Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 November 2013
429. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his Department will support financially and in other ways the strategic plan for the Artane School of Music 2013-16; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50801/13]
View answerGovernment policy on the arts is set out in the Programme for Government . 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.
Primary responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The Council is funded by my Department but it is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations. This includes independence in its funding decisions. In 2014, the Arts Council will receive an allocation of over €55.8 million in current and capital funding. Details of all funding provided by the Arts Council to arts practitioners, arts groups and venues, including arts centres, are available on the Council's website at www.artscouncil.ie. In a wider context, the Arts Council support for a range of arts forms is set out in its strategic overview document entitled Developing the Arts in Ireland: Arts Council Strategic Overview 2011-2013. This strategy document, which is available on the Council's website, lays out the key strategic principles that inform the Council's funding decisions.
My Department also funds targeted initiatives for music which are channelled through Music Network. These include a national music day and a national music instrument scheme. Love: Live Music Day, the national music day, is an annual celebration of all forms of music in Ireland. It aims to promote access to live music for all, regardless of location through free nationwide music events. The musical instrument scheme operated by Music Network assists individuals and groups to purchase musical instruments. Further details are available at www.musicnetwork.ie.
The Government appreciates the importance of the arts, culture and the creative industries to both our society and to our economy. The arts sector continues to offer vital opportunities for the provision of important cultural, social and employment benefits to communities throughout the country. Within the current economic constraints, investment in the arts, heritage, culture and creative sectors is more important than ever, having regard to the employment intensity of these sectors. I remain committed to securing the best possible level of funding and to providing every possible support for these sectors.
