Michael Colreavy
Question:14. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Michael Colreavy den Aire Ealaíon; Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad atá déanta aige chun an togra Líofa a chur i bhfeidhm sa Stát seo. [41976/12]
View answerForbairt na Gaeilge
Questions (14)
Written answers
Sheol an tAire Ní Chuilín, an tAire Cultúir, Ealaíon agus Fóillíochta i dTuaisceart Éireann, an togra Líofa 2015 i Meán Fómhair 2011 agus bhí an-áthas orm féin a bheith i láthair ar an ócáid sin. Is tionscnamh é seo a bhfuil sé mar aidhm aige spreagadh a thabhairt do chúig mhíle duine ó thuaidh a bheith líofa sa Ghaeilge faoin mbliain 2015.
Mar is eol don Teachta, tá sprioc ar leith sonraithe faoin Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010-2030, is é sin go mbeidh 250,000 cainteoirí laethúla Gaeilge ann lasmuigh den chóras oideachais faoin mbliain 2030. Tá bearta éagsúla á dtógáil chun líon na gcainteoirí Gaeilge a mhéadú thar shaolré na Straitéise. Ar ndóigh, tá sé seo ag teacht leis an gClár Rialtais agus an gealltanas a tugadh ann maidir le spriocanna indéanta na Straitéise a sheachadadh. Sa chomhthéacs seo, tá ceann de na gníomhaíochtaí is suntasaí faoin Straitéis á chur i bhfeidhm agus bunús reachtúil tugtha do shainmhíniú úr ar an nGaeltacht faoi Acht na Gaeltachta 2012.
Tá forbairt chóras cuimsitheach pleanála teanga ag leibhéal an phobail sa Ghaeltacht mar ghné lárnach den Straitéis le cinntiú go mairfidh an Ghaeilge mar theanga phobail sa Ghaeltacht. Táthar ag cur tús le feidhmiú an phróisis sin i gcomhréir leis an Acht sna Limistéir Phleanála Teanga Ghaeltachta.
Ar ndóigh, tá sé tábhachtach freisin nach mbeidh an Ghaeltacht teoranta do na ceantair a bhfuil stádas reachtúil Gaeltachta acu faoi láthair. Dá bhrí sin, tabharfar stádas reachtúil faoin Acht do Líonraí Gaeilge atá lasmuigh de na ceantair Ghaeltachta thraidisiúnta. Is ceantair iad seo a bhfuil a bhformhór i bpobail uirbeacha agus a bhfuil toirt bhunúsach chriticiúil de thacaíocht phobail agus Stáit acu don Ghaeilge. Ina theannta sin, tabharfar stádas reachtúil faoin Acht do Bhailte Seirbhíse Gaeltachta, bailte ina gcuirtear seirbhísí ar fáil do cheantair Ghaeltachta.
Mar atá sonraithe in Acht na Gaeltachta, beidh ról lárnach ag Údarás na Gaeltachta agus ag Foras na Gaeilge maidir le cúnamh a thabhairt do phobail éagsúla agus d'eagraíochtaí éagsúla i ndáil le hullmhú agus le feidhmiú pleananna teanga sna ceantair éagsúla atá faoina gcúram. Tá cur chuige an Údaráis agus an Fhorais faoin bpróiseas pleanála teanga á phlé ag an ngrúpa oibre atá bunaithe ag mo Roinnse leis an Údarás agus leis an bhForas faoin Straitéis. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil an tÚdarás agus an Foras ag plé le heagraíochtaí éagsúla ar an talamh chun dlús a chur leis an bpróiseas pleanála teanga.
Is tríd an bpróiseas pleanála teanga go príomha, agus le hionchur ón bpobal agus ón Stát araon, a bhfuil i gceist tabhairt faoi athbheochan na Gaeilge sa dlínse seo le linn na tréimhse idir seo agus 2030.
Question No. 15 answered with Question No. 10.
Cultural Policy
Questions (16)
Timmy Dooley
Question:16. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to expand and widen Culture Night in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41791/12]
View answerWritten answers
Culture Night 2012 took place on Friday 21 September last across 34 locations throughout the island of Ireland, making it the largest and most diverse Culture Night to date.
Culture Night has grown from a relatively small-scale cultural event staged only in Dublin in 2006 to the significant national cultural event it now is, with more than 300,000 people visiting museums, galleries, historic houses, artists’ studios and cultural centres across the country in 2011. Whilst definitive attendance figures are not yet available for 2012, early indications are that the number of participants on the night will match, if not indeed surpass, those recorded in 2011. I allocated just over €200,000 for the event in 2012.
