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Thursday, 7 Mar 2013

Written Answers Nos. 140-149

Departmental Websites

Questions (140)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

140. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he intends to update the organisation chart posted on his Department's website and dated January 2012 to reflect changes in personnel and organisation since that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12154/13]

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Written answers

I would like to advise the Deputy that the organisation chart referred to has now been updated and posted on my Department's website.

Departmental Appointments

Questions (141)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

141. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if further to the critical review of Culture Ireland he has appointed a Director at Principal Officer level within his Department; if he has as stated, acted to underpin the independence of his role by ensuring as promised that a Delegation Order under the Public Service Management Act 1997, from the Secretary General to the Director has been made; if he will publish the delegation order; the name of the Director and also state whatever if any other functions that person has within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12155/13]

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Written answers

I can advise the Deputy that an officer was appointed on 20 June 2012, at Principal Officer level, to act as Director of my Department's Culture Ireland Unit. The officer does not hold other functions within my Department and is solely engaged in the overall management, development and promotion of the Culture Ireland programme of work. I can also advise the Deputy that a composite Delegation Order, made under the Public Service Management Act 1997 by the Secretary General of my Department on 31 January 2013, includes the appropriate delegation of functions to the Director. I understand that the Order will be published on my Department's website later this month.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (142)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

142. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a list for 2012 of all relevant subheads within his Department's vote from which funding is provided for arts and culture purposes; if he will state in relation to each subhead its purpose and scope; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12156/13]

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Written answers

As the Deputy will be aware, details of my Department allocations at subhead level are published each year in the Revised Estimates Volume and are available on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's website. Details with regard to 2012 are available via the following link: http://per.gov.ie/estpubexp2012/

For the Deputy's convenience, the table below provides a listing of the subheads related to the Arts, Culture and Film programme area, together with a brief overview of the purpose of the subheads.

Subhead

Subhead Title

Subhead Description

A.1

Administration – Pay

This subhead covers Departmental pay costs associated with the Arts, Culture and Film functions.

A.2

Administration - Non-Pay

This subhead covers Departmental administrative costs associated with the Arts, Culture and Film functions.

A.3

Payments To Match Resources Generated By The National Archives

This subhead facilitates the National Archives in using earnings generated by its activities for its own development purposes.

A.4

General Expanses of the National Archives & National Archives Advisory Council

This subhead provides for the administration and general expenses of the National Archives.

A.5

General Expenses of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Chester Beatty Library, National Concert Hall & the Crawford Gallery (grant-in-aid)

This subhead provides funding for the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Chester Beatty Library, the National Concert Hall and the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork.

A.6

Regional Museums, Galleries, Cultural Centres & Projects

This subhead provides funding related to enhancing access to the arts, culture and film sectors and recognising the social and economic role of these sectors in Ireland.

A.7

Cultural Infrastructure & Development

This subhead provides for the capital cost of grants for the development of arts and culture infrastructure throughout the country. There is a current allocation in the subhead for providing grants to arts bodies, including Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

A.8

Culture Ireland

This subhead makes provision for the funding of the Culture Ireland Programme for the promotion of Irish arts and culture worldwide.

A.9

An Chomhairle Ealaíon (part funded by the National Lottery) (grant-in-aid)

This subhead provides funding to the Arts Council for its activities.

A.10

General Expenses of the National Museum of Ireland (grant-in-aid)

The current allocation is utilised in meeting costs arising from the day-to-day operations of the Museum. The capital allocation is in respect of general capital works in the Museum.

A.11

General Expenses of the National Library of Ireland (grant-in-aid)

The current allocation is used to fund the day-to-day operations of the Library. The capital allocation is provided to cover collection development, digitisation/IT projects, equipment and exhibitions, etc.

A.12

Irish Film Board (grant-in-aid)

The current allocation provides for the administration and general expenses of the Irish Film Board. The capital allocation is mainly for the provision of development and production loans to the independent film and television production sector.

A.13

EU Presidency - Cultural Programme

This subhead relates to my Department's role in coordinating and developing Ireland's Cultural Programme for the EU Presidency.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (143)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

143. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will itemise in tabular form the monies disbursed, together with a statement of their purpose, from the Crowley Bequest Fund in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12157/13]

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Written answers

The Crowley Project provides funding for archival work and the digitisation of the Chief Secretary’s Office Registered Papers 1818-1922. As the Deputy is aware, it is one of the most important collection of records relating to 19th century Ireland held anywhere in the world. In 2012, €46,812 was disbursed from the Crowley Bequest fund to pay the salaries of the archivists working on the records. My Department provided matching funding of €23,406, which was refunded to the Bequest. I understand that the Crowley Project website received 613,233 hits and 13,208 unique visitors in 2012, and that users of the website have praised its value for scholarship of the early 19th century and for genealogical research.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (144, 145, 146, 147, 148)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

144. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in relation to subhead A.6 of his Department's vote, if he will list in tabular form the monies disbursed from it in 2012; if he will provide a statement of their purpose in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12158/13]

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Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

145. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in relation to subhead A.7 of his Department's vote, if he will list in tabular form the monies disbursed from it in 2012; if he will provide a statement of their purpose in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12159/13]

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Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

146. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details if any of the advertisements by his Department of funds available from subheads A.6 and A.7 of his Department's vote in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12160/13]

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Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

147. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the application process if any that is administered by his Department in relation to funds disbursed from subheads A.6 and A.7 of his Department's vote; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12161/13]

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Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

148. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the written criteria applied to evaluating projects funded from funds disbursed from subheads A.6 and A.7 of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12162/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 148, inclusive, together.

Organisations funded under the A.6 subhead meet a specific cultural need and support the high-level goal of my Department in relation to enhancing access to the arts, culture and film sectors and recognising the social and economic role of these sectors in Ireland. The organisations in question make a very important contribution to the development and promotion of Ireland's cultural tourism offering, to the benefit of both the domestic and foreign tourist, and represent an important component of the delivery of the cultural tourism commitments in the Programme for Government.

Projects funded under the A.7 subhead relate to Cultural Infrastructure and Development and include a capital and current element. Capital investment in cultural infrastructure has greatly improved access to, and participation in, the arts for large numbers of people, including, for example, the Smock Alley project. Current investment includes funding for programmes such as those operated by Music Network and provision towards the Philanthropy Initiative to support private fundraising by arts organisations - with arts in education being the major focus of this scheme in 2013 in support of the Arts in Education Charter, launched recently by myself and my colleague Ruairi Quinn, TD, Minister for Education and Skills. A copy of the 2013 philanthropy scheme is available at www.ahg.gov.ie/en/arts/schemes/.

The application and evaluation process in relation to projects funded under both subheads A.6 and A.7 is determined by the specific objectives of the projects themselves vis-à-vis Government Arts and Culture policy. For example, my Department is committed under the A.6 subhead to providing annual funding to certain cultural institutions that hold collections of moveable cultural heritage of national importance, or collections that are unique in the country. Institutions such as Archbishop Marsh's Library, the James Joyce Centre, the Hunt Museum and Foynes Flying Boat Museum receive an annual allocation of funding accordingly.

Projects funded under the Local and Regional Museums Scheme are required to comply with the detailed terms and conditions of that scheme, which are available on my Department's website, and an assessment and evaluation process is carried out within my Department to determine successful applicants. Projects seeking funding under the Mobility of Collections Scheme, the Co-operation with Northern Ireland Scheme and Regional Culture Night also go through similar processes. These schemes are also available at www.ahg.gov.ie/en/culture/schemes/ .

In addition to the details available on my Department's website, relevant groups and/or associations are advised of the availability of funding each year, e.g., the Irish Museums' Association, the Local Authority Museums' Network, the Local Arts Officers Network, etc, as the case may be.

The Deputy will appreciate that as the audit of 2012 expenditure by my Department has yet to be completed by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, I am not in a position at this time to release audited details of the monies disbursed in 2012 from subheads A.6 and A.7. I can, however, advise that the main funding allocations (including, in certain cases, both capital and current allocations) under these subheads in 2012 included the following:

Groups/Associations

Philanthropy Initiative

€200,000

Music Network

€200,000

Hunt Museum

€495,000

Archbishop Marsh's Library

€345,000

Irish Architectural Archive

€295,000

National Print Museum

€122,500

Foynes Flying Boat Museum

€110,000

James Joyce Centre

€152,000

National Maritime Museum

€9,000

Science Gallery

€375,000

Cork Butter Museum

€30,000

Irish Museums Association

€35,000

Regional Museums Programme

€70,000

Mobility of Collections

€10,000

Culture Night 2012

€200,000

Co-operation with Northern Ireland

€130,000

Irish Manuscripts Commission

€245,000

The Garage Theatre

€1,362,000

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann

€1,675,000

Theatre Royal, Waterford

€578,000

Smock Alley Theatre

€357,000

IMMA

€45,000

Cinema Digitisation

€49,000

National Museum

€240,000

The Abbey Theatre

€450,000

National Sculptor Factory

€15,000

Other Voices

€100,000

Limerick City Gallery

€107,000

St. John Square, Limerick

€123,000

RIA Historic Books

€50,000

Gate Theatre

€24,000

Royal Irish Academy

€200,000

National Concert Hall

€110,000

Electricity Transmission Network

Questions (149)

Jack Wall

Question:

149. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the up to date plans to address the functional needs of the ESB network (details supplied) in County Galway; if he will indicate the timescale of such plans and if it will include a sub-station in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12045/13]

View answer

Written answers

This is a day to day operational matter for the ESB and not one in which I, as Minister, have a role or function. I have asked the company to communicate directly with the Deputy.

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