Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:43. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cén dul chun cinn atá déanta ó aistríodh an cúram ar ais chuig a Roinn maidir le síneadh a chur ar chéibh Inis Oírr. [19878/16]
View answerCuanta agus Céanna
Questions (43)
Written answers
Tá sé socraithe go gcuirfear ciste an Rialtais don ché ar Inis Oírr ar fáil trí mo Roinn. Mar is eol don Teachta, rinneadh léirmheas ar Vóta mo Roinne, mar atá sonraithe san Imleabhar Meastachán Athbhreithnithe leasaithe do 2016, ag an Roghchoiste ar Chúrsaí Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta ar 5 Iúil 2016. Beidh sé i gceist ag mo Roinn bualadh leis na hoifigigh cuí i gComhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe go luath chun an obair seo a chur chun tosaigh.
Foireann Roinne
Questions (44)
Maurice Quinlivan
Question:44. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Maurice Quinlivan den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sí na sonraí maidir leis an laghdú atá tagtha ar líon na foirne i Roinn na Gaeltachta le deich mbliana anuas. [19876/16]
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Tuigtear dom go raibh 68 oifigeach sannta do Rannóg na Gaeltachta nuair a bunaíodh mo Roinn ar an 2 Meitheamh 2011. Is é 53 an líon oifigeach atá sannta do Rannóg na Gaeltachta faoi láthair. Déantar athbhreithniú leanúnach ar an leibhéal foirne i bhfianaise riachtanais ghnó atá ag teacht chun cinn, mar atá le feiceáil i bpróiseas pleanála mo Roinne don fhórsa oibre.
Údarás na Gaeltachta
Questions (45)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:45. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta céard iad a cuid tuairimí maidir le héifeachtacht agus straitéis Údarás na Gaeltachta faoi láthair. [19858/16]
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Is mian liom a rá go soiléir nach nglacaim in aon chor le líomhaintí a rinneadh le déanaí maidir le staid reatha Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Maidir le cúram fiontraíochta an Údaráis, is cinnte gur éirigh leis an eagraíocht infheistíocht shubstaintiúil a mhealladh chun na Gaeltachta thar na blianta. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach a chinntiú go leanfar leis an iarracht sin chun pobal labhartha na Gaeilge a choinneáil sa Ghaeltacht. Mar shampla, tuigim go raibh leibhéal na bpost a cailleadh in 2015 ar an leibhéal is ísle ar an taifead, rud a léiríonn an obair fhiúntach atá ar siúl ag an Údarás chun bonn seasmhach a choimeád faoin fhostaíocht sa Ghaeltacht.
Is ábhar sásaimh é freisin gur éirigh leis an Údarás 533 post a chruthú anuraidh agus go raibh 215 duine breise fostaithe i gcuideachtaí an Údaráis sa Ghaeltacht ag deireadh na bliana 2015 i gcomparáid leis an bhliain roimhe sin. Bhí 7,869 post i gcliantchuideachtaí an Údaráis ag deireadh na bliana. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an Údarás 500 post nua a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht in 2016.
Maidir leis an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge, tá cur i bhfeidhm an phróisis pleanála teanga faoi Acht na Gaeltachta 2012 i gcroílár chur i bhfeidhm na Straitéise sa Ghaeltacht. Tá dul chun cinn suntasach déanta ag an Údarás maidir le cur i bhfeidhm an phróisis sin go dtí seo. As an bhfiche sé Limistéar Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta atá aitheanta faoin Acht, tá tús curtha le hullmhú pleananna teanga in ocht gcinn déag díobh agus é i gceist go ndéanfaidh an tÚdarás dul chun cinn suntasach maidir le tús a chur leis an bpróiseas san ocht limistéar pleanála eile idir seo agus deireadh na bliana. Ní miste dom a rá go bhfuil allúntas €400,000 curtha ar fáil agam i mbliana don Údarás chun cabhrú leis na heagraíochtaí atá roghnaithe sna Limistéir Pleanála Teanga Ghaeltachta lena gcuid pleananna teanga a ullmhú; is ionann sin agus ardú 100% thar an allúntas a bhí curtha ar fáil anuraidh, nó in 2014 go deimhin.
