Vol. 1026 No. 8
6. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her strategy to support and encourage greater use of the Irish language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47368/22]
People always confuse the two of us, so I am glad to see the continuation of that. Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Aire Stáit mar gheall ar an straitéis chun tacú le cothú an teanga go náisiúnta.
Tá an cheist seo i mBéarla mar sin tá an freagra i mBéarla. The 20-year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010—2030 represents the State's policy in relation to the language. The strategy has cross-departmental ownership and, accordingly, responsibility for its implementation rests with several Departments, in addition to Irish-language and Gaeltacht institutions and organisations. My Department is responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of the strategy.
To accelerate implementation, my Department published a five-year action plan for the language in June 2018 following a public consultation process and extensive engagement with key stakeholders. It contains more than 180 actions to be implemented over a five-year period by around 60 stakeholders across each of the nine areas of action set out in the strategy. The plan provides for a more efficient framework that supports the ongoing implementation of the strategy and is focused on specific, measurable and time-bound activities. The plan also serves to stimulate more efficient and effective participation with the overall objectives of the Government in relation to the Irish language in the context of the 20-year strategy.
In line with a commitment made when the plan was first published, the Government publishes annually an implementation report covering all of the aforementioned actions contained in the action plan. Further details of significant advances being made across Government in support of the Irish language can be found on my Department's websites. Key actions include: the ongoing implementation of the language planning process under the Gaeltacht Act 2012; the ongoing implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 being spearheaded by the Department of Education; the implementation of a range of programmes by Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge aimed at strengthening the use of the language within the Gaeltacht and on an all-island basis; and the initial steps now in hand to develop a national plan for the provision of Irish-medium public services following the signing into law of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021.
I am confident that, with the additional financial allocations being provided for the language of €8.5 million, my Department and other stakeholders will be enabled to take further significant strides in advancing implementation of the plan to the overall benefit of the Irish language and Gaeltacht regions.
I welcome the €8.5 million the Minister of State mentioned for the Irish language and Gaeltacht. I will pick up on two points mentioned in an straitéis 20 bliain. The first, which I again welcome, is the establishment of Cúla4, the TG4 channel for kids. This meets objective No. 9 in an straitéis, which is to ensure we will support "High quality broadcast services through the medium of Irish...". It is good to see this specific objective is being met. I turn to objective No. 7 as well, however, and this is something we need to work on. Perhaps the Minister of State could work on it in conjunction with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I was out in my front garden at the weekend with my child who attends a naíonra. He picked up what turned out to be a dead leaf, but in his imagination it was a féileacán. For a three-year-old to come in and to use that kind of terminology and those words, which he has obviously picked up at the naíonra, shows the good work those schools do. Will the Minister of State comment on whether any additional funding will be available to naíonraí, above that which normal, English-language schools receive? My understanding is that there is not, and I think this is something worth considering.
I thank the Deputy. The development and support of naíonraí is a key part of the 20-year strategy. The ongoing development of those schools will be extremely important in the context of funding increases and the development of the language. We have a plan with Údarás na Gaeltachta, in partnership with community organisations, to continue the development of naíonraí across the country. I will revert to the Deputy on the specific question regarding the announcement made by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and provide further detail.
I would appreciate that. As I said, the naíonraí do brilliant work, like most of our childcare providers. Given they have extra requirements, however, including ensuring their staff are qualified and competent in teaching Irish and instructing in Irish, might an extra increment be applied to their capitation or can anything else be done in this regard? This is something we must examine to ensure we can manage to nurture and foster this positive outlook among people seeking to acquire Irish at a young age. I questioned that childcare provider and, to my knowledge, no funding is being received specifically to allow staff to go and improve their own language skills. They are dealing with children. Therefore, I encourage the Minister of State to talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to determine if this is something that can be explored.
I will engage with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. Especially with the new Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, and in the context of trying to strengthen the language across the public services, the State's investment in childcare demonstrates it is playing a much larger role in the pre-school sector than it may have in the past. From pre-school and all the way through to primary and second levels, we must ensure language development from a continuous professional development, CPD, perspective is strengthened. My Department will engage with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister, Deputy Foley, on continuing to strengthen the quality of language upskilling and training to ensure there are more opportunities from a professional perspective for teachers and those wishing to upskill in the language. This is important from a pre-school perspective as well.
7. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding, if any, that is available to voluntary groups to partake in Irish-language activities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47369/22]
Tá brón orm arís a Aire Stáit gur chuir mé an cheist seo isteach i mBéarla. What funding is available to voluntary groups to partake in Irish language activities?
Foras na Gaeilge provides many funding opportunities for voluntary and other groups to access funding to partake in Irish language activities and promote the Irish language generally. These include opportunities in the areas of youth activities, summer camps, the arts, festivals and literature, Irish-language networks and community development. Supports are also available for local businesses who might wish to create an Irish-language friendly environment in their workplace by using bilingual signage, for example. The Foras na Gaeilge website, www.forasnagaeilge.ie, contains a section on funding schemes which lists the opportunities currently open to applications and also those where the application deadline has passed. This is particularly useful to help local voluntary groups plan well ahead for next year for seasonal opportunities, such as summer camps, for example.
To give some idea of the scope of the work, some 68 summer camps throughout the island of Ireland received funding to support their work in 2021.
Forty-seven festivals and seven major arts events received funding and 36 communities received a commitment to funding over a three-year period.
