Written Answers Nos. 417-429
417. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the status of an application for funding by a person (details supplied) under the turf cutting compensation scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36908/16]
View answerAn application for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been received by my Department from the individual referred to in the Deputy’s Question. The qualifying criteria for the scheme are that:
- The claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation - ownership or turbary right;
- The claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010;
- The turbary on the site must not be exhausted;
- The claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and
- No turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.
My Department is examining the application in view of the qualifying criteria for the scheme. I am advised that officials from my Department have been in contact with the solicitors acting for the applicant and have requested that they provide further evidence to support the application. I am also advised that an inspection of the bog plot in question is to be undertaken.
Once the relevant information is supplied and the inspection complete, my Department will be in a position to process the application further.
418. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the plans that have been put in place to commemorate the centenary of the death of John Redmond in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36936/16]
View answerThe Government will continue to mark significant events throughout the Decade of Centenaries and will be guided by the Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations in developing its commemoration programme for the second half of the Decade. The programme will be based on the inclusive, open and consultative approach that has worked so well this year. As part of this process, consideration will be given to how the centenary of the death of John Redmond in 2018 might be appropriately marked.
419. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of staff from her Department currently seconded to other Departments or agencies in the Civil Service per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36959/16]
View answer420. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of staff from her Department who have appealed against secondment per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; the appeals mechanism involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36975/16]
View answer421. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of staff from her Department currently seconded to a firm in the private sector per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; the details of the company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36991/16]
View answer422. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of staff from her Department currently seconded from a firm in the private sector per annum from 2010 to date in 2016, in tabular form; the details of the company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37007/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 419 to 422, inclusive, together.
The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was established on 9th June 2016. The Department has responsibility for all the matters that previously came within the remit of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, which was itself established on 2nd June 2011, and in addition is also responsible for certain functions transferred from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The information sought by the Deputy is provided in the table in respect of the period from 2011 onwards. During that period, there were no members of staff from my Department seconded to or from a firm in the private sector, nor was any staff member refused a secondment during this period, hence there were no appeals in this regard.
I am advised that the following number of staff from my Department have been seconded to other Departments or agencies in the civil service from 2011 to 2016.
|
Year |
Number of staff seconded to other Departments or agencies |
|
2011 |
1 |
|
2012 |
3 |
|
2013 |
8 |
|
2014 |
13 |
|
2015 |
11 |
|
2016 |
12 |
423. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the Government’s plan to pursue more applications for UNESCO world heritage status for more of Ireland's national landmarks (details supplied). [37066/16]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 175 on 20 October 2016.
424. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way she will work with her colleague the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure that parents can access second level education through Irish, especially in areas with proven demand for Gaelscoileanna. [37067/16]
View answerI refer the Deputy to replies to previous Parliamentary Questions in relation to this matter. As stated in these replies, the question of access to second-level education through Irish is primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Skills.
In the context of its responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, however, my Department works in close cooperation with a number of key stakeholders, including the Department of Education and Skills. In that regard, my Department maintains regular contact with these stakeholders with regard to progressing the implementation of a number of important measures, including educational measures, under the 20-Year Strategy.
Given the critical role of education in achieving the objectives detailed in the 20-Year Strategy, I can assure the Deputy that this close co-operation will continue to be a priority and I look forward to continuing with the very positive engagement with my colleague, Richard Bruton, TD, Minister for Education and Skills, in relation to these matters. Indeed, I was particularly pleased to participate with the Taoiseach and Minister Bruton at the launch on 28 October last in An Cheathrú Rua of the new Policy on Gaeltacht Education, which sets out how the education system will contribute to supporting and promoting the future use of Irish as a living indigenous language in the Gaeltacht. The Deputy will be aware that this policy, which was the subject of an extensive consultation process in which my own Department worked closely with the Department of Education and Skills, has been widely welcomed.
425. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the Government will provide extra funding to Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas to encourage greater use of the language and better economic prospects for those living in Gaeltacht areas. [37068/16]
View answerI refer the Deputy to previous replies given to Parliamentary Questions in relation to this matter. As stated in these replies, by way of supporting the maintenance and development of the Irish language as a community and household language in the Gaeltacht, the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 is recognised as a key priority in the Programme for a Partnership Government. Other measures outlined in the Programme include: - a focus on job creation in the Gaeltacht, through Údarás na Gaeltachta;
- encouraging the attendance by children in Irish-medium pre-schools or naíonraí in Gaeltacht areas;
- recognising the importance of the status of Irish as a full working language of the EU institutions and working towards ending the derogation, as circumstances allow; and
- increasing the investment in the Irish language.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department, together with Údarás na Gaeltachta, administers a range of schemes, programmes and initiatives targeting language and economic development in Gaeltacht areas. Further details are available on my Department’s website at www.ahrrga.gov.ie and on the Údarás na Gaeltachta website at www.udaras.ie.