Is féidir liom a dheimhniú go leanfaidh mo Roinn féin agus an tÚdarás ag obair as lámha a chéile chun an leas is fearr is féidir a bhaint as na hacmhainní atá ar fáil ar mhaithe le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta sa todhchaí.
Arts Funding
Questions (46)
Catherine Connolly
Question:46. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to bring funding for the arts in line with the European standard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19898/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a very important commitment to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve.
I can assure the Deputy that I will be engaging with my colleagues in Government and with the Oireachtas to seek to advance this commitment in the context of the forthcoming estimates and budgetary processes.
I understand that the European standard referred to by the Deputy is derived from a Council of Europe project called Compendium - Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe. I understand that many European counties are not included in the figures, including ten EU member states. The data for the Compendium project are provided by independent researchers and it is not a standardised system for collection of statistics.
I further understand that Compendium itself warns that data provided by the researchers are not comparable across countries because each researcher includes different elements in the definition of culture and these elements are reflected in the figures for public expenditure. For example, local authority expenditure on the arts, artists, exemption tax relief, expenditure on public service broadcasting and the Irish language are all examples of elements not included in the Council of Europe figures for Ireland but included in the figures for some other countries.
Expenditure on the arts in Ireland comes from multiple sources, both public and private. I understand that the CSO does not produce national statistics that capture the totality of this expenditure as a percentage of GDP.
The issue of a definition of culture and of capturing public expenditure on culture is one that was discussed in the public consultation process held for the purpose of developing Ireland's first national Cultural Policy Framework, Culture 2025. As I have previously stated, I do consider that further research on this issue is warranted in the context of Culture 2025.
The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the publication of Culture 2025 as a priority. My Department is continuing to consider inputs on the draft document from the Steering and Expert Groups, which I established, and I expect to forward a draft for consideration to the relevant Oireachtas Committee shortly.
Leader Programmes
Questions (47)
Peter Burke
Question:47. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Leader programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19839/16]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to note that I will launch the LEADER programme at an event in Virginia, Co. Cavan, tomorrow morning. My Department has issued funding agreements to local action groups in 21 of the 28 sub-regional areas designated under the LEADER programme and I expect that most, if not all, of these local action groups will be in a position to finalise their respective agreements at this event.
The delivery of LEADER will commence immediately in these areas and the local action groups can begin receiving applications starting from Monday morning. I am aware that a large amount of work has been on-going behind the scenes in each area since the closure of the old LEADER programme, aided with funding from my Department, and I expect that these groups should be able to hit the ground running in terms of receiving and approving applications.
I am also confident that Funding Agreements will issue in the remaining 7 LEADER sub-regional areas in the coming weeks as the local action groups provide the additional information and clarifications requested by the Independent Selection Committee established to review and select the strategies submitted in each area. Indeed, the Independent Selection Committee is meeting today to review progress and will meet again in early August to facilitate the finalisation of strategies.
There is also the possibility of an appeal in two of the competitive areas where more than one strategy was submitted and that process must be allowed to run its course before a Funding Agreement can issue. I can assure the Deputy that funding agreements will issue in all of these remaining areas as a matter of urgency, once all of the outstanding issues have been resolved.
In conclusion, I am pleased to note that LEADER funding can now begin to flow to communities throughout Ireland and I look forward to providing funding to the many fine LEADER projects that will undoubtedly emerge in the coming months and years.
Proposed Legislation
Questions (48)
Joe Carey
Question:48. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Heritage Bill 2016; if there will be a change to the closed period for hedge cutting in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19845/16]
View answerWritten answers
Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976, as amended, prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August.