My Department also provides funding to an ciste spreagtha, which is administered by Conradh na Gaeilge. A sum of €150,000 was made available for this initiative during 2022. After the few difficult years that community groups experienced during the pandemic, this funding was made available to organise community events through Irish, helping to re-energise the use of Irish at face-to-face events. This fund attracted a high level of interest from community groups; 171 applications were received by Conradh na Gaeilge under this scheme and funding was offered to 160 of the applicants. A wide range of events were organised with something suitable for all ages and all levels of Irish.
The Irish language supports schemes section in my Department directly funds a number of initiatives and projects with a voluntary element. Many of the initiatives funded under this scheme are managed by organisations with voluntary committees or in which voluntary work is a major component of the overall effort. These include Raidió Rí-Rá, Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, Gaillimh le Gaeilge, Gnó Mhaigh Eo, Cill Dara le Gaeilge and the Na Gaeil Óga GAA club. The Irish language supports schemes funding provision in 2022 is €6.45 million for current spending and €3.5 million for capital spending. I am pleased to confirm that this week's budget announcement has brought the current allocation under the Irish language supports schemes to €8.2 million for 2023.
Fáiltím roimh an €8 milliún sin arís.
I will follow up in relation to some of the items the Minister of State listed. I am aware that organisations in Cork, such as Gael-Taca Corcaigh, receive funding through the Irish language support scheme. It is great to see that this will continue into the future. I welcome all the other items that the Minister of State listed, from summer camps right down to funding local businesses which conduct their business through the medium of Irish or at least offer that facility. If I could follow up specifically in relation to capital funding, be it for cultural centres for any other Irish language activity, is there a specific funding stream for capital funds that groups can avail of?
As I referenced, there is €3.5 million for capital spending. While the predominant allocation is for current expenditure on festival events and activities, there is a capital dimension to some of the funding around the language support scheme. We welcome engagement from groups around a variety of initiatives from a current spending perspective. Obviously, the predominant allocation of capital is specifically within Gaeltacht areas but we fund certain projects outside of the Gaeltacht from a language perspective. As I said, my officials are always there to engage on any ideas or proposals that people might have.
Chun críochnú, I would welcome any engagement that the Minister of State could afford me and a group in Glanmire which we are hoping to get off the ground. There was an organisation in Dublin that did something similar in Clondalkin in terms of applying for capital funding in a breac-Ghaeltacht or a non-Gaeltacht area. It is good to see that this fund would be available to them. I would invite the Minister of State, on the next occasion when he is in Cork, to meet with that group. At that stage, we might have something more advanced. We have our naíonra, our bunscoil and our scoil dara leibhéal in Coláiste an Phiarsaigh. Glanmire is a vibrant Irish-language community and it is worthy of investment. I would welcome the Minister of State's support for that in the near future.
I would be happy to engage. We welcome all community groups and the effort and energy they put in from a volunteer perspective in promoting the language and developing it within their local communities. We see phenomenal effort and a huge impetus to really drive the language over the coming years. We are seeing many more opportunities now in the language with the new Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, which will see public services - the 20% target - but which will be complemented by a huge amount of community and voluntary effort where we can really strengthen the language in communities.
As the Deputy has referenced, there is a strong Irish-language community in Glanmire. I am happy to meet and engage with them on my next visit to Cork. I look forward to that.
The Minister of State might call in to Naíonra Chaisleáin Nua when he is on the road. Bheadh fíor-fháilte roimhe.
Is it not just off the motorway?
Just down theas, yes.
8. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cén fáth nár tógadh maoiniú do Chlár na Leabhar Gaeilge ar ais chuig na leibhéil a bhí ann roimh 2010; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [47289/22]
Áras Chrónáin a bhí an Teachta O'Sullivan ag caint faoi. Tá sé ag ceiliúradh 40 bliain an deireadh seachtaine seo.
An cheist atá mise ag cur ná cén fáth nár tugadh maoiniú do chlár na leabhar Gaeilge ar ais go dtí an leibhéal ag a raibh sé. In 2010 bhí €1.8 milliún ann agus toisc ciorruithe, gearradh siar go dtí €1 milliún é. Tá sé tar éis fanacht ansin ó shin.
Aistríodh feidhmeanna Bhord na Leabhar Gaeilge chuig Foras na Gaeilge ar an 1 Eanáir 2008. Clár na leabhar Gaeilge a tugadh feasta ar an scéim a riartar faoi scáth Fhoras na Gaeilge, scéim a chuireann tacaíocht ar fáil do scríbhneoirí, d'fhoilsitheoirí agus do phobal léitheoireachta na Gaeilge i gcoitinne. Cuireann mo Roinn maoiniú imfhálaithe ar fáil do chlár na leabhar Gaeilge gach bliain, faoina bhfeidhmítear na scéimeanna agus tionscadail seo a leanas: scéim na foilsitheoireachta; scéim na dtionscadal litríochta; scéim na gcoimisiún; an scéim meantóireachta; agus scríobh leabhar, scéim chun deiseanna scríbhneoireachta agus léitheoireachta trí Ghaeilge a chothú do pháistí scoile.
Aithnítear go bhfuil dúshláin roimh fhoilsitheoirí na Gaeilge faoi láthair. Mar aitheantas ar na dúshláin sin, chuir mé maoiniú breise aon-uaire de €300,000 ar fáil do chlár na leabhar Gaeilge ag deireadh 2021 le dáileadh ar scéim na foilsitheoireachta agus an scéim meantóireachta de chuid chlár na leabhar Gaeilge. D'fhág sé sin go raibh buiséad iomlán €1.36 milliún ar fáil don chlár i mbliana, thart ar an leibhéal ag a raibh sé in 2011. Idir an dá linn, tá tuilleadh plé déanta ag feidhmeannaigh mo Roinne agus feidhmeannaigh Fhoras na Gaeilge ar an ábhar agus ar na roghanna chun tacú tuilleadh le foilsitheoirí na Gaeilge.
