Written Answers Nos. 394 - 407
394. 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). [4084/17]
View answerIreland’s current World Heritage Tentative List has come about from a very comprehensive process undertaken by a panel of Irish and international heritage experts specifically appointed for that purpose. The process included full public consultation and an in-depth review of all proposed candidate sites.
In the meantime, my Department has engaged with local authorities and local groups from the areas with proposals on the Tentative List to gauge the extent of the support available to advance the proposals and to clarify the work and resources required for that purpose. The fundamental requirement is that each site must be capable of demonstrating Outstanding Universal Value to UNESCO.
Of the sites featuring on the Tentative List, the greater progress so far has been with the Royal Sites serial nomination which includes Cashel, Dún Ailinne, the Hill of Uisneach, the Rathcroghan Complex, the Tara Complex and Navan Fort (Eamhain Macha). Technical evaluations have been produced for each of the six component sites and, earlier this month, my Department convened a meeting of stakeholders from all six locations to review progress and to chart the next steps. It was agreed that the technical evaluations would be sent for international peer review following which work will need to begin on developing draft management plans for each site, including designation of core and buffer zones in each case. A further plenary meeting of this group is scheduled for next April. The process will also have to take into account that some sites will be managed by the Office of Public Works, others by local authorities, that two are privately owned and that Eamhain Macha is in Northern Ireland. The culmination of these steps, which will also have to be adopted with each of the other tentative list nominations, would be the creation of the full nomination documents for each site for submission to UNESCO.
I am committed to supporting the current proposals in every way that I can. The process is undoubtedly both complex and lengthy and the work at every stage must be supported and developed from the local level up with stakeholder buy-in and commitment at every stage. While this adds to the timescale, it avoids a top down approach lacking the engagement necessary with local communities to secure full support for the proposals and for the protection and preservation of the sites into the future.
395. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way in which 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. [4085/17]
View answerI refer the Deputy to previous replies given to Parliamentary Questions in relation to this matter. As I mentioned in these replies the question of access to second-level education through Irish is primarily a matter for the Minister for Education and Skills.
However, in the context of its responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department works in close cooperation with a number of key stakeholders, including the Department of Education and Skills.
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 further engagement with my colleague, Richard Bruton T.D., Minister for Education and Skills, in relation to these matters.
I should also point out that the Cabinet Committee on Arts, Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands is working to ensure coherence and focus in the range of activities, both ongoing and in planning, to support and promote the Irish language within the wider context of national identity, culture and creativity. I am pleased to be a member of that Committee and I look forward to working with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, within that framework. Indeed, I am particularly pleased that a new Policy on Gaeltacht Education was published on 28th October last year, 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. I know that this policy, which had been the subject of extensive consultation with the various stakeholders, including my own Department, has been widely welcomed.
396. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the Government will provide extra funding to Gaeltacht areas to encourage greater use of the language and better economic prospects for those living in Gaeltacht areas. [4086/17]
View answerI refer the Deputy to the previous replies given to Parliamentary Questions in relation to this matter. As I mentioned in those replies, 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 insofar as it supports the maintenance and development of the Irish language as a community and household language in the Gaeltacht. Other measures outlined in the Programme include:
- A focus on job creation in the Gaeltacht, through investment in jobs by Údarás na Gaeltachta;
- Encouraging the attendance by children of Irish-medium pre-schools or naíonraí in Gaeltacht areas; and
- Increasing the investment in the Irish language.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department, together with Údarás na Gaeltachta, administers a wide range of schemes, programmes and initiatives targeting language and economic development in Gaeltacht areas. Further details are available on the Údarás na Gaeltachta website www.udaras.ie.
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 €1.25m has also been provided in my Department vote this year, an increase of €250,000 on the 2016 allocation. This increased allocation 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.
A further increase of €1m in current funding provided in my Department’s Vote this year for the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and Islands programme area will enable my Department to allocate extra resources to Gaeltacht support schemes such as the Irish Language Summer Colleges and Gaeltacht community groups funded by Údarás na Gaeltachta.