Following a review of Section 40, which involved, inter alia, consideration of submissions from interested parties, I announced proposals in December 2015 to introduce legislation to allow for managed hedge cutting and burning at certain times within the existing closed period on a pilot two year basis. The legislation required to allow for these pilot measures was included in the Heritage Bill 2016, which was published in January 2016 and subsequently completed Second Stage in Seanad Éireann.
Steps are in hand to reintroduce the Heritage Bill into Seanad Éireann at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, the existing provisions relating to Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts are still in operation.
Arts Centres
Questions (49)
Tom Neville
Question:49. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she will take to ensure that arts and culture centres are supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19842/16]
View answerWritten answers
I announced a new €9 million investment scheme for arts and cultural centres to run over the next three years, focussed on enhancing the existing stock of such centres around the country. The funding is being made available as part of the Capital Investment Framework 2016-2021.
My Department’s scheme will target investment at a range of different facilities and will be broken down into three streams as follows:-
- The refurbishment and enhancement of existing purpose-built arts and cultural facilities, with maximum grants of €300,000. Eligible facilities would include arts centres, theatres, galleries, museums, artists’ studios and creative spaces (Stream 1).
- Significant improvements to a smaller number of key facilities. Ideally, projects seeking this stream of funding would have financial support from the relevant local authority. Grants of up to €2 million may be offered under this stream (Stream 2).
- Smaller grants of up to €20,000 for community or voluntary organisations operating in facilities, which have not been purpose-built (Stream 3).
It is my priority to target investment at the enhancement of existing cultural facilities.
My Department is finalising the guidelines and application forms in relation to the scheme, which I intend to open for applications shortly.
Arts in Education Charter
Questions (50)
Joan Burton
Question:50. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to ensure the better integration of the arts into education and broaden the focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics into science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics; to expand the ambition and resourcing of the arts in education charter; and to continue to work with the Department of Education and Skills to further enhance the position of arts subjects within the curriculum at primary and secondary level. [19864/16]
View answerWritten answers
While the provision for arts in the education system is primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Skills, I am firmly committed to continuing the work of the ongoing partnership between that Department, my own Department and the Arts Council, in line with the Arts in Education Charter. In this regard, I am pleased that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the continued implementation of the Arts in Education Charter.
The work of the two Departments and the Arts Council in implementing the Charter is achieved largely through existing structures, such as education centres and Education and Training Boards. My Department provides a small amount of funding under the Charter to assist with its implementation, for example, in relation to the funding of artists to assist in the Teacher Artist Partnership Initiative. 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.
As recently as last April, a very successful inaugural National Arts in Education Day was held in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, with over 200 attendees from both education and artistic fields.
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 a 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 both primary and post-primary schools.
Question No. 51 answered with Question No. 29.
Rights of Way Registration
Questions (52)
Jim Daly
Question:52. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the actions she has taken in recent times to encourage farmers to participate in the roll-out of walking trails and to ensure farmers are adequately protected from any claims for compensation from persons who traverse their land; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18456/16]
View answerWritten answers
The majority of Ireland’s trails and walking routes are permissive access routes that have been developed with the agreement of private landowners, both public and private. This consensus approach is underpinned by the principle of mutual respect between landowners and recreation users, with the acceptance of the rights of landowners regarding access to their land and the need of recreation users to have reasonable access to the countryside.
Unless a public right of way exists, access to any land in private ownership is at the discretion of the landowner and the extent to which access by members of the public to that land is permitted is within the control of the landowner.
Currently, my Department administers the Walks Scheme, which is a maintenance-based scheme whereby participating landholders receive modest payments to maintain sections of National Way Marked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. The number of participants on the Scheme currently stands at 1,908 with a total of 39 trails covered by the Scheme. Payments to participants on the Scheme will be in the region of €1.8m in 2016.
There is a commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government to expand the Walks Scheme and I will be engaging with my colleagues in Government and with the Oireachtas to seek to advance this commitment in the context of the forthcoming estimates and budgetary processes. I am convinced that such an expansion would boost the number of high quality walks available to citizens and visitors alike, thereby increasing the attractiveness of the walking experiences available throughout Ireland.