Mar thoradh ar an bplé sin, d'éirigh liom an chéad ardú le seacht mbliana anuas a chur ar bhuiséad bhonnlíne chlár na leabhar Gaeilge mar chuid de cháinaisnéis 2023, a fógraíodh Dé Máirt. Cé go bhfuil na mionsonraí le hoibriú amach go fóill, ciallaíonn sé seo go mbeidh thart ar €300,000 breise ar fáil i mbuiséad bhonnlíne chlár na leabhar Gaeilge an bhliain seo chugainn. Leanfaidh feidhmeannaigh mo Roinne na cainteanna le Foras na Gaeilge sna míonna amach romhainn agus féachfar ar an bhfhéidearthacht le maoiniú breise aon-uaire a chur ar fáil i dtreo infheistíochta san earnáil, go háirithe mar a bhaineann leis na córais díolacháin agus dáileacháin.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit agus fáiltím roimh aon ardú in aon chur i gclár na leabhar Gaeilge. Tá obair mhór á déanamh ag Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge mar gheall ar cheist na foilsitheoireachta, ceist na scríbhneoireachta agus dáileachán na leabhar. Beidh tuarascáil mhór ag teacht os a chomhair - agus os comhair na Dála tá súil againn – roimh dheireadh na bliana. Tá deich seisiún tar éis a bheith againn ag déileáil leis na húdair, leis na scríbhneoirí agus le Foras na Gaeilge chun díriú isteach ar cad iad na féidearthachtaí agus cad é an gá le hinfheistiú ceart a dhéanamh isteach i scríbhneoireacht, i léitheoireacht agus i litríocht na Gaeilge.
Tá mise fós den tuairim nach bhfuilimid, má thógtar boilsciú san áireamh, tar éis an leibhéal a bhí ann in 2010 a shroicheadh arís agus caithfear é sin a shroicheadh sula dhéanfaimid breis infheistiú chun déanamh cinnte de go bhfuil an tairg atá ann, agus tairg an-mhaith é, á dhíol chomh forleathan agus is féidir.
Mar a dúirt mé, tá áthas orm gur éirigh liom maoiniú breise a fháil do chlár na leabhar Gaeilge don bhliain seo chugainn mar chuid de cháinaisnéis 2023, a fógraíodh Dé Máirt. Is é seo an chéad ardú ar bhuiséad an chláir le seacht mbliana anuas. Is aitheantas é sin ar na dúshláin atá roimh fhoilsitheoireacht na Gaeilge.
Chuir mo Roinn maoiniú imfhálaithe ar fáil gach bliain do chlár na leabhar Gaeilge, faoina bhfeidhmítear na scéimeanna agus tionscadail seo a leanas: scéim na foilsitheoireachta, chun saothair d’ardchaighdeán a chur ar fáil don phobal agus do léitheoirí Gaeilge; scéim na dtionscadal litríochta, chun deiseanna léitheoireachta trí Ghaeilge a chothú agus a eascairt don phobal; scéim na gcoimisiún, le ciste chuimsitheach ar mhaithe le soláthar sásúil sna réimsí éagsúla léitheoireachta a chinntiú; an scéim meantóireachta, chun spreagadh agus deiseanna tacaíochta a thabhairt do scríbhneoirí i dtús a ré scríbhneoireachta; agus scríobh leabhar, scéim chun deiseanna scríbhneoireachta agus léitheoireachta tri Ghaeilge a chothú do pháistí scoile.
Is fiú a nótáil gur chuir mé maoiniú aon-uaire de luach €300,000 i dtreo chlár na leabhar Gaeilge don bhliain reatha 2022 ar mhaithe le maoiniú breise a sholáthar do scéim na foilsitheoireachta agus don scéim meantóireachta.
Bhí deis áirithe i mbliana toisc nach raibh maoiniú Foras na Gaeilge chun ardú. Bhí deis ag an Rialtas níos mó airgid a chur i leataobh do chlár na leabhar Gaeilge agus ba chóir i bhfad Éireann níos mó a bheith infheistithe ann. Fiú an figiúr atá luaite ag an Aire Stáit, d’fhéadfaí é sin a chaitheamh go han-tapa.
Thug an tAire Stáit liosta de na hábhair atá sé caite orthu ach fiú tá clár ríomhaireachta de dhíth ó thaobh díolacháin de, ó thaobh ÁIS de agus ó thaobh foirne a bheadh ag taisteal timpeall na tíre ag ÁIS. Caithfear ÁIS a thógáil suas go dtí an leibhéal ag a raibh sé nó go dtí leibhéal amach anseo atá ann cheana féin sa Bhreatain Bheag.
Tá beocht agus spiorad i measc údar agus foilsitheoirí ach tá géarghá i bhfad Éireann níos mó a infheistiú anseo ionas gur féidir leo an tairg seo a chur os comhair leanaí agus daoine aosta atá ag iarraidh an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim nó atá ag iarraidh í a léamh. Caithimid i bhfad Éireann níos mó a dhéanamh chun déanamh cinnte de go bhfuil an deis acu é sin a dhéanamh i gceart.