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 this context, I wish to acknowledge the very important enterprise and employment function of Údarás na Gaeltachta as the regional economic development 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 remit in the Gaeltacht, a capital funding allocation of €6.687m has been provided by the Exchequer to the organisation in 2017.
397. 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. [4087/17]
View answer404. 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. [4096/17]
View answer405. 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. [4097/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 397, 404 and 405 together.
Under the Arts Act 2003, primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts, including inclusivity in the arts, throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. In Budget 2017, I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council. 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 Strategy is available on the website of the Arts Council.
The Creative Ireland Programme is the Government’s Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, the draft framework policy which I published in July of last year. It is a five-year all-of-government initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy.
The Programme is built around five pillars one of which is Enabling Creativity in Every Community. The Centenary Programme demonstrated two critically important aspects of local governance: first, local authorities are the primary instruments of community engagement and second, local authorities have a particular capacity for local programme delivery, especially in the context of citizen engagement. Further details of the Creative Ireland Programme can be accessed at the following link http://creative.ireland.ie/.
In addition to the Creative Ireland Programme, I recently launched the Action Plan for Rural Development which is the first whole-of-government strategy aimed at people living and working in rural Ireland. It aims to unlock the potential of rural Ireland through a framework of supports at national and local level which will ensure that people who live in rural areas have increased opportunities for employment locally, and access to public services and social networks that support a high quality of life. The Plan contains 276 actions which aim to improve both the economic and social fabric of rural Ireland spread across five pillars.
The fourth pillar of the Action Plan is Fostering Culture and Creativity in Rural Communities. The key objectives of this Pillar are to:
- Increase access to the arts and enhance cultural facilities in rural communities.
- Further develop and enhance culture and creativity in rural Ireland through the establishment of culture teams and creativity hubs as part of the Creative Ireland Programme.
- Promote the Irish language as a key resource in Gaeltacht and other rural communities.
These objectives will be delivered as part of the work programme across my Department, and in particular as part of the Creative Ireland Programme which was launched by the Taoiseach on 8th December last.
All of these initiatives by my Department and its agencies will seek to address the issues set out in the questions.
398. 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 on 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. [4088/17]
View answerI am keenly aware of the potential of the creative sector to contribute to sustainable jobs growth, as set out in the report to which the Deputy refers. 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 and in the context of my wider remit to promote and support Ireland’s cultural and creative sectors.
I recently announced the commissioning of an economic analysis of our screen-based creative industries by my Department in partnership with the Departments of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. This study has commenced and will examine the economic impact and potential of the Irish film, TV and animation sector and analyse 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.
My Department will continue to promote the creative industries and economic development across its remit including, for example, through the recently published Creative Ireland Programme and Action Plan for Rural Development.
The Creative Ireland Programme is the Government’s Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, the draft framework policy which I published in July of last year. It is a five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy.
The Action Plan for Rural Development is the first whole-of-government strategy aimed at people living and working in rural Ireland. It aims to unlock the potential of rural Ireland through a framework of supports at national and local level which will ensure that people who live in rural areas have increased opportunities for employment locally, and access to public services and social networks that support a high quality of life. The Plan is spread across five pillars and the fourth pillar is Fostering Culture and Creativity in Rural Communities. The key objectives of this Pillar are to:
- Increase access to the arts and enhance cultural facilities in rural communities.
- Further develop and enhance culture and creativity in rural Ireland through the establishment of culture teams and creativity hubs as part of the Creative Ireland Programme
- Promote the Irish language as a key resource in Gaeltacht and other rural communities.
399. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has liaised with the Minister for Education and Skills with regard to the development of contemporary art education at primary and secondary level in schools. [4090/17]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the continued implementation of the Arts in Education Charter and my Department is working closely with the Department of Education and Skills and the Arts Council to deliver the objectives of the 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. Good progress has been made to date in terms of launching Ireland’s first Arts in Education Portal, holding National Arts and Education Days, and developing Teacher Artist Partnerships through the Education and Training Centres.
