Written Answers Nos. 427-442
427. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé i gceist aici fóram a bhúnú ar a mbeidh ionadaithe ó na hoileáin amach ón gcósta agus páirtithe leasmhara eile, lena n-áirítear a Roinn féin, le hionchur níos fearr a thabhairt do phobail na n-oileán ar chinntí a bhaineann go díreach le caighdeán maireachtála na bpobal sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [11907/17]
View answerIs féidir liom a dheimhniú don Teachta go bhfuil freagracht ar mo Roinn i dtaobh chomhordú pholasaí an Rialtais maidir leis na h-oileáin. Sa chomhthéacs sin, tionóltar cruinnithe idir mo Roinn agus eagrais stáit eile ó am go chéile chun saincheisteanna a bhaineann leis na hoileáin a phlé. Ó mo thaithí fhéin, baintear níos mó amach chun leasa phobail na n-oileán tríd na cruinnithe déthaobhacha seo seachas tríd ollchruinnithe de na Ranna stáit uile a bhfuil plé acu leis na hoileáin. Is féidir liom a dheimhniú don Teachta gur cheadaigh mé le gairid, maoiniú suntasach a chumasóidh don eagraíocht Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann beartais nua oileánda a fhorbairt agus plean cuimsitheach gníomhaíochta a fheidhmiú. Measaim go gclúdóidh scáth eagraíocht gníomhach mar seo ábhair thábhachtacha atá lárnach do shaol pobail ár n-oileáin sa todhchaí. Ar ndóigh, beidh mo Roinn ag comhoibriú leis an gComhdháil ar bhonn leanúnach chun mianta na n-oileánach a bhaint amach.
Anuas air seo, tá iarrtha agam ar oifigigh mo Roinne le déanaí teagmháil a dhéanamh leis na húdaráis áitiúla a bhfuil oileáin ina gceantair feidhme acu féachaint an féidir a gcuid Coistí Oileánda a athnuachan áit nach bhfuil siad ag feidhmiú faoi láthair.
Leis na fóraim seo uile, sílim go mbeidh freastal maith ar phobail na n-oileán agus go mbeidh meicníocht shásúil i bhfeidhm chun na deacrachtaí atá ag na pobail sin a aithint agus a réiteach.
428. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the designation of various bogs as national heritage area bogs will be lifted or be in effect de-designated in accordance with the Government's long-term plan for Ireland's peatlands, published in January 2014; the number and name of bogs in which this NHA order remains in place, despite assurances that all such bogs would be de-designated by 2016; if she will guarantee that these bogs will be de-designated without any further delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11917/17]
View answerThe Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network was published in January 2014 and is available to download from my Department’s website at https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/general/Final%20NHA%20Review%2017%20January%202014.pdf. It concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network.
This will entail:
- The cessation from 1 January 2017 of turf cutting on 36 existing natural heritage areas, which will remain designated - this includes 7 sites to be divided, with part to be conserved and part de-designated.
- The complete de-designation of 46 natural heritage areas - including the relevant areas of the 7 sites to be divided - where it has been judged that their contribution to the attainment of the national conservation objective for raised bog is expected to be marginal and/or restoration would be prohibitively expensive for the conservation benefits achieved. Domestic turf cutting may continue on these sites, while larger scale or commercial turf cutting will continue to be regulated through other consent systems.
- The designation as natural heritage areas of 25 currently undesignated raised bogs, that are in public ownership or in respect of which there is reduced turf cutting pressure, so as to compensate for the loss of habitat within the sites where it is provided that turf cutting may continue.
The purpose of the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 is to provide for the implementation of this reconfiguration. The Bill has been presented to Dáil Éireann and has completed Committee Stage in that House.
429. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the grants for refurbishing old buildings in rural communities that were announced in the Action Plan for Rural Development will be available; the details of the scheme; the grant assistance which will be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11922/17]
View answerThe Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23 January, contains a number of measures which have the objective of rejuvenating Ireland’s rural towns and villages to make them more attractive places in which to live and work, and to increase their tourism potential.