Mar aitheantas ar na dúshláin sin, d'fhógair mé ardú ar bhuiséad bhonnlíne clár na leabhar Gaeilge don bhliain 2023, mar a dúirt mé. Is é seo an chéad ardú ar an mbuiséad le seacht mbliana anuas agus nuair a chuirtear é sin in éineacht leis an maoiniú aon-uaire de €300,000 a cheadaigh muid i mbliana, fágann sé go bhfuil os cionn €500,000 breise curtha ar fáil ag mo Roinn do chlár na leabhar Gaeilge. Tá mé dóchasach go mbeidh tuilleadh airgid aon-uaire ar fáil roimh dheireadh na bliana seo chun infheistíocht shuntasach a dhéanamh san earnáil. Leanfaimid ár gcainteanna le hoifigigh Fhoras na Gaeilge maidir leis an maoiniú breise aon-uaire, go háirithe i dtreo feabhais a chur ar an gcóras díolacháin agus dáileacháin le linn na bliana seo chugainn.
9. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking to promote female involvement in sports from a young age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47505/22]
Question No. 9 is being taken by Deputy Alan Farrell.
I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Richmond. It relates to the promotion of participation in sport among women and girls and what the Government is doing to encourage that uptake of sport.
A fundamental aim of the national sports policy is to increase the level of participation across the population, with a specific focus on less represented groups, including women and girls.
In May 2022, my Department held a youth stakeholder forum on sport at which we gathered young people together to identify the barriers keeping them from sport and to gain insight into how those barriers could be addressed. A report on that forum has been drafted and will help inform and direct the measures my Department takes to address youth participation in sport.
In May 2021 Sport Ireland published its Participation Plan 2021-2024. Sport Ireland is now undertaking several initiatives under that plan for children and young people, which will be delivered through local sports partnerships, national governing bodies and other partners.
In 2021 Sport Ireland launched the research report, Adolescent Girls Get Active. Following on from the report, Sport Ireland created a new funding strand through dormant accounts funding to support local sports partnerships in the creation of physical activity programmes targeting teenage girls.
Sport Ireland is working to establish a brand identity for teenage girls' programmes rolled out by local sports partnerships and governing bodies. Sport Ireland is also tendering for the roll-out of a communication and activation campaign targeting inactive teenage girls. This will be the first time a dedicated national physical activity campaign has ever been created for this target group and highlights the commitment of Sport Ireland and the Government to trying to motivate teenage girls to be more active.
We know from the research that a participation gap arises at this time in women's and girls' lives and that this has an impact on participation for many years, so we are trying to focus initiatives on that. We are committed to our capital programmes supporting clubs that embrace female participation in sport and we are trying to build on that in the years to come.
I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. It is really important that the Government not just be seen to promote participation in sport at a young age but also do so. That is critical. As the slogan goes, if they cannot see it, they cannot be it. The platforming of young women and girls in sport is really important because, as the Minister of State rightly pointed out, those participation rates have fallen away. I was Chair of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs during the term of the previous Dáil. The committee did a comprehensive overview of childhood obesity and found that the drop-off rates in women's participation in sport at a young age is quite alarming. As a mentor in a GAA club, I know how crucial interventions can be to keeping people, young boys and young girls, involved in their local sporting code, whatever it might be, so the dedicated campaign the Minister of State talked about to get girls active is very welcome.
In addition to that, we are developing a new national physical activity plan with the Department of Health, and I chaired a recent meeting of the sports leadership group. I have got a lot of input from the Federation of Irish Sport and some of the governing bodies, so we have a new and evidence-based physical activity plan. I think that will complement the promotional campaigns Sport Ireland is running not only to try to activate that cohort of our population that is more likely to stop activity in sport but also to develop specific initiatives. The key role of the local sports partnerships and the women in sport initiative is to drive that level of participation and to try to address the participation gap. We are also clear that at a leadership level within sport there has to be increased activity in respect of our target of 40% of board members of our sporting organisations being women by the end of next year. There has been progress in the past three or four years on that such that, not only at a participation level but also at a leadership level, we see better female representation across the board.
There is a cross-departmental aspect to all this, notwithstanding the extraordinarily generous grants administered by the Minister of State's Department in the form of the sports capital programme and the impact that that can have on communities up and down the country. We know, and the Minister of State, being from a very fast-growing young community just like mine, will know too, that the facilities that are provided to young people, particularly young girls, for participation in sport are incredibly important. There is a role for the Department of Education to play in rolling out further improvements to the physical activity, PE, facilities in schools up and down the country. There was a report a couple of years ago. I cannot remember the precise figure but it was stark as to the number of schools that did not have PE halls and those sorts of activation measures, if we want to call them that. That is what they are because if the facilities are there, they will be used, and that will encourage more people to participate.
I welcome what the Minister of State has told us this morning and look forward to the dedicated campaign he mentioned.
The Deputy is correct, in that some schools have embraced this and are open until 9 o'clock or 10 o'clock at night. There is a huge amount of PE and other activity during the day in those schools, and they open their doors for sporting organisations to use their facilities in the evening. Other schools do not have the facilities and are closed when the school day finishes. The Department of Education is on our sports leadership group. We are trying to encourage that Department to communicate to schools that we really need to embrace that community partnership. There is an opportunity, through the sports capital programme, for schools to apply with a sporting organisation or club such that if there is an all-weather pitch, they can build a pitch in partnership with a club for use by children during the day and the club has the benefit of the pitch after school. That maximises the overall benefit of the capital investment the State makes where education and sport are combined, but we have more to do on that. I think the Deputy will see some references to that in the youth leadership report, which we will publish shortly, on what young people have said about facilities and what is available to-----
Go raibh maith agat, a Aire Stáit.
10. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking to address rising costs of operation for the hospitality sector, specifically with regard to their impact on tourism. [47326/22]
11. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will outline her engagements with representatives of the hospitality sector, with specific regard to tourism, since 1 January 2022. [47327/22]
The Minister of State will be aware of the massive increases in operational costs faced by the hospitality sector this year. Electricity prices are skyrocketing and food prices are up significantly, while insurance and other expenses are putting businesses at risk. While I of course welcome the measures for small and medium-sized enterprises announced yesterday, the budget also quietly included a rise in the VAT rate for the hospitality sector in March from 9% to 13.5%. Any supports allocated to the sector will obviously be gobbled up by that increase. What is the Department doing to support this struggling sector?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, co-chair the hospitality and tourism forum. In the context of their respective roles, the focus of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is on the development of tourist traffic within or to the State and the development and marketing of tourist facilities and services in the State. The wider hospitality sector is a key enterprise sector as well, providing employment to people all over the country.
Specific policy areas within the Tánaiste's Department, such as the operation of the work permits system, are vital factors in how that sector operates.
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, regularly meets and remains open to engaging with a wide variety of tourism stakeholders and representative bodies. Department officials have also engaged with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and tourism representative bodies in order to understand further underlying issues surrounding the recovery of the tourism sector and to emphasise the importance of maintaining a strong value proposition at the core of tourism. The recovery oversight group recently submitted its fourth report to the Minister. The report notes that while much headway has been made in implementing the recovery plan presented in September 2020, a range of current tourism challenges, as set out in the report, means that significant headwinds remain.
Regarding addressing the rising costs of operation, the aim of budget 2023 is to support the tourism industry to recover and grow in a sustainable way. A total of €214.762 million has been allocated to the tourism sector. A total of €15 million in additional funding has been secured for overseas marketing of Ireland. This includes €5 million to develop further a new tourism initiative aimed at stimulating international demand. An additional €15 million is being provided for a range of industry initiatives including skills development and retention, domestic marketing, the hosting of American college football and sustainability. Other allocations include €36.5 million in capital funding for tourism product development for the continued delivery of enhanced visitor experiences.
Budget 2023 includes wider measures that tourism businesses can avail of to assist with escalating energy costs and to plan for the future. This includes a €1.25 billion temporary business energy support scheme providing qualifying businesses with up to 40% of the increase in electricity or gas bills up to €10,000 per month. Departmental officials have sought clarification on a number of points of particular relevance to tourism to ensure the scheme offers the best possible support to the tourism sector.
I raised similar points with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, last week but I am not convinced that the Government appreciates how many family-run businesses and SMEs are close to closing. It is likely that many will at least shut temporarily during the winter and some may not reopen without proper support. The VAT rate for the sector is increasing in March. The exorbitant prices people have to pay for some Dublin hotels was cited as a rationale for the change to VAT but the whole sector will have to pay for that. Rural businesses are suffering because of the prices charged in Dublin hotels. Cafés, restaurants, pubs and hotels in rural areas like west Cork need targeted interventions now because their closure will have a disproportionate effect not only in terms of people losing jobs, but a reduction in footfall will have a knock-on impact for suppliers and producers.
Another operating cost of which the Minister of State will be aware is the insurance and financial fees that SMEs are being hit with. I know this is not his Department's direct responsibility but it seriously impacts the viability of small businesses. West Café and Wine Bar in Bantry, a family-owned business, posted on social media that it had to pay over €800 in fees for card payments for just two months which is ridiculous. During Covid going cashless was encouraged and now it is practically the norm but businesses are paying severely for that. I ask the Minister of State to raise this issue with the Minister for Finance. It is yet another operating cost for hard-pressed SMEs in the hospitality sector. On top of those massive operational cost increases, businesses in Bantry have been forced to close today for a whole business day as the town is without power. The ESB has cited essential maintenance but surely that kind of maintenance and disruption should be planned for overnight, for a Sunday or for any time that would avoid further massive disruption to already-struggling businesses. We need joined-up thinking in this regard because there is only so much businesses can take.
We need the Government to support and invest in family businesses and SMEs now because that will pay dividends down the road and save many towns and villages. We know how crucial the hospitality sector was in our recovery from the last recession.
I share the Deputy's frustration with regard to the ESB and agree there should be better co-ordination to support businesses in towns and villages when particular maintenance has to be done. It is unfortunate that a day's business has been lost. There should be better engagement on such matters.
On the Deputy's wider points, I will raise the issue of the cost of card payments with the Minister for Finance. On the reduced VAT rate, as the Deputy knows, in line with the recommendation in the tourism recovery plan a reduced VAT rate of 9% for the sector was introduced from 1 November 2020. It was originally designed to apply until the end of 2021 but this was extended to 31 August 2022 and later to February 2023. Thousands of tourism and hospitality businesses across the country did not have to apply different VAT rates during the year which further enabled them to stabilise their businesses. The reduced VAT rate promoted business survival, supported employment and helped somewhat to stabilise prices in the sector during what was a very difficult time because of Covid. The reduced VAT rate has been a very important element of the business supports secured for the sector in the last two years as it is being rebuilt. The Minister for Finance has referenced the reduced VAT rate as one of a number of supports the Government provided for tourism and hospitality businesses over the course of the pandemic but it was designed as a temporary measure, with a sunset clause included in the enacting legislation. The rate will be kept under review, as the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht and Sport, Deputy Catherine Martin, has stated previously.
The Government fully acknowledges the impact of inflation and the economic stresses and difficulties that businesses are facing, including food and energy costs, increased wages in a very competitive labour market, and the cost of insurance. That is why the Government is providing significant support. There is a lot of co-ordination between the tourism and hospitality sector, the Minister and the Tánaiste. The Government will really try to partner and support businesses over the winter period.
While I acknowledge that there is lots of Government engagement with the sector, ultimately there is a significant discrepancy between what tourism and hospitality businesses in Cork south west are telling me and the messaging from the Minister of State, his Department and others. The Government must be getting similar briefings to the ones I am getting but the urgency and need is not being reflected in Government policy or in the budget. I recognise that this is a cross-departmental matter and appreciate the Minister of State saying that he will talk to various Ministers about the other relevant issues.
