for all other Departments and it is anticipated that the outcome of the review will have a bearing on the 2009 Estimates.
There are a number of agencies in each of the areas of arts, sport and tourism which are under the aegis of my Department, all of whom are making a significant contribution to the implementation of Government policies in their sectoral area. I have no plans to merge or abolish any of these agencies.
I am sure the Minister is aware that a number of the bodies under his remit came up for consideration by the Comptroller and Auditor General so it is essential that not only are the various agencies under the aegis of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism audited and reviewed, but also that changes take place as a result of those reviews and that there are improvements in governance as a result of any review that takes place. Bord na gCon is one of the bodies coming up for consideration this coming week but it is only one of a number of bodies.
In respect of the intention to abolish bodies, I do not want to cut across any of my colleagues but it seems that the Minister has very little to do in his Department, that everything is being done by bodies and that all he has to do is give out national lottery money. The reality is that there is a rash of bodies looking after tourism. At every level, simply meeting and talking to one another and reading each other's reports must be a hugely inefficient way to do business. I am sure there are very valid historical and regional reasons for the rash of bodies administering tourism but it seems that the Minister should give some thought to rationalising the number of bodies in this area. Is this the intention?
Due to the fact that there is a plethora of organisations and State bodies responsible to the Minister, when we put down parliamentary questions in respect of arts, sport and tourism, I could paper the walls of my office with the number of rejections I get in respect of the question not being appropriate and a matter for, for example, Fáilte Ireland.
Hear, hear.
In other words, they are not accountable to this House. Will the Minister comment on that and how they can be made accountable?
All of the bodies are accountable to the various Ministers in the Department who are accountable to the Dáil. This afternoon, I have given a very full and frank explanation of all of the different bodies in place. Interestingly, we had a discussion earlier where I made the point that I was not minded to create new agencies and add to the myriad agencies we have and I do not intend to do that during my time in the Department.
There may well be an opportunity to look at closer co-operation between various agencies under the different aspects within the Department, be they tourism, sport and arts. This review is being completed by the Department of Finance. We have submitted all of the relevant information to it. As we go forward, we will look at all of those issues. I certainly want to ensure that the agencies are giving the full value for every euro they get on behalf of the taxpayer and I will continue to do so.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
