Written Answers Nos. 1 - 12
9. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to expand culture night to culture week in September; and if he will also consider a second culture week during the summer holiday period in support of the Gathering 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4508/13]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to expand the Culture Night concept and to consider making it a twice yearly event. Following on from discussions between my Department and all relevant stakeholders, it was agreed that this commitment would be best met by the designation and delivery of an International Week of Irish Culture, based around the St Patrick's Day Festival. This would allow for the cultivation and development of the solid foundations already in place to showcase to the world Ireland's rich and varied cultural heritage and to promote Ireland as a destination for cultural tourists.
2012 was essentially the first year of a 5-year development plan for this initiative, which will ultimately potentially link with 2016 commemorations. Last year, the emphasis was on the international launch of the "International Celebration of Irish Culture" brand abroad and 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 ". The existing St. Patrick's Festival activity was used to promote Ireland and its culture, both domestically and internationally, and the initiative was well received and supported in both national and international spheres.
Plans for the 2013 event are almost finalised and both the duration and programme have been expanded for this year's event, having particular regard to the Gathering. In addition to profiling the range of rich cultural events taking place during St. Patrick's Festival, the 2013 programme also includes some 16 headline events in collaboration with various cultural institutions and partners over a 4 day period from the 14th to the 17th March inclusive. These events will be staged in the beautiful surroundings of some of our most prestigious cultural institutions and venues and admission will be free of charge. Ireland's current presidency of the EU will also be celebrated during the 2013 event, with the key focus of the international element of this year's programme centring on "Culture Connects" , the international culture programme of Ireland's EU Presidency.
In further recognition of the Culture Night commitment in the Programme for Government, my Department continues to work with all relevant stakeholders to foster and develop the event. 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 Culture Night 2012 featuring a record 34 participating locations, including 6 regions in Northern Ireland, and encompassing over 900 venues, making it the biggest and most extensive Culture Night to date. Discussions have already commenced with key stakeholders in relation to Culture Night 2013. As it enters its 8th year, the challenge is to keep Culture Night fresh and exciting, whilst building on the platforms and success of previous years to further develop and enhance the event. Whilst we want people to really enjoy Culture Night, we also want to use it as a stepping stone or bridge to encourage more people to visit cultural venues and experience culture in their locality. I anticipate that both the Culture Night and International Celebration of Irish Culture initiatives will make a significant contribution towards the success of The Gathering in 2013.
11. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will consider seeking the implementation of a multi-annual funding framework for those funded through the Arts Council to provide more certainty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4259/13]
View answerGovernment policy on the arts, as set out in the Programme for Government , is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts, make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life, and maximise the potential for cultural tourism and job creation in this sector. In the context of the 2013 Estimates, I continued my endeavours to maximise ongoing Government support for the arts and culture sector. For 2013, the Exchequer allocation to the Arts Council, which is the principal agency through which State funding is channelled to the arts, will total some €60.7 million in current, capital and EU Presidency funding. I remain committed to securing the best possible level of funding for the arts sector.
Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations and neither I nor my Department has a role to play in its funding decisions. I am advised, however, that the Arts Council operates funding cycles for its three main grant programmes - Regularly Funded Organisations; Annual Funding; and Annual Programming Grants – in such a way as to help arts organisations by giving them more funding certainty and improved ability for planning.
I believe that within the current economic constraints, our investment in the arts, culture and creative sectors is more important than ever due to the employment intensity of the sector. The arts are a significant economic contributor and employer in their own right and they are also important building blocks for those economic policies the Government has identified as crucial for our economic recovery. The arts continue to underpin policies in attracting foreign direct investment, the creation of an imaginative labour force, establishing an innovative environment in which the creative and cultural industries can thrive, and promoting cultural tourism.
12. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a decision will be made in relation to the battlefield site on Moore Street, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4498/13]
View answer18. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he intends honouring his undertaking to preserve the 1916 National Monument in its entirety under preservation order No. 1 of 2007. [4261/13]
View answer38. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he has received the environmental impact assessment of numbers 14 to 17 Moore Street, Dublin; the result of this assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4511/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 18 and 38 together.
Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street are the subject of a Preservation Order under the National Monuments Acts. The effect of the Preservation Order is that any works affecting these properties require my consent, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, under section 14 of the National Monuments Act 1930, as amended. The landowner’s application to my Department envisages the retention of the monument buildings and the provision of a commemorative centre to the 1916 Rising and its leaders. That application for consent is being examined by my Department at present. As part of the consent process, the applicant was asked by my Department to submit an Environmental Impact Statement in relation to the proposed works. This was in accordance with new regulations, which I introduced last year, that have placed additional responsibilities on landowners in respect of monuments protected under the National Monuments Acts.
The Environmental Impact Statement was received in my Department on Friday last, 25 January 2013 and, as required by the regulations, copies have been sent to the National Museum of Ireland and Dublin City Council for observations. It is also available for public examination. Interested parties have 5 weeks from the submission date to provide their comments to me, as Minister, for consideration as part of my assessment of the Environmental Impact Statement. Having completed the prescribed consultation procedures, I will then undertake the formal environmental impact assessment as part of my decision on the consent application. My intention is complete these processes as speedily as possible.