The Minister of State's Department is responsible for tourism which is a major employer, especially in rural areas, where communities are solely dependent on tourism and agriculture. I recognise what the Government has said about the VAT rate but the point I am trying to make is that there is such a profound difference between how businesses operate in rural areas and how they operate in Dublin. If it is necessary to increase the hospitality VAT rate, can the Government provide more targeted supports for businesses in rural areas? One cannot compare the kind of price gouging by hotels in the capital city with how hotels operate in more rural areas. Somehow the Government could not figure out how to target particular households in the context of the energy crisis but it did manage to figure out how to do it for businesses. Will the Department look at more targeted supports for businesses in more rural areas that cannot operate in the same way as the urban-based hotels, restaurants and cafés? Such businesses are the single largest employer in many towns and villages.
We absolutely acknowledge the importance of the tourism and hospitality sector for employment in the regions and that is why in budget 2022 the Government allocated €67 million in additional funding for tourism, which brought the overall budget to €288 million. A total of €50 million was provided for tourism business continuity. Many schemes were operated through Fáilte Ireland, including the €8 million restart grant plus scheme. The tourism recovery plan increased tourism marketing from €46 million to €81 million.
In the last two years the Government has provided unprecedented support for the tourism and hospitality sector in an effort to maintain its viability through the Covid period. The Minister for Finance has established the new temporary business energy support scheme which will mitigate some, though not all, of the costs that businesses face. We want to ensure continued employment and viability in the sector. The Minister, Deputy Martin, and the Tánaiste regularly engage and work with the sector on the challenges it faces and that will continue during the winter period.
Tuesday's budget was about getting significant allocations for the sector and that has happened again and the horizontal supports will help businesses through the coming months. I will relay the Deputy's concerns and feedback to the Minister.
12. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the implementation of the night-time economy support scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46892/22]
My question relates to the implementation of the night-time economy support scheme, which I know has been pushed through the Minister of State's Department.
The night-time economy task force report was published in September 2021 and contained 36 actions across a broad range of issues associated with the night-time economy, all with the aim of increasing the diversity of events, increasing cultural opportunities for families and other age groups into the evening and look at new ways of encouraging innovation and creativity in the night-time economy. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, launched the night-time economy support scheme, NTESS, on 22 June this year, in support of two recommendations in the report of the night-time economy task force, namely, actions 1 and 12. The scheme has an overall allocation of €4 million to provide support for cultural activity in pubs, nightclubs, cafés and other suitable licensed and unlicensed premises during off-peak times. The scheme was developed in consultation with key stakeholders in the night-time economy including the Licensed Vintners Association, LVA, the Vintners Federation of Ireland, VFI, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, RAI, IBEC and Give Us The Night.
The aim of this scheme, which is now closed, is to encourage increased footfall in our cities, towns and villages in off-peak times and to open up existing venues to activity in the night-time economy, as well as providing artists with paying gigs and customers with a more alternative, diverse and inclusive night-time offering. I was really encouraged by the response to the scheme, which saw over 470 applications for funding processed with well in excess of 2,000 events being rolled out in cities, towns and villages right across the country. The events range from live music, DJ nights, comedy nights, dance, theatre, literature and poetry, as well as art and photographic exhibitions. The venues are diverse and as well as events in pubs, nightclubs, cafés and restaurants, we have galleries, retail outlets and rehearsal spaces all turning into lively venues for night-time activity.
As the Deputy will be aware, €6 million has been allocated in next year's budget for the implementation of a range of measures to support the recommendations of the night-time economy task force, and we hope to see more innovative pilot projects developed which will build on the momentum generated by this scheme.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is important that the State and his Department promote alternative activities at night. We have a solid night-time culture in Ireland, but it mostly revolves around alcohol and pubs. There are many other things we are absolutely excellent at and it is very important that funding streams go towards the promotion of music, comedy, literature and, as the Minister of State mentioned, art and photography, among other things. We have an extraordinary story to tell in towns and villages right across Ireland. That is why the funding the Minister of State has announced and the scheme that has been implemented are so crucial.
I have to compliment the Minister of State, and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, on measures such as the special exemption order changes. There are also things being implemented under the Sale of Alcohol Bill, which will have an impact on the night-time economy.
I agree that we have to ensure there is a more diverse and inclusive range of events in bars, cafes, nightclubs, art centres and retail outlets across the country. Some examples include the Circus Factory, which pitched events in Cork, the Yamamori Tengu in Dublin, folk concerts in St. James' Church in Kerry and the Birr theatre and arts festival. Windmill Lane Recording Studios had a range of different artists. The National Leprechaun Museum of Ireland hosted a range of events.
I welcome the remarks of the Deputy on his support for the work of the Ministers, Deputies Catherine Martin, McEntee and Donohoe, on special exemption orders, which support the night-time economy. A lot of the recommendations are being implemented and led by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, across a range of areas. For example, action 11 regarding Culture Night resulted in 50 late-night event taking place. There is also progress on licensing legislation.
This is a cross-government issue because, as the Minister of State will appreciate, it crosses different doors in Government Buildings. The promotion of alternative events and so on comes down to venues. There is a role for local authorities to play in the delivery of such spaces, whether indoors or outdoors. We all know, given our change in approach to expenditure in the Department of Transport, that we are spending at a ratio of 2:1 in the provision of public transport. Within that includes the pedestrianisation of spaces, which leads to public spaces being available that were not heretofore available for these sort of cultural events. Any outside-the-box thinking in the Department of the Minister of State and other Departments to further push the agenda to provide space would be welcome. I am thinking of places in Swords, in my constituency. Malahide village green had a significant sum of money put into it for a public outdoor space which could and does host cultural events.