The 2012 event also saw the development and delivery of a GPS-enabled Dublin Culture Night smartphone application, which was available to download free of charge, both in advance of the night and on the night itself, with a view to allowing Culture Night participants develop their own personal culture trails and access a wealth of information in relation to the rich cultural offerings available. Initial feedback in relation to the 'app' has been positive with over 7,000 users on the night itself. The potential around developing and enhancing the 'app' to include possibly all of the participating locations is already under consideration for Culture Night 2013 and beyond.
The commitment in the Programme for Government to expand the Culture Night concept and to consider making it a twice yearly event is being advanced by the designation and delivery of an International Week of Irish Culture, based around the St. Patrick's Day Festival, following discussions between my Department and key stakeholders. This year was the first year of a five-year initiative, ultimately potentially linking with the 2016 commemorations. This year the emphasis was on:
- the international launch of the "International Celebration of Irish Culture" brand abroad;
- a series of programme activities based in existing cultural venues around the Merrion Square/Kildare Street areas of Dublin;
- marketing the message of "I Love my City "; and
- using the existing St. Patrick's Festival activity to promote Ireland and its culture, both domestically and internationally.
The initiative was well received and supported in both national and international spheres and discussions have already commenced between my Department and the St. Patrick's Festival as to the further development and expansion of the event for 2013 and beyond. My Department is also supporting Music Day – now designated internationally as 21 June.
Genealogical Services
Questions (17)
Catherine Murphy
Question:17. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to any feasibility study that has been conducted into the development of a consolidated, State overseen facility, both online and by traditional means, to allow members of the public to access digitised genealogical records from a wide variety of State and private sources including but not limited to the National Archives, National Museum, Health Service Executive births, deaths and marriage records, National Library, Military Archives, local authority records, prison records, land valuation records, cemetery records and so on; if so, if he will provide the details of such a study; his plans to develop this proposal or a similar proposal; his views on the desirability of such a facility in terms of our national heritage and tourism potential; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42020/12]
View answerWritten answers
While my Department is aware of a proposal for a potential digitisation project for access to large numbers of records, it has not, however, been involved in any feasibility study. As the Deputy will appreciate, any project covering the records referred to in her Question would fall within the remits of a number of Government Departments.
Turning to the particular area of genealogical records in relation to my own Department and agencies under my aegis, genealogical services are provided by the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives and through the website www.irishgenealogy.ie operated by my Department. My Department and the institutions are currently exploring what improvements could be made to our genealogical offering and work on this is ongoing. Discussions have also taken place in the context of The Gathering initiative, to which I referred in the House today. Furthermore, the Deputy will be aware of the recent call issued by the National Library of Ireland for expressions of interest in digitizing elements of its collection, including its genealogical records.
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that officials from my Department have recently been invited to join the stakeholder group for Digital Repository Ireland, a digital repository for contemporary and historical, social and cultural data held by Irish institutions.
Heritage Council Expenditure
Questions (18, 29, 31)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:18. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to ensure continued funding for the heritage officer programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42030/12]
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Gerry Adams
Question:29. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to extend the walled towns capital conservation project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42026/12]
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Pádraig MacLochlainn
Question:31. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to promote best practice in the care of collections and to improve visitor experience in museums; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42025/12]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 29 and 31 together.
This year my Department is providing a total of €4,811,000 of Exchequer funding to the Heritage Council, together with €1,500,000 from my Department’s share of the Environment Fund, to support the work of the Council in its role of improving heritage infrastructure, awareness raising, and promoting best practice in conservation and sustainable heritage management.
The Deputy will appreciate that it is a matter for the Heritage Council to allocate funds to the various schemes which it supports. However, I understand that in 2012 the Heritage Council allocated €550,000 to the Heritage Officer Programme, €339,000 in capital grants under the Irish Walled Towns Network and €150,000 to the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland.
The Heritage Council has operated the Heritage Officer Programme since 1999, developing a partnership programme with local authorities to facilitate the employment of Heritage Officers.
The Irish Walled Towns Network was established by the Heritage Council in 2005 and currently comprises 24 walled towns throughout Ireland. The role of the Irish Walled Towns Network is to co-ordinate and support the strategic efforts of local authorities and their communities in the management, conservation and enhancement of historic walled towns in Ireland. The Network is now operating on its second Action Plan, covering the period 2011-13.
The Museum Standards Programme for Ireland, established in 2006, is an initiative which sets out to improve all aspects of Ireland’s museum practice and, in particular, to raise the standards of care for collections across Irish museums and galleries. It is a voluntary programme, which has attracted involvement from across the cultural spectrum from national institutions to small, volunteer-led organisations. The Programme aims to benchmark and raise professional minimum standards in the museum sector.
Without prejudice to the outcome of the current review of the Heritage Council, it will be a matter for the Council to decide if further funding should be allocated to these schemes in future years, having regard to competing priorities for limited resources.
My Department also operates a small annual scheme to support special initiatives at regional museums. I hope to be in a position to continue that scheme in 2013, subject to resources.