The Deputy may also be aware that in order to further underpin the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy and the language planning process, as set out in Acht na Gaeltachta 2012, a specific allocation of €1m was provided in the current year. As announced in Budget 2017, this allocation is being increased to €1.25m for next year and will further enable my Department, acting in co-operation with Údarás na Gaeltachta and relevant stakeholders at community level, to implement a range of specific and practical measures aimed at both supporting the implementation of the Strategy, as well as the language planning process in Gaeltacht areas.
In relation to the economic development of the Gaeltacht, as Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, I very much appreciate the importance of job creation in helping to retain sustainable communities in Gaeltacht areas. In that context, I wish to acknowledge the very important enterprise and employment function of Údarás na Gaeltachta as the regional economic agency for the Gaeltacht. In its regional enterprise role in the Gaeltacht, Údarás na Gaeltachta, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, will continue to work towards attracting investment to the Gaeltacht, in addition to supporting micro-enterprises and developing the skills base in the Gaeltacht. In order to enable Údarás na Gaeltachta to fulfil its job creation and job retention role in the Gaeltacht, an overall allocation of capital funding totalling €6.687m has been provided by the Exchequer to Údarás in 2016, in addition to its own resources from the sale of assets and investments. I have also secured €2.4m in additional capital for an tÚdarás in 2016. This additional funding will allow an tÚdarás to progress a number of capital projects on hand, thereby protecting existing jobs and assisting in the creation of new jobs in the Gaeltacht. In addition, as announced in Budget 2017, an increased capital funding baseline of €6.687m will be provided by the Exchequer to Údarás in 2017.
426. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way in which the Government plans to ensure arts funding is used to ensure minority and new Irish voices are heard as part of cultural output. [37069/16]
View answer435. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will work with the Minister for Health to develop and roll out an arts and health strategy across acute and children’s hospitals and across the community health sector; and the other innovative approaches being considered to use the arts as a means to promote well-being across society. [37080/16]
View answer437. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the action she is taking with her Government colleagues to systematically address social, geographic and economic barriers to full participation in the artistic and cultural life of the country, particularly for children and young persons. [37082/16]
View answer453. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way in which she plans to create an environment in the arts that is more welcoming to young persons with special educational needs; if specific funding will be provided to programmes to promote the inclusion of young persons with special educational needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37098/16]
View answer454. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will consider subsidising the costs of participation for young persons in the arts to promote inclusion from all economic backgrounds; if specific funding will be provided to programmes to promote the inclusion of young persons from various economic backgrounds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37099/16]
View answer455. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way in which she plans to create a more inclusive environment in the arts for children from immigrant families; if more multilingual arts programmes will be available to children; if specific funding will be provided to programmes to promote the inclusion of young persons from various cultural backgrounds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37100/16]
View answer477. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has had discussions with the Minister for Health with regard to setting up a specific funding stream for creative therapies, such as music therapy, which would be funded through her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37479/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 426, 435, 437, 453 to 455, inclusive, and 477 together.
Under the Arts Act 2003, primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts, including music, throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. In this regard, I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council as part of Budget 2017. This will see an increase in the Arts Council allocation in 2017 of €5m, or 8%, and will assist the Council in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025). This strategy places specific emphasis on the need to plan and provide for children and young people. The 5 high-level values of the strategy include a commitment to excellence, as well as respect for diversity of artistic practice, of public engagement, and of social and cultural traditions. The strategy also commits to working to achieve full implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. The Programme for a Partnership Government committed to the publication of Culture 2025 as a priority and the draft framework policy Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach was forwarded to the Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in July.
The Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach framework policy sets out:
- a series of high-level objectives under the heading of Enrich, Engage, Participate to establish Government vision in relation to culture and society in Ireland;
- a set of key values including the intrinsic value of culture, the right to participate in the cultural life of the nation, and the role of culture in fostering a more sustainable future in Ireland; and
- a series of priority measures for implementation across Government and public bodies.
I understand that the Committee is currently preparing a report on the draft framework policy, which I look forward to receiving.
In the meantime, I believe that it is important to continue momentum in terms of delivery of the priorities set out in the framework policy and to build on the positive legacy of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.
My Department has, therefore, been developing a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. This will focus on boosting cultural provision and participation in communities and harnessing the goodwill and engagement generated by the commemorative programme this year. It will also act as the main vehicle to take forward the priorities identified in Culture 2025.