I agree with the Deputy. Local authorities need to think beyond the traditional things that they fund. The scheme gives them and the local economy a complimentary benefit in terms of the ability to develop different spaces and provide capital investment. I share the Deputy's remarks and we need to see that engagement.
In fairness, the night-time economy action plan and task force happening across Government, between justice, arts and culture and finance, is resulting in better co-ordination and we are seeing that impetus and focus of the night-time economy, which has delivered. Some 472 applications were received for the recent fund and over 2,000 events were held. We are seeing that momentum and we need to underpin that. From a Chief Whip's perspective, I am aware that the legislation on licensing is a priority for the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and is key to unlocking one area of the night-time economy. We also need to continue the momentum on a diverse range of events which the Deputy has referenced, as well as getting local authorities to look at this from a capital perspective.
13. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question No. 20 of 21 June 2022, the status of the legacy framework arising from Galway 2020; if she will provide a breakdown of the way that the remaining €1 million from her Department’s commitment to Galway 2020 will be spent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47574/22]
Baineann mo cheist le Gaillimh 2020, oidhreacht an togra seo agus soiléiriú ar an oidhreacht sin. I followed up Galway 2020, with its myriad of problems and its successes from day one. My specific question relates to what is being left and the legacy framework. Can the Minister of State please give specifics on that?
My Department is liaising with Galway 2020 on the development and implementation of the proposed legacy framework arising from the designation of Galway as Ireland's 2020 European Capital of Culture. In that regard, Galway 2020 is due to submit its proposals on the proposed legacy programme shortly and I would expect that the €1 million available will be spent. As set out in the reply of 21 June from the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, the overall framework focuses on a number of key strategic areas that are the most important legacies for Galway as a European Capital of Culture including sustaining and strengthening existing partnerships, networks and opportunities in Europe and internationally, as well as forging new opportunities for Galway based artists and cultural organisations; drawing on the successful delivery of projects under the Galway 2020 programme to support new place-based cultural programming, including through the Irish language; and supporting the Galway cultural and creative sector to build capacity through training, advice and networking opportunities.
Until the legacy framework is agreed I am not in a position to advise on the breakdown, but the framework will be published and will contain a breakdown of how the funding will be applied. However, I can advise that the funding will primarily focus on providing direct supports to artists, arts organisations and community arts groups to participate in programmes under each of the strategic areas. For example, it will include co-funding for successful applications to EU and international funding programmes, such as Creative Europe. The funding will also build on the flagship placed-based programme under Galway 2020, Small Towns Big Ideas, with new calls for projects as well as initiatives aimed at sustaining and enhancing the capacity of artists and arts organisations to deliver projects of scale. In addition, the board to the company, which retains the chief executives of Galway city and county councils, has made a number of new appointments from senior representatives from local education, business, broadcast, regional and development authorities to drive the delivery of actions under this framework.
I state reluctantly that the reply is very disappointing and the Minister of State will know why, given the history of this project. It started in 2014 and it is now 2022. He provided a repetition of the answer I received in June about a framework.
Where is the framework? Why has it not been published? There were serious issues from day one with this project with regard to constant turnover of staff, governance issues and a lack of robust control. The myriad problems were highlighted at the Committee of Public Accounts by the special report from the Comptroller and Auditor General. This should have been an inherent part of the planning of the project, given the €15 million from the Department, with €1 million still outstanding for heritage. Surely, eight years later, there should be a clear outline of what that €1 million will be used for. Galway is crying out for rehearsal and performance spaces - we heard when we were in touch this week with artists on the ground - among many other things.
The proposed legacy framework for Galway 2020 was received by officials of the Minister, Deputy Martin, in late June. In the intervening period, officials reviewed the framework and engaged with Galway 2020 and Galway city and county councils on the development of legacy actions for implementation. The proposed framework focuses on a number of key areas including building existing EU and international partnerships, supporting place-based cultural programming and supporting the cultural and creative sector.
In order to develop the framework, Galway 2020 undertook an extensive consultation process with stakeholders, including cultural and community organisations and local State and business entities. The €1 million remaining commitment from the overall €15 million from the Department to Galway 2020 will contribute to the implementation of initiatives under the legacy framework with a particular emphasis on directly supporting artists or arts organisations and community arts groups.
The development of the legacy framework will sustain and build on the capacity of networks and opportunities arising from the cultural programme of Galway 2020, which is a key deliverable of the overall European capital of culture action.
I will try to capture something in one minute. In an analysis of the capital of culture, 87% of the funds came from the public purse. The Comptroller and Auditor General said this was contrary to a Government decision that it would only be 50%. There are many other problems besides. Here we have another framework and committee and, in the meantime, the building of a former industrial school, known as Lenaboy has - officially - been sitting vacant since 2011. It is vacant since 2009. The narrative was that it was given as a gift to the city by the Sisters of Mercy. It was not. The building is part of the redress. I am drawing to the Minister of State's attention that it sits there. Does he know what the visionary management has done with the building? It has put out a tender for cameras to monitor and make the place secure, not seeing the irony that this was an industrial school where children were locked up. We are talking about a framework and the management cannot seem to put two things together or even look at the possibility of using that building in an imaginative way that gives suitable thanks to the children who were in there through no cause of their own.
