Written Answers Nos. 483-492
484. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport under the Civil Service reform programme, the number of clerical officers who have been promoted to higher executive officer and the number of executive officers who have been promoted to assistant principal officer in his Department through internal competitions after the significant change in eligibility rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2584/16]
View answerSince the introduction of the change in promotion eligibility rules there have been no Clerical Officers promoted to Higher Executive Officer and no Executive Officers promoted to Assistant Principal Officer through internal competition in my Department. The Department welcomes and supports these new rules which have been fully implemented in recent competitions.
485. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the State's preparations for the 1916 commemoration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2015/16]
View answerThe Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, which was launched on 31 March 2015, includes a rich diversity of programmes and events, complementary and additional to the formal State occasions, which will run throughout 2016 to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The programme is an invitation to everyone on the island of Ireland and to the global Irish community to shape and engage in a diverse range of historical, cultural and artistic activities – all designed to facilitate reflection, commemoration, celebration, debate and analysis and an active imagining of our future.
Officials from my Department have facilitated an intensive consultation period during 2015, including active engagement with schools, universities, colleges, business and voluntary organisations, arts and culture institutions, historical societies, local authorities and representative groups – at home and in our Diaspora around the world – to inform, to stimulate debate and discussion about 2016, and to foster programme initiatives. Work has been ongoing to implement a comprehensive programme and planning is well underway for the range of initiatives within the seven programme strands.
Among the key milestones achieved to date are the following:
- A programme of State ceremonial events, which represent the formal and solemn marking of 1916 by the citizens of Ireland as the seminal event that led to our independence, has been initiated. The first of these State ceremonial events took place on 1st January with a flag raising ceremony at Dublin Castle, which was attended by President Michael D. Higgins and An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D. This solemn commemoration was followed by the Ireland 2016 Peace Proms, which took place in partnership with the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland and choirs representing all parts of the country. A significant number of State ceremonies are due to take place throughout 2016, particularly around Easter time, and plans for each of these events are progressing well.
- Over 84 public consultation meetings were held with local communities all around the country, with 31 individual county plans launched on 8th October 2015, comprising over 1,800 events nationwide. €1m was allocated to facilitate these plans last year, with a further €3m to be made available this year.
- An allocation of €22 million in capital funding was provided through my Department’s Vote in 2015 for the ‘Permanent Reminder’ projects, with a further €31m being allocated this year. These capital projects are progressing well.
- The Global and Diaspora Programme was launched on 29th June 2015 and was very positively received at home and abroad.
- On 6th August 2015, the Arts Council announced 9 major arts projects to commemorate 1916.
- The National Flag Initiative was launched on 14th September 2015, marking the commencement of the delivery by the Defence Forces of our National Flag and the Proclamation to over 3,300 national schools across the country. Some 3,000 flags have now been delivered and the project has been very well received by the schools and children involved.
- The Irish Language strand - An Teanga Bheo - was launched at the end of October 2015 by An Taoiseach.
- The Education Programme strand was launched on 22nd September 2015 for the primary, post-primary and third-level education sectors.
- Consultation is ongoing with relevant stakeholders in Northern Ireland, including official, political, media, artistic and NGO stakeholders.
- The National Cultural Institutions are advancing a range of innovative exhibitions and projects.
- The official Culture Ireland programme “I am Ireland” was launched by Minister of State Ó Ríordáin on 3rd October 2015. This will showcase the best of Irish arts and culture on the international stage.
- On 10th November 2015, I announced that work was to start on the conservation and restoration of the National Monument in Moore Street, acquired by the State earlier in the year, which will facilitate its development as a new Commemorative Centre for the public.
- On 14 January, together with my colleague, Minister of State Ó Ríordáin, I chaired a workshop to explore the development of new proposals to ensure that 2016 will produce a legacy of gender inclusion befitting a republic founded on the values of equal citizenship. The workshop was attended by representatives of a broad cross section of society, including members of the arts, business and sports communities, media professionals and the charity and social care sectors.
Further information in relation to the various events, activities and initiatives taking place under each of 7 strands of the Programme, including the 31 county plans launched in October 2015, can be found on my Department’s dedicated website at www.ireland.ie.
486. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding funding and ensuring equal footing with other island companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1905/16]
View answerAs indicated in Budget 2016, the current funding allocation available to my Department for the offshore islands has been increased from €5.9m in 2015 to €6.631m in 2016. This additional allocation will be available for various support measures, including funding for island companies. As the Deputy will be aware, this service was provided by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government up to May 2015. It is intended that the same level of support will be made available for these companies in 2016 as was available to them in 2015.
487. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht an bhfuil plean aici níos mó tacaíochta a thabhairt do Mhná Tí i gceantair Ghaeltachta chun dul i ngleic leis na costais ollmhóra a bhaineann le lóistín na mac léinn Gaeilge agus le costais ghaolmhara; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [1987/16]
View answerTá áthas orm a rá go bhfuil sé i gceist go leanfaí ag íoc cúnaimh faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge don bhliain atá romhainn. Agus cúinsí airgid mar a bhí, tá ríméad orm fosta go raibh ar chumas mo Roinne an deontas a íoctar a choinneáil ag an ráta céanna le cúpla bliain anuas. Ní miste a lua, ar ndóigh, go bhfuil aon airgead a shaothraíonn na teaghlaigh saor ó chain. Ní chuirtear san áireamh ach oiread é agus iarratais ar éileamh íocaíochta leasa shóisialaigh ón Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí á meas. Caithfear a chur san áireamh freisin gur coláistí príobháideacha iad na coláistí Gaeilge agus go n-íocann siad táille breise leis na teaghlaigh atá níos airde ná an deontas a íocann mo Roinn. Ar ndóigh, tá ról fíor-thábhachtach ag na coláistí Gaeilge samhraidh i gcur i bhfeidhm na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge. Tá mo Roinn ag tabhairt gach cúnamh agus is féidir dóibh chun an ról sin a chur i gcrích, go háirithe maidir le forbairt áiseanna agus cóiríochta sa Ghaeltacht.
488. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the cutting of turf (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2031/16]
View answerSince this Government has come into office, huge efforts have been made to solve the issue of the protection of Ireland’s raised bog special areas of conservation within the framework of the EU Habitats Directive. This has included intense and on-going engagement with turf cutting interests, farmers, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission. A long-term compensation scheme has been introduced to compensate turf cutters for their loss arising from the cessation. This cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog, together with a once-off incentive payment of €500.
The draft National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan was published in January 2014. It sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed into the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. It is expected that this Plan will be finalised over the coming period.
Final resolution of all issues in relation to the protection of Ireland’s raised bog special areas of conservation will only be brought about by everyone working together, within the law, with my Department and with the Peatlands Council, which was established with the purpose of ensuring the input from all stakeholders.
489. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a final decision will be taken regarding the vacancy on the Irish Film Board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2188/16]
View answerThe process to appoint a new member to the Irish Film Board is underway following advertisement by the Public Appointments Service with a closing date of 4 January 2016.
490. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is aware of the grievance within some rural communities that responsibility for sporting and leisure activities such as dog trials, shooting and game hunting in bogs and other State owned lands passed from the Land Commission to the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 2000 without any consultation; and if she will ensure that the concerns of those rural communities are heard and acted upon. [2230/16]
View answerThe Irish Land Commission was dissolved in 1992 and I understand that its successor in law is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In 1988, the then Irish Land Commission nominally transferred management of shooting rights to the Wildlife Service, which is now the National Parks and Wildlife Service, a constituent part of my Department. I am not aware of any specific grievances within rural communities in the context of state-owned shooting rights, but I would certainly ask my Department to examine any such grievances brought to my attention.
491. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the sources of public funding available from her Department, from any body under the aegis of her Department, or from the European Union for remedial and improvement works to a not-for-profit art gallery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2314/16]
View answerMy Department operates an Arts and Culture Small Capital Grants Scheme. The scheme allows for the funding of capital projects for not-for-profit organisations of up to €10,000, to meet up to 70% of project costs. A call for applications was made under the current scheme in August last year and I hope to make an announcement shortly in relation to the award of grants under this scheme.
In addition, the Government has announced investment of €18m for arts and cultural centres across the country under the Exchequer Capital Investment Framework over the next six years. I also intend to announce further details in this regard shortly.
492. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under the Civil Service reform programme, the number of clerical officers who have been promoted to higher executive officer and the number of executive officers who have been promoted to assistant principal officer in her Department through internal competitions after the significant change in eligibility rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2570/16]
View answerI am advised that, under the Civil Reform Programme, one Clerical Officer in my Department was promoted to Higher Executive Officer and one Executive Officer in my Department was promoted to Assistant Principal Officer through internal competitions following the change in eligibility rules.
