Written Answers Nos. 70-83
70. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the status of the co-ordinated scheme between the Department of Social Protection and her Department to assist artists applying for jobseeker's allowance; and when information will be provided regarding this scheme to artists around the country. [4183/17]
View answerLast month, I announced that my Department in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection would devise a mechanism during 2017 to assist self-employed artists who have applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance.
I have been in contact with my colleague the Minister for Social Protection on the matter and officials of our two Departments have already begun working on this initiative in consultation with the Arts Council. The scheme will be a pilot scheme and is part of the Creative Ireland Programme which was launched by the Taoiseach in December. Details of the pilot scheme will be announced as soon as possible.
71. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of current vacancies on the board of the Arts Council; if she will ensure that some artists and arts practitioners will be appointed to fill the vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4179/17]
View answerThere are currently no vacancies on the Council.
Last year I appointed 6 people to the Council to fill existing vacancies. They are:
- Damien Downes
- Loughlin Deegan
- Paddy Glackin
- Martina Moloney
- Pádraig Ó Duinnín
- Helen Shaw
In line with the provisions of the Arts Act 2003 board members are required to have a special interest or knowledge in relation to the arts or matters connected with the functions of the Minister or the Council under the Act.
All of the appointees applied for the positions through www.stateboards.ie and were recommended to me as Minister, through the Public Appointments Service, as having the requisite skills requirement for the Board of the Arts Council. The appointments are for a term of five years.
72. 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 regarding 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. [4076/17]
View answerIntellectual property rights, including copyright law, are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Minister Mitchell O'Connor is reviewing copyright legislation at present and my Department is engaging with this review.
In relation to the arts and culture more generally, 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.
I consider that the most appropriate interventions should continue through existing structures and I have no plans to set up a new agency at this stage. In relation to the remit of my own Department primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts, including music, throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. In the 2017 Budget, I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council delivering an increase of €5m or 8%, in the Council's funding this year. It 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.
My Department also provides supports for Irish artists and musicians to travel abroad and develop their careers through its Culture Ireland programme. 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.
73. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if media reports are accurate that her Department is seeking the extension of first-time buyers' grants to purchasers of second-hand homes in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4075/17]
View answerI presume that the Deputy is referring to the new Help to Buy (HTB) incentive that was announced as part of Budget 2017 by my colleague the Minister for Finance. This initiative is designed to help first-time buyers of newly built homes to assemble the required deposit. It also applies to once-off self-build homes.
I can confirm that my Department has not sought the extension of the initiative to first time buyers of second hand homes in rural areas.
However, I have quite separately announced that as part of an enhanced Town and Village Renewal scheme this year, I intend to launch a pilot to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages. The pilot will examine ways in which properties that are currently not in use in town centres can be renovated to allow them to be used for residential purposes. This pilot will be launched in the second half of the year, when details of the scheme have been finalised in consultation with relevant Departments.
74. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount and value of approvals to date for projects under the Leader programme 2014-2020; the expected expenditure under the Leader programme in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4171/17]
View answerThe LEADER programme plays a central role in the rejuvenation of rural communities throughout Ireland. LEADER 2014-2020 became fully operational last year following the completion of Funding Agreements with Local Action Groups for the delivery of Local Development Strategies in 28 sub-regional areas of Ireland. In addition, a second strategy selection process is underway in Galway in respect of the area of the county not covered by an existing Funding Agreement.
While Funding Agreements have been signed in all 28 sub-regional areas, there is a natural lead-in period required where the new Local Action Groups conclude calls for proposals and work with potential applicants to develop and finalise funding proposals which will ultimately be delivered in each area.
Three projects with a total value of approximately €50,000 have had their project applications approved, while an additional 16 project applications valued at approximately €304,000 are at different stages of the administrative checking process.
I anticipate a significant increase in project approvals this year and a total of €40 million has been provided in the Revised Estimates Volume for the LEADER Programme in 2017.
75. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the new culture grant in Italy, whereby every 18 year old in the country is entitled to €500 to be spent on cultural endeavours such as concert or theatre tickets, language courses or books; if she has considered introducing a similar incentive for young persons here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4134/17]
View answerMy Department is aware of this Italian initiative which was discussed at the Cultural Affairs meeting in Brussels. The Italian representative had flagged this incentive in the on-going discussions in the context of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018.
The Government’s priorities in relation to cultural engagement with young people are set out in The Creative Ireland Programme which the Taoiseach and I launched on the 8th of December last. This 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 last 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.
The full Creative Ireland programme is available on www.creative.ireland.ie.
76. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if her and other Government Departments will have to introduce Supplementary Estimates to provide in 2017 for the promises in the recent Action Plan for Rural Development; the reason there was no detailed costing in the plan of the extra Exchequer expenditure that will be required in the coming years, over and above that already provided for, as a result of the plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4170/17]
View answerThe Government's Action Plan for Rural Development which was launched on 23rd January will act as an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives right across Government which will benefit rural Ireland. The Plan contains over 270 actions to be delivered by a range of Government Departments, State agencies and other bodies.
The Plan includes details of the key investments which will be made to support rural development over the three-year period of the Plan – and beyond that time frame in some cases.
The actions in this Plan represent firm commitments from Government Departments and agencies to support rural Ireland. In line with normal procedures, it will be a matter for individual Government Departments to secure the funding required on a year-by-year basis as part of the annual Estimates process.
As far as my own Department is concerned, I do not foresee the need for a supplementary Estimate this year. Funding for regional and rural programmes in my Department’s Estimate has increased from €61.2 million in 2016, to €79.2 million in 2017 – an increase of 29%. This demonstrates the Government’s commitment to rural development and will allow for the funding of schemes such as the CLÁR programme and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The increased funding will be complemented by the work of other areas of my Department, much of which has a positive impact on rural Ireland.
It is important to bear in mind that many of the commitments in the Action Plan for Rural Development involve new policy initiatives which will not necessarily require additional funding to have a positive impact – for example the development of a new and effective framework for rural proofing Government policies, or the development, for the first time ever, of a National Policy on Social Enterprise.
77. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of staff within her Department that have fluent working Irish. [4176/17]
View answerI am advised that 52 members of staff in my Department perform their daily duties through the medium of Irish. Other staff are competent, and, in some cases, fluent Irish speakers. In addition my Department also seconds staff to Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga and 6 staff are currently assigned to that office.
78. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of jobs she plans to create in County Wexford with regard to the Action Plan for Rural Development; the measures her Department has planned in County Wexford to increase foreign direct investment by 40%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4135/17]
View answerThe Action Plan for Rural Development recognises that strong regions provide the basis for improving economic opportunities and jobs potential in rural areas. In this context, the regional Action Plans for Jobs, which are co-ordinated by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, will play a key role in improving the operating environment for businesses so that enterprises throughout all regions can start-up, grow and create employment.
The overall goal of the 8 Regional Action Plans for Jobs is to have a further 10-15% of people at work in each region by 2020 and to ensure the unemployment rate of each region is within 1% of the State average. The Government has set a target of supporting the creation of 135,000 jobs outside the Dublin region by 2020.
The core objective of the South East Action Plan for Jobs, which encompasses the county of Wexford, is to have a further 25,000 at work in the region by 2020. The job creation target is for the region as a whole, and does not contain county-specific targets.
The detailed plans for increasing foreign direct investment in the regions are a matter for IDA Ireland. The IDA comes under the remit of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell-O’Connor, T.D.
The Action Plan for Rural Development will complement the regional Action Plans for Jobs and includes over 270 actions for delivery across a range of Government departments, State agencies and other bodies to support both the economic and social development of rural Ireland.
79. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the timeframe for the completion and full opening of Killarney House; her plans for 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3843/17]
View answerThe restored gardens at Killarney House opened to huge public acclaim in April 2016. The interpretation/exhibition programme and installation for Killarney House and the National Park is advancing and I expect that it will be completed in the coming months. It is intended that the exhibition will open to the public during the tourism season and that the historic rooms of the House will be open too during the course of the year.
80. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason trained underwater archaeologists using an archaeological methodology were not used on a recent dive on the Lusitania. [4172/17]
View answerAs indicated in my response to Questions Nos. 403 and 404 on 13 December 2016, conditions associated with dive licences under the National Monuments Acts are subject to review and input from the relevant professional archaeological services of my Department, are structured to reflect the particular nature, circumstances and objectives of the licensable activity and, consequently, will vary from case to case.
The licence issued in this instance, which was subject to 20 detailed conditions, reflected the Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and the owner of the wreck to facilitate greater mutual co-operation and collaboration. The licence conditions reflected the unique and extensive knowledge of the wreck site on the part of the person appointed to make the recovery, the complexity and arduousness of the dive, the nature, composition and location of the artefact being known, the fact that the artefact had been previously filmed on the seabed and also the applicant’s intention to recover the particular artefact for donation, conservation and display in a suitable local public facility.
81. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps which will be taken to increase tourism potential in rural areas as part of the Action Plan for Rural Development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4136/17]
View answerMaximising our Rural Tourism and Recreation Potential is one of the key pillars of the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development. The Plan will act as an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives right across Government which will benefit rural Ireland.
Tourism is of key importance to the economic wellbeing of rural Ireland and the sector supports many thousands of jobs in rural areas. The Action Plan for Rural Development recognises the further growth potential that tourism presents for rural communities. The Plan sets out 50 distinct actions designed to maximise our rural tourism and recreation potential. These combined actions aim to increase overseas tourists to rural Ireland by 12% by 2019.
Through the Action Plan for Rural Development, we will support job creation through targeted initiatives such as the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East, and by developing the potential of Ireland's Lakelands. We will also develop cross-Border tourism initiatives to support the tourism potential of the Border region.
We will promote and increase Activity Tourism in rural areas through the development of Greenways, Blueways and other niche tourism products. My own Department will fund the Rural Recreation Scheme and the National Walks Scheme and will develop a Public Outdoor Recreation Amenities Plan to transform the provision of outdoor recreation facilities on publicly-owned land and waterways.
We will also develop and promote our natural and built heritage through capital investment in our National Parks and Nature Reserves, through investment in the Gaeltacht areas, and by progressing the designation of additional sites in UNESCO's World Heritage list.
My Department will work closely with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Heritage Council and other key stakeholders around the country, such as Waterways Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta and local authorities, to deliver these actions.
82. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if her Department has completed the report into the killing of hares at Rathdowney in November 2016; when the report will be made available; if she will confirm that no licence has been given for a rescheduled event or for the capture of more hares (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3786/17]
View answerIt is my understanding that a copy of the report prepared by my Department in relation to Rathdowney Coursing club was provided to the Deputy in December 2016. The report is also available on my Department’s website – (http://www.ahrrga.gov.ie/news-centre/news-centre-publications/).
The meeting scheduled by the coursing club did not take place, no licence was given for a rescheduled event and all hares held in captivity by the club were released under supervision of officials of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department.
83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her views on whether the present resources allocated to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, are sufficient to meet its remit to protect Ireland's wildlife and biodiversity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4178/17]
View answerI am advised that staffing levels across my Department are kept under regular review and resources required to meet my Department's business needs are assessed through the workforce planning process, having regard to Department of Public Expenditure and Reform directives, guidelines and circulars on staffing, as well as to emerging business priorities and the availability of payroll resources. It was necessary, as a result of the severe economic downturn, to impose a strict embargo on public service recruitment over a number of recent years. This inevitably resulted in a reduction in staffing levels across the entire public sector and across many areas of my Department, including the NPWS.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department is currently in the process of a number of recruitment campaigns, including, through the Public Appointment Service, for additional staff at Conservation Ranger level in the National Parks and Wildlife Service. A number of General Operative posts in the National Parks are also being filled, while recruitment for seasonal staff to manage our National Parks is currently under way.