I do not have specific detail or information on that but I acknowledge the Deputy's frustration. I do not know the background of the specific school but if there is a role for the officials of the Minister, Deputy Martin, to engage with that, I will reflect that feedback. I have been told that the delay in the finalisation of the legacy framework was that Galway 2020 engaged in extensive consultation with key stakeholders as part of this legacy development. It also reviewed and took into account key findings and recommendations from the independent evaluation of Galway 2020 by The Audience Agency, including recommendations to sustain and build on established networks at national and European level, as well as further enhancing the capacity of the sector, in particular in light of the impact of the pandemic on delivery.
My Department reviewed the proposed framework and worked with Galway 2020 on areas for clarification and further refinement in respect of departmental funding. As was set out in the response by the Minister, Deputy Martin, we expect in the coming week the final submission for approval with respect to the allocation of the remaining €1 million from the Department's commitment to Galway 2020.
16. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if additional funding will be provided to an organisation (details supplied) which recently announced that it cannot afford to continue operating due to a lack of Arts Council funding. [47588/22]
Two weeks ago the Dublin arts festival, Scene + Heard, announced that it will not be returning in 2023 due to a lack of funding. Will the Minister continue to provide some funds in order that this much-needed festival can continue to operate?
The Arts Council is the statutory body charged with supporting and developing the arts under the Arts Act 2003. Under section 24(2) of the Act, the Arts Council is independent in its funding decisions and the Minister is statutorily precluded from intervening. The Arts Council offers a wide range of schemes that provide funding to artists and arts organisations. These include the festival investment scheme which is a competitive scheme that offers funding to support the staging of festivals on a non-recurring basis.
The Deputy may wish to note that under budget 2023, the Minister, Deputy Martin, has maintained the Arts Council allocation of €130 million. This allocation will allow the Arts Council to continue to protect jobs and livelihoods of artists and assist arts organisations through the cost-of-living crisis. With such assistance and the support of the public, the core infrastructure of the arts in Ireland has survived. This ongoing public funding in 2023 allows the Arts Council to continue its support for artists and arts organisations. Budget 2023 and the cost-of-living package deliver a range of supports to the tourism, culture, Gaeltacht, sports and media sectors across Ireland.
The measures announced under the budget on Tuesday resulted from ongoing dialogue and engagement between officials in my Department and the sectors and communities which come under our remit. Budget 2023 is unprecedented, compared with recent years, with increasing uncertainty in the face of rising energy costs, inflation and economic uncertainty. Together we have provided supports to help these important sectors survive through the rapidly-increasing energy costs they face. In the case of Arts Council funding, this budget will not doubt assist the council to address significant costs and challenges for artists, arts workers and arts organisations.
It is important that the arm's-length principal of funding of the arts be maintained. We cannot overstate the importance of the Arts Council's status as an independent agency where funding decisions are taken at arm's length from the political system. This ensures that artists continue to have the freedom to create and express their art, including views and even criticism that we, as politicians, might not necessarily embrace.
I will pay testimony to what exactly this arts festival was about. It mentored countless young aspiring performers, writers and directors for six years and provided them with training, encouragement and a space to demonstrate their work. Three thousand artists benefitted from the Scene + Heard festival over the years and the programme launched many successful careers in the arts but that is set to end.
I appreciate that the decision should be removed from politics, but politics should not separate itself from how we foster a culture of artistic endeavour in this country. Mentorship is essential to that. There is a role for politicians.
In a country where it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a living as an artist, this is a massive blow to future generations. I implore the Minister to consider other avenues by which politics and the Government can step in to ensure that artistic mentorship can continue into the future. The Scene + Heard festival was instrumental to that.
I acknowledge the points the Deputy made about the Scene + Heard festival. What Government can do is support funding for the arts. That has happened in an unprecedented way again this year. The Minister, Deputy Martin, has secured €130 million for the Arts Council, €35 million for the basic-income-for-artists pilot scheme which will see 2,000 artists receive a payment of €325 per week for three years; €7 million for capital supports for artists' and climate adaptation, including a new €5 million scheme for local authority and not-for-profit bodies; €15 million to address the energy cost challenges; €6 million for the night-time economy, including €2 million for new capital supports; €2 million extra for Culture Ireland to promote Irish artists overseas and €500,000 to support measures developed in conjunction with the Irish Theatre Institute as part of the speak-up campaign. Specific funding decisions are made with an arm's-length principal. That has been underpinned in the Arts Act 2003 with regard to specific funding decisions.
I acknowledge the importance of the festival the Deputy referenced but it is a decision for the Arts Council.
I accept fully that there has been massive strides made in terms of funding for arts and I also acknowledge that basic funding for arts has gone some way, but none of that will mean anything if we do not have a culture of mentorship. It is extraordinarily difficult for artists to get a start in this country. One of the ways that can be fostered is by artists helping other artists. The Scene + Heard festival did that for six years in Dublin. It will not exist anymore which needs to be lamented in this House. Politicians and Ministers have a role in fostering that culture in this country.
In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Martin, she has been a very strong advocate of fostering that..
We have an innovative scheme to provide a basic income for artists. We have got a huge step change in funding for the Arts Council since the Government came into office. That has been continued and maintained in budget 2023. We have got supports for the night-time economy and cross-Government co-ordination to build more inclusive and diverse spaces for that economy. There has been an extra €2 million for Culture Ireland as well as Creative Ireland, which has seen continued support.
As stated, I acknowledge the importance of the festival the Deputy referred to in his area, but, under the Arts Act, an arm's length principle is maintained. I hope there can be engagement between the applicant and the Arts Council for further consideration on it but it is not something there can be direct intervention on. If there was there would be huge criticism. Arts Council decision-making is a fundamental principle we have had for over 20 years. It is important we maintain that so artists are free to express whatever view they have within the context of Government funding.
