Ivor Callely
Question:46 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the job creation target in arts, culture and heritage in 1995; the achievement to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12398/95]
Written Answers. - Job Creation Targets.
It is increasingly being acknowledged at EU level that cultural industries, which embrace heritage activities, represent a source of real economic activity, employment and value added. However, because of definitional problems, the nature and fragmentation of cultural activities and the difficulty in collecting statistical data, the quantification of the economic and employment benefits of cultural industries presents difficulties in most EU countries, including Ireland. Given these problems, the Deputy will accept that it is not possible at present to set job creation targets in arts, culture and heritage for a given period.
However, the Coopers and Lybrand Report on "The Employment and Economic Significance of the Cultural Industries in Ireland", published in 1994, indicated that the cultural industries (arts, culture and heritage) currently employ the equivalent of 21,500 full-time posts and have a gross annual value of £441 million, of which more than 88 per cent is earned by direct traded activity and only 12 per cent generated by grants and donations.
Given the significant additional resources which I have placed at the disposal of An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Bord Scannán na hÉireann and tax incentive funding of films under Section 35 of the Finance Act, I am confident that these employment levels have significantly increased since the conclusion of the Coopers and Lybrand research.
Arts, culture and heritage investment contributes significantly to job creation in the tourism sector. The EU Structural Funds Tourism Operational Programme, of which investment in heritage and cultural tourism forms and important element, envisages the creation of a total of 35,000 jobs by 1999 comprising 17,250 direct, 6,000 in construction and 11,750 indirect.