The National Trails Office of Sport Ireland has responsibility for trail standards and for trail inspections. These inspections are carried out by inspectors and a detailed report compiled. Once a recreational trail has been inspected and approved, it becomes accredited and can be listed on the Irish Trails Register, www.irishtraile.ie, which is maintained by the National Trails Office. There are currently 886 trails listed.
An insurance policy is held by the National Trails Office, which indemnifies all landowners and occupiers whose property or land is crossed or adjoins a ‘recreational trail’, once that trail has been inspected and approved by the National Trails Office. The cover extends to liability attaching to the land or property owner arising from a user of the ‘recreational trail’ sustaining accidental bodily injury or property damage when on the land of the owner for recreational or leisure activities connected with the designated ‘recreational trail’.
The Occupiers Liability Act 1995 already provides significant protection to landowners, but the upfront costs of successfully defending a claim can be significant. My Department is currently considering the introduction of a National Indemnity Scheme which would indemnify private landowners against claims from recreational users for injury or damage to property. Discussions are at an advanced stage and I am hopeful that a scheme can be agreed in a number of pilot areas before the end of 2016.
Film Industry Development
Questions (53)
Colm Brophy
Question:53. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to improve supports to the Irish film sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19875/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Irish Film Board has primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland, in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions. Its aim is to help filmmakers to make Irish films, and provide production and development loans for features, television programmes, animation projects, documentaries and short films. The Board supports and promotes the Irish screen industries at major international markets and festivals, promotes inward investment, the use of Ireland as a location for international production and provides support for companies filming in Ireland. The Film Board also liaises with IDA Ireland and Tourism Ireland in terms of maximising joint opportunities for promotion of Ireland as a location for film productions. Examples of this could be seen during Ireland’s success at the Oscars this year and the promotional activity around the shooting of Star Wars in Ireland.
Film making in Ireland is also supported by the Section 481 film tax credit system, which incentivises film investment in Ireland. This incentive was enhanced in Budget 2016, when the cap for eligible expenditure on film projects was increased from €50 million to €70 million.
Clearly, funding across the public service was severely impacted by the economic crisis, including the funding that could be provided for investment in culture and the arts. Since my initial appointment as Minister with responsibility for the arts, I have succeeded in securing increased funding for the sector year on year. The allocation to the Irish Film Board in 2016 at almost €14.5 million shows an increase of 3.6% from last year. I am pleased that I have already been able to provide some additional support to the Film Board this year, with additional current funding of €500,000. This increased investment will help to maximise the benefits brought about by the enhancement of the Section 481 film tax credit system to which I have referred.
The Programme for a Partnership Government contains an ambitious agenda of priorities in relation to achieving a stable, sustainable and secure funding model for the arts in line with improvements in the economy and the public finances. The Programme also contains a very important commitment to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve. I will be engaging with my colleagues in Government and with the Oireachtas to seek to advance this commitment in the context of the forthcoming estimates and budgetary processes.
Hare Coursing Regulation
Questions (54)
Clare Daly
Question:54. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of breaches of coursing licence conditions the National Parks and Wildlife Service recorded during the 2015 and 2016 coursing seasons; and if she is providing sufficient resources to monitor and oversee coursing. [19872/16]
View answerWritten answers
My Department issued licences under the Wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club, covering their affiliated coursing clubs, to capture and tag hares for use at regulated hare coursing meetings for the 2015/16 coursing season, which extended from the end of September 2015 to the end of February 2016.
Regional staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department attend coursing meetings, as resources allow, to monitor compliance with the conditions of the licences. Staffing requirements for the NPWS, as with all other areas of my Department, remain the subject of on-going consideration in light of the overall business needs of my Department and within the pay framework approved for 2016.