In terms of direct support for the arts, this is primarily a matter for the Arts Council and its ten-year strategy, Making Great Art Work 2016-2025 , which 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. Arising from the significant increase of support of €5m which I secured for the Arts Council as part of Budget 2017, I am pleased to say that Arts Council funding in this area for 2017 has in turn increased from €3.1m in 2016 to €3.7m this year. This is a very clear indication that the Arts Council is prioritising arts participation by young people and children. In addition to the Charter, the Creative Ireland Programme, which the Taoiseach and I launched in December, places a special focus on “Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child”. Building on the Arts in Education Charter this will involve the development of an integrated plan to enable every child in Ireland to access tuition in music, drama, art and coding by 2022. My Department will be working with relevant Departments and other stakeholders over the coming months to develop this plan.
400. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to develop a national cultural strategy up to 2025. [4091/17]
View answerLast July I published the draft framework policy Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, which was submitted to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for input. I understand that the Committee is currently preparing a report on the draft framework policy which I will consider when received. I have also received submissions from various organisations on the draft document. Following receipt of the report from the Committee it is my intention to finalise the Policy.
In the meantime, as referred to in my reply to the Deputy on 29 November last, 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.
To that effect therefore, on December 8th last, the Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme/Clár Éire Ildánach as the Government’s Legacy Programme arising out of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and as the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025. The Creative Ireland Programme is a high-level, high-ambition, all-of-Government initiative to mainstream creativity in the life of the nation.
My Department is now working to implement the Creative Ireland Programme with partners across Government and other key stakeholders. This includes an ambitious Year 1 Programme to deliver 10 initiatives by the end of 2017. Details of the Programme can be found on www.creative.ireland.ie.
401. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to develop musical education and make instruments available to young persons and the general population through facilitating schools, youth groups and libraries to enhance their music resources and the provision of access to musical training and instruments for the benefit of local communities. [4092/17]
View answerThe 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 am pleased that I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council in Budget 2017 amounting to an increase of €5 million, or 8%.
This increase will enable the Council to enhance support to artists and arts organisations around the country, including young and upcoming artists, in line with its strategy statement, Making Great Art Work, which prioritises support for the artist and public engagement.
In addition, my Department, through Culture Ireland, provides supports for Irish artists and musicians to travel abroad and develop their careers. I am pleased that I have increased the annual baseline funding for Culture Ireland from €2.5m in 2016 to €3.5m in 2017.
My Department also provides funding for an annual scheme to assist in the purchase of musical instruments by talented individuals and groups. Under the Music Capital Scheme, which is managed by Music Network, grants are made available to groups to support the purchase of musical instruments. Further details are available on the website of Music Network at www.musicnetwork.ie.
My Department also provides funding to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) for its work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture. In 2016, funding of €1,448,000 was provided to CCÉ by my Department. CCÉ provide weekly classes in a variety of traditional instruments, singing, and dance through its network of centres and branches all over the country as well as summer schools. CCÉ maintains a full schedule of educational events, such as lectures, exhibitions, workshops and concerts, sometimes in conjunction with the Fleadhanna Cheoil. Further information is available on the website of CCÉ at www.comhaltas.ie.
The Creative Ireland Programme is the Government’s Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éíre Ildánach the draft framework policy which I published in July this year. It is a five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy. It is built around five pillars the first of which is the Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child. Arising out of this my Department will be working with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs over the coming months to develop a plan so that by 2022 every child in Ireland will have access to tuition in music, drama, art and coding.
The full Creative Ireland programme is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://creative.ireland.ie/sites/default/files/creative_ireland_programme.pdf.
402. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has examined any proposals to facilitate, on a national basis, the use of vacant retail premises by exhibiting artists based on successful schemes (details supplied). [4093/17]
View answerI am aware and supportive of the use of vacant premises by artists and arts organisations and I understand that a number of such buildings are currently being utilised by arts organisation across the country.
In general, I would consider that local approaches driven by artists, local arts officers and the owners of vacant buildings are best suited to respond to the specific local circumstances involved and provide the most effective outcomes.