I have secured funding of €5m in Budget 2017 to underpin this new initiative and I intend to announce further details in the coming weeks.
All these initiatives provide platforms to deepen engagement across all of the sectors referred to in the Deputy’s Questions.
427. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to support the development of the creative industries sector; if she has reviewed the report from the previous Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the hearings in relation to examining the potential for job creation, innovation and balanced economic development in the creative economy; and if she will implement the recommendations of the report in tandem with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. [37070/16]
View answerMy Department appreciates the importance of the cultural and creative industries to Ireland and is aware of the report referred to in the Deputy’s Question. In this regard, my Department provides significant support for arts and film through the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as well as through its capital supports for the development of arts and cultural infrastructure.
I am keenly aware of the potential of the creative sector to contribute to sustainable jobs growth and my Department continues to work with other Departments, in particular with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, across a range of areas as set out in the Action Plan for Jobs. Much of this work responds to relevant issues identified in the report referred to, particularly in relation to the audio-visual sector and maximising the contribution of this sector to the Irish economy.
Earlier this month, I announced the commissioning of an economic analysis of our screen-based creative industries. This study will examine the economic impact and potential of the Irish film, TV and animation sector. A steering group led by my Department, with representatives of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Irish Film Board and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland will liaise with the consultants on this project. This economic analysis will consider the scale and economic contribution of the screen-based creative industries and examine its potential to expand further. The study, when complete, will help to inform Government strategies and initiatives as we seek to enhance Ireland’s reputation as a home of creative talent.
The creative industries are of significant relevance in the development of Ireland's first national cultural policy. The draft framework policy Éire Ildánach/Culture 2025 was forwarded to the Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in July.
I believe that it is important to continue momentum in terms of delivery of the priorities set out in the framework policy and to build on the positive legacy of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. My Department has, therefore, been developing a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. This will focus on boosting cultural provision and participation in communities, harnessing the goodwill and engagement generated by the 2016 commemorative programme, and acting as a vehicle to take forward the priorities identified in Culture 2025.
428. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if her Department has contacted the Irish League of Credit Unions and the Credit Union Development Association regarding the submission her Department received from Irish Rural Link seeking the establishment of a working group with their participation to investigate the establishment of a local public banking network here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37071/16]
View answer436. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the discussions her Department has had with the Minister and Department of Finance regarding the establishment of a pilot local public bank in the midlands region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37081/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 428 and 436 together.
The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to investigate, amongst other options, the German Sparkassen model for the development of local public banks that operate within well-defined regions. My Department’s officials have been provided with details of a proposal based on the Sparkassen model by Irish Rural Link, who have also presented the proposal to the Department of Finance.
Senior officials from my Department recently met with their counterparts in the Department of Finance and have agreed to develop a work programme to examine the potential of the Sparkassen model and other models of local public banking, as referenced in the Programme for a Partnership Government. No discussion has taken place regarding the establishment of a pilot public bank in the midlands, or any other particular region.
The officials will meet again in January and hope to be in a position to conclude their work around the middle of next year. As part of their work, they will engage with relevant stakeholders, as required.
429. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has had any engagement with stakeholders in the music industry in terms of the establishment of a music industry task force, with wide representation and which would examine a range of issues including the impact of intellectual property and copyright legislation and enforcement in both the music and technology industries, supports for the business of music education and a dedicated office similar to the Irish Film Board for the music sector. [37072/16]
View answerIntellectual property rights, including copyright law, are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and I understand that she is reviewing copyright legislation at present.
The Government appreciates the importance of the cultural and creative industries to Ireland, including the music industry. Under the Arts Act 2003, primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts, including music, throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council in Budget 2017, delivering an increase of €5m, or 8%, in the Council's 2017 allocation. This will enable the Council to enhance support to artists and arts organisations around the country, including musicians, in line with its strategy, Making Great Art Work, which prioritises support for the artist and public engagement.
In addition, my Department, through its Culture Ireland programme, provides supports for Irish artists and musicians to travel abroad and develop their careers. I am pleased that I secured a significant increase in the baseline funding for Culture Ireland from €2.5m in 2016 to €3.5m in 2017.
My Department also provides support for music through its funding of the Music Capital Scheme, which is delivered by Music Network, as well as providing significant funding to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the largest organisation in the State involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music.
The IMRO report, entitled The Socio-Economic Contribution of Music to the Irish Economy, highlights the impressive contribution the music industry makes to the Irish economy. The report contains a broad range of recommendations for which several Ministers have responsibility. The broader issue of cultural policy is also considered in the draft framework policy Éire Ildánach/ Culture 2025, which was forwarded to the Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in July. I will be happy to consider any response which the Committee makes to the draft document.