Notwithstanding current staffing constraints, NPWS officials monitored some 16 meetings during the 2015/16 season. Arising from the reports of these meetings, I am aware that a number of issues have been raised with the Irish Coursing Club. These matters will be further discussed at a meeting between officials of my Department and the Irish Coursing Club in the coming weeks.
Built Heritage Investment Scheme Funding
Questions (55)
Ciaran Cannon
Question:55. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding streams available for heritage buildings and protected structures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19854/16]
View answerWritten answers
Financial support is being provided by my Department through a number of structured schemes for the conservation and protection of heritage buildings.
I launched a new €2 million scheme - the Built Heritage Investment Scheme - for the repair and conservation of protected structures on 21 October 2015. This scheme is operating in 2016, via the local authorities, on the same model as the very successful Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme, which ran in 2014. It is expected to support in excess of 330 projects across the country and to create employment in the conservation and construction industries, while helping to regenerate urban and rural areas. The scheme for this year is now fully allocated.
The Structures at Risk Fund enables conservation works to heritage structures, in both private and public ownership, which are protected under the Planning and Development Acts and are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. This fund, which has an allocation of over €900,000 and will support 57 projects nationally in 2016, is administered through the local authorities and seeks to encourage the regeneration and reuse of heritage properties and to help to secure the preservation of protected structures which might otherwise be lost. Funding for 2016 has now been fully allocated.
No decision has been made on the allocation of funding to these schemes for 2017, which will be subject to the normal budgetary processes. The Conservation or Heritage Officer in the relevant local authority will be able to advise regarding funding available for conservation works to structures on the Record of Protected Structures and it is advisable for interested parties to remain in contact with their local authority on an ongoing basis.
My Department is also providing €350,000 of funding to the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 2016 to assist in the conservation and presentation of historic buildings and national monuments in State ownership. OPW undertakes the care and maintenance of national monuments in my ownership or guardianship (of which there are approximately 750). My Department’s National Monuments Service works in close collaboration with the OPW on survey, excavation and research work to optimise the protection, management, interpretation and presentation of national monuments in State care.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. It is a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports annually having regard to competing priorities for limited resources. The Council recently awarded funding of over €880,000 to 171 heritage projects nationwide under its 2016 Heritage Management Grant Scheme. Further details of grant schemes available from the Heritage Council can be found at www.heritagecouncil.ie.
Cultural Policy
Questions (56)
Mick Barry
Question:56. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to report on work being done in her Department to deliver the Culture 2025 strategy. [19893/16]
View answerWritten answers
Considerable progress has been made in drafting the first National Cultural Policy - Culture 2025. This followed a major public consultation process in 2015, including a national cultural workshop held in October at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
Work by my Department, the expert steering group and a wider expert committee continued on the document in early 2016 and is currently on-going. This expert committee has broad representation across arts and cultural interests.
The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the publication of Culture 2025 as a priority. As I have stated previously, this first such policy will be a living document and will form the basis of an on-going dialogue with all who are interested in cultural policy. My Department is continuing to consider inputs on the draft document from the Steering and Expert Groups which I established and I expect to forward a draft for consideration to the relevant Oireachtas Committee shortly.
Cultural Policy
Questions (57)
Mick Barry
Question:57. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to publish a draft of the Culture 2025 strategy. [19894/16]
View answerWritten answers
Considerable progress has been made in drafting the first National Cultural Policy - Culture 2025. This followed a major public consultation process in 2015, including a national cultural workshop held in October at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
Work by my Department, the expert steering group and a wider expert committee continued on the document in early 2016 and is currently ongoing. This expert committee has broad representation across arts and cultural interests.
The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the publication of Culture 2025 as a priority. As I have stated previously, this first such policy will be a living document and will form the basis of an on-going dialogue with all who are interested in cultural policy. My Department is continuing to consider inputs on the draft document from the Steering and Expert Groups which I established and I expect to forward a draft for consideration to the relevant Oireachtas Committee shortly.