Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2016
622. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if targeted resources will be made available to support the arts in education, in particular for Children's Books Ireland and Poetry Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9913/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. I am firmly committed to continuing the on-going interdepartmental and cross-sectoral dialogue and partnership between my Department, the Department of Education and Skills and the Arts Council, in line with the Charter. The arts in education remit is being achieved largely through existing and evolving structures, such as education centres and local authority arts departments, with funding provided by my Department and the Department of Education and Skills. In 2015 the Arts in Education Portal was launched and this now serves as an effective key communications and information channel for both education and arts sectors.
In terms of direct support for the arts, this is primarily a matter for the Arts Council operating under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council’s ten-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025) places specific emphasis on the need to plan and provide for children and young people. The strategy also commits to working to achieve full implementation of the Arts in Education Charter.
The Arts Council contributes funding to number of organisations to assist in the delivery of Arts in Education projects in schools. These include Poetry Ireland's Writers in Schools Scheme, where writers and storytellers visit primary and post-primary schools, as well as the Bringing to Book Artist-in-Residence Scheme, a Children's Books Ireland project.