In terms of investment by my Department, last year I launched a €9m investment scheme for arts and cultural centres to run over the next three years, focussed on securing and enhancing our arts and culture infrastructure. The scheme targets investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as creative spaces. I will announce grants under this scheme very shortly.
I will also shortly be announcing details of a new small capital grant scheme for arts and cultural facilities for not-for-profit organisations with a defined arts and cultural remit. I will consider how best this scheme could assist with the provision or enhancement of artist studio space.
403. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if her Department will examine a nationwide plan for the development of village design statements that would ensure all future planning and development takes full cognisance of the historic character and protect the character and heritage of villages. [4094/17]
View answerThe Heritage Council, in collaboration with my Department, has led the development of a best practice approach to the development of Community-Led Village Design Statements. In tandem with a number of local authorities and village communities, the Council has prepared a toolkit which was launched in October 2012 at the inaugural community-led workshop. In many ways, the approach followed is similar to the Historic Towns Initiative (HTI) framework, also developed by my Department in collaboration with the Heritage Council, Fáilte Ireland and relevant local authorities, although it is focussed on smaller communities.
Current policy encourages a community-led approach rather than the development of a nationwide plan. I am however considering the possibility of a prioritised targeted approach to towns and villages with a view to not only protecting their character and heritage, but also contributing to regional development through encouraging economic growth and employment.
All approaches are still under consideration as I seek to further strengthen the protection of our built heritage and to provide for the regeneration of rural towns and villages as part of the Action Plan for Rural Development.
406. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the plans in place to ensure the better integration of the arts into education and broadening the focus on science, technology, engineering and maths, STEM, into science, technology, engineering, arts and maths, STEAM; her plans 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. [4098/17]
View answerWhile the content of the school curriculum 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 and my Department is working closely with the Department of Education and Skills and the Arts Council to deliver the objectives of the 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. Good progress has been made to date in terms of launching Ireland’s first Arts in Education Portal, holding National Arts and Education Days and developing Teacher Artist Partnerships through the Education and Training Centres.
In addition, the Creative Ireland Programme is the Government’s Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éíre Ildánach the draft framework policy which I published in July this year. It is a five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy. It is built around five pillars the first of which is Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child. Arising out of this my Department will be working with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs over the coming months to develop a plan so that by 2022 every child in Ireland will have access to tuition in music, drama, art and coding.
407. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will urgently begin preparation of a global arts forum for Ireland, similar to the structure of the Global Irish Economic Forum, which would highlight indigenous talent and map a strong and healthy future for arts and culture at home and abroad. [4099/17]
View answerMy Department through Culture Ireland supports Irish artists to present their work worldwide. This serves to raise the global awareness of the strong reputation of the Irish arts sector, generate new career opportunities for Irish artists and develop new audiences abroad for Irish artists.
My Department continues to work with the Global Irish Network, which has to date made many significant achievements in relation to highlighting Ireland's creativity on the world stage. I consider that this is the most appropriate vehicle in which to highlight the achievement of Irish creativity as part of a wider cross-sectoral partnership. Most notable in terms of this collaborative approach have been Irish Design 2015, with which my Department had a significant engagement in relation to the international programme, and the Imagine Ireland programme in 2011.
This model of supporting major arts initiatives internationally continued last year with the I am Ireland programme – the international arts element of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, which included over 550 separate performances and exhibitions with a special focus in key territories - United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia. This programme reflected that interest in Irish artistic excellence continues to grow internationally and recognises that this centenary year offered a unique opportunity to build on Ireland's cultural connections and share the talents of Irish artists through many special and diverse events around the world.
In addition to Culture Ireland the Creative Ireland Programme, which the Taoiseach and I launched on the 8th of December 2016, places a special emphasis on unifying our Global reputation. Pillar 5 of the Programme - Unifying our Global Reputation - is about presenting a coherent representation of Ireland to the world as a creative people. This will seek to capture the overarching narrative of Ireland’s unique creativity and cultural heritage. The Government’s intentions in this regard were welcomed when I launched the Creative Ireland Programme on the international stage in New York on 13th January.
