Peadar Tóibín
Question:120. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad atá eagraithe aige le haghaidh Sheachtain na Gaeilge 2013. [4709/13]
View answerSeachtain na Gaeilge
Questions (120)
Written answers
Is féile idirnáisiúnta í Seachtain na Gaeilge a reáchtáiltear i mí an Mhárta gach bliain agus a chuireann úsáid na Gaeilge agus an cultúr Gaelach chun cinn, anseo in Éirinn agus thar lear. Is é Conradh an Gaeilge a eagraíonn an fhéile a bheidh ar siúl i mbliana ón 4 go 17 Márta 2013. Tuigtear dom go mbeidh na céadta imeachtaí á n-eagrú, ní hamháin in Éirinn ach ar fud an domhain mhóir. Tréaslaím le gach duine a bheidh páirteach in eagrú na n-imeachtaí éagsúla as a dtionscnaíocht agus as a ndúthracht.
Ní miste a rá nach í Seachtain na Gaeilge amháin atá á ceiliúradh ag Conradh na Gaeilge i mbliana. Tá Bliain na Gaeilge eagraithe ag an gConradh fosta mar chomóradh ar bhunú na heagraíochta 120 bliain ó shin. Tuigtear dom go mbeidh imeachtaí Sheachtain na Gaeilge mar chroílár an cheiliúrtha ar Bhliain na Gaeilge. Tá eolas maidir leis na tionscnaimh seo le fáil ar na suíomhanna gréasáin www.snag.ie agus www.gaeilge2013.ie .
Arts Promotion
Questions (121, 125)
Bernard Durkan
Question:121. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which it is intended to promote the various forms of the arts throughout the current year with particular reference to the utilisation of the Gathering as a means to promote the national image to generate employment and economic revival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4806/13]
View answerBernard Durkan
Question:125. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he and his Department can identify, promote and support cultural events throughout the current year which might be of substantial economic benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4810/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 125 together.
The Government's policy on the arts is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, to increase access to and participation in the arts and to make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life. I am continuing to work towards this goal with my Department and the agencies in its remit. The Programme for Government 2011-2016, along with my Department's Statement of Strategy, has the overall goal of promoting and developing Ireland's world-class artistic and creative strengths at home and abroad and of maximising their societal, economic and reputational value for the country.
As the Deputy will know, responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is primarily devolved to the Arts Council. Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations and my Department has no role to play in its executive or funding decisions. The Arts Council is playing an ongoing key role in funding and developing arts events around the country during 2013. This will ensure that the visitors for The Gathering can experience excellent performances and exhibitions locally.
I would also refer the Deputy to my answer in the house earlier today in relation to my Department's role in The Gathering (ref Ref No: 4479/13). The Gathering affords an excellent opportunity to showcase our arts and all of our cultural institutions. My Department and the agencies under the aegis have been working on extensive programmes to support The Gathering for some time. That collaborative and supportive effort is continuing.
Arts Funding
Questions (122)
Bernard Durkan
Question:122. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he expects the arts to attract private sector or voluntary funding in the course of the current year; the way this might be used to incentivise development of the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4807/13]
View answerWritten answers
Last May I announced the introduction of a new philanthropic initiative on a pilot basis for arts and culture organisations. The initiative - the Philanthropic Leverage Initiative - was designed to encourage philanthropic sponsorship and endowment of the arts from private sources. The initiative, established with funding of €230,000 for 2012, has provided an incentive to arts organisations to proactively seek new funding relationships with sponsors which deliver private sector financial support, thereby increasing overall funding available to the arts. The initiative was available across projects of varying scale, geography and art forms to not-for-profit organisations for arts programming projects. The organisations approved for funding under the initiative were required to procure matching philanthropic funds and complete their drawdown from my Department in 2012. Matched funding could not come from public funds or from any public sector organisation. It was anticipated that a multiple of 3.5 on the pilot initiative funds of €230,000 will result in philanthropic funding of some €800,000 being raised for the arts. The initiative proved very successful with a multiplier of 4.26 in philanthropic donations being leveraged for the arts. I am considering a similar scheme in 2013.
The Leverage Initiative was run in parallel with a second initiative - the Arts Council's RAISE: Building Fundraising Capacity pilot initiative. This initiative provides one-to-one professional support to eight selected organisations for two years through planning and implementing a tailored fundraising programme. This initiative will help those art organisations build and resource their capacity to attract philanthropic giving. In developing this complementary programme, the Arts Council has identified that it is vital for art groups to develop, agree and implement an effective fundraising strategy and to properly resource that fundraising function.
My Department has also provided support to Business to Arts (a not-for-profit organisation working to support resilience and transformation in the cultural sector through research, innovation and partnership) for a number of years and, in each of the last three years, this has been allocated to delivery of the New Stream Programme, which builds fundraising skills in the cultural sector in Ireland (The Bank of America Merrill Lynch investment in this project is €400k over three years).
In 2010 my Department also awarded a €20,000 grant under the Cultural Technology Grants Scheme to Business to Arts for the ‘Fund it’ initiative. Business to Arts initially matched this figure with private funding and since then has attracted additional foundation funds to this project. Fund it is a new all-island "crowdfunding" website for Ireland’s creative projects, giving everyone the power to help good ideas happen. 'Fund it' is designed to support greater individual giving to the creative sector; the approach serves to strengthen the bond between a creator and their audience which offers the potential for wider-ranging, long-term relationships. In late 2012 I also hosted a conference on philanthropy and the arts and a number of follow-on actions arose from that event.
Heritage Projects
Questions (123, 124)
Bernard Durkan
Question:123. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he has received any communication indicating heritage sites or buildings deemed to be at risk for whatever reason; the number of sites or locations made known to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4808/13]
View answerBernard Durkan
Question:124. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he has received applications for funding for the improvement, renovation, restoration or conservation of buildings, sites or national monuments; the extent to which any such locations are likely to receive attention in the current and future years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4809/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together.
I refer to the replies to Question No. 486 on 6 June 2012, Nos. 201, 202 and 203 on 18 July, 2012 and Nos. 150, 151, 155 and 159 on 28 November 2012 and to the supplementary material sent to the Deputy in recent days in support of the reply to Question No. 151 of 28th November 2012. All communications received by my Department in relation to the care, conservation, preservation and protection of heritage sites or buildings are examined and dealt with as speedily as resources allow. The number of projects supported in future years will be dependent on the resources available to my Department.
Question No. 125 answered with Question No. 121.