As part of Budget 2017, I have secured funding of €12 million for an enhanced Town and Village Renewal scheme this year. I intend to launch the first phase of this scheme in the coming weeks, with a focus on improving the economic development of our towns and villages. Full details of the initiative will be available when the scheme is launched.
I also intend to launch a second phase of the scheme later this year. This will be a pilot project to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages. My intention is that the scheme will be targeted at owner-occupiers and will assist with the cost of bringing buildings back into use for residential purposes only. The pilot will be launched in the second half of the year, when details of the scheme have been finalised in consultation with relevant Departments. Full details of the criteria to apply will be announced when the pilot is launched.
430. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has considered re-evaluating the criteria for tendering and considered the regionalisation of tenders to allow booksellers and local library sellers a chance to compete (details supplied). [11928/17]
View answerThis is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.
431. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if additional money for the CLÁR programme will be provided for all roads outside national schools in south Monaghan that are substandard; and if money will be provided to tar outside all the schools in order that the money from CLÁR is spent effectively. [11929/17]
View answerCLÁR is a targeted investment programme which provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas which have suffered the greatest levels of population decline.
In 2016, the CLÁR programme provided funding to over 650 projects around the country, including for safety measures such as pedestrian crossings and safety lights close to schools in CLÁR areas in Co. Monaghan. However, the programme is not intended to displace mainstream funding resources which are available to bodies such as the Local Authorities for matters such as general road improvements.
I have secured an allocation of €5 million for CLÁR for 2017 and details of the particular measures to be funded will be announced shortly. My objective for the 2017 programme will be to maximise the impact of the funding which is available, for the benefit of communities in CLÁR areas.
432. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an aontaíonn sí go bhfuil sárobair á déanamh ag an eagraíocht Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta chun tacaíocht a thabhairt do thuismitheoirí sa Ghaeltacht a bpáistí a thógáil le Gaeilge; an mbeidh sí sásta maoiniú a chur ar fáil don eagraíocht ionas gur féidir leo obair na heagraíochta a leathnú amach chuig gach ceantar Gaeltachta; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [12008/17]
View answerTá cúnamh reatha ar fiú €120,000 in iomlán ceadaithe don eagraíocht Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta ó Bhealtaine 2014 i leith chun cabhrú léi seirbhísí éagsúla a sholáthar do theaghlaigh sa Ghaeltacht atá ag tógáil clainne le Gaeilge. Is faoi réimse gnímh na Straitéise 20-Bliain don Ghaeilge atá dírithe ar an Ghaeltacht agus an Teaghlach a cuireadh an cúnamh seo ar fáil. Tá iarratas ón eagraíocht ar chúnamh i leith na bliana reatha á bhreithniú faoi láthair i gcomhthéacs thosaíochtaí mo Roinne maidir le feidhmiú na Straitéise agus forbairt an phróisis pleanála teanga araon.
433. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which discussions are ongoing with representatives of traditional turf cutters with a view to resolving difficulties in respect of the implementation of SACs and NHAs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12138/17]
View answerIreland, like all EU Member States, is bound by the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. These Directives aim to ensure the protection of habitats and species which have been selected for conservation within special areas of conservation and special protection areas.
Significant efforts have been made by the State to resolve the issue of the protection of Ireland’s raised bog special areas of conservation within the framework of the Habitats Directive. This has included intense and ongoing engagement with turf cutting interests, the farming community, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission, as well as the establishment of a long-term compensation scheme for affected turf cutters.
The National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan will set out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed into the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed including exploring the options in terms of certain provisions of article 6 of the Habitats Directive. It is intended that the Plan will be published in the coming period, subject to Government approval.
11,593 annual payments and 901 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of applications received under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation. In addition, 1,707 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made.
The Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network, published in January 2014, concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. Arising from this review, the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 has been presented to Dáil Éireann and is currently proceeding through the necessary stages in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Its purpose is to provide for the implementation of a reconfiguration of the natural heritage area network arising from the 2014 Review.
Final resolution of all issues in relation to the protection of Ireland’s protected raised bogs will only be brought about by everyone working together, within the law, with my Department and with the Peatlands Council, which was established for the purpose of ensuring the input from all stakeholders.
434. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which she continues to encourage internationally the use of Ireland as a film location with obvious beneficial economic implications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12139/17]
View answerMy Department will continue to promote economic development of Ireland across its full remit, including for example, under the recently published Action Plan for Rural Development and Creative Ireland Programme.
In this regard, the Irish Film Board continues to support the Irish screen industries at major international markets and festivals, promotes inward investment, promotes the use of Ireland as a location for international production and provides support for companies filming in Ireland. The Board liaises with IDA Ireland and Tourism Ireland to maximise joint opportunities for promotion of Ireland as a location for film productions.
The Creative Ireland Programme is a five-year all-of-government initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy and aims to improve access to cultural and creative activity in every county across the country.
Under Pillar 2 of the Programme - Enabling Culture and Creativity in Every Community - each local authority will be asked to develop a Culture and Creativity Plan, reflecting the overall structure and aims of the national strategy for culture and creativity. Each local authority has now established a Culture Team bringing together arts officers, librarians, heritage officers, museum curators, archivists and other relevant personnel led by a Director of Services, with a nominated person as 'Creative Ireland Co-ordinator'.
The overarching, long-term objective of Pillar 4 - Ireland: A Centre of Excellence in Media Production - is to elevate the creative industries (including media, architecture, design, digital technology, fashion, food and crafts) drawing together, on an all-of-government basis, State agencies, industry partners and those engaged in fostering innovation in enterprise. As an initial project, the key focus will be on Ireland’s potential to be a global leader in film production, TV drama, documentary, children’s storytelling, and animation for the screen.
In this regard, my Department has commissioned an economic analysis of our screen based creative industries, in partnership with the Departments of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. This study will examine the economic impact including employment and the potential of the Irish film, TV and animation sector. The commissioning of the study is a commitment to the Action Plan for Jobs 2016 and its recommendations will inform the development of policy in this area under the Creative Ireland Programme.
435. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which she continues to encourage the development and promotion of the arts with particular reference to the maximisation of employment opportunities arising therefrom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12140/17]
View answer443. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which her support for the arts sector continues to result in continued activity and employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12148/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 443 together.
The nature of employment within the arts and heritage sectors encompasses a wide range of activities, from theatre and music to archaeology and tourism. It may also embody the industrial creative sectors, including audio-visual production.
My primary role is to support artists and the creative industries in Ireland using the mechanisms available to me across Government on common initiatives such as the Action Plan for Jobs.
For example, the Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme – Clár Éire Ildánach 2017 – 2022 on the 8 December 2016. This is a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national well-being. This will focus on boosting cultural provision and participation in communities and harnessing the goodwill and engagement generated by the 2016 commemorative programme.
The core proposition of this programme is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal well-being and achievement. The Creative Ireland Programme is the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, the draft cultural policy which I published last year and which sees a vibrant cultural ecosystem as essential to society.
The programme is based on five pillars:
- Enabling the creative potential of every child
- Enabling creativity in every community
- Investing in our creative and cultural infrastructure
- Establishing Ireland as a centre of excellence in media production
- Unifying our global reputation
The Creative Ireland Programme is supported by significant additional resources which are being directed towards the arts and culture sector. In Budget 2017 I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board. The increase in the Arts Council's allocation in 2017 is €5 million, or 8%, and will assist the Council greatly in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025). I also secured an increase of €2 million for the Irish Film Board, representing a 14% increase in its annual budget.
Budget 2017 also includes:
- increased funding for all of the National Cultural Institutions;
- an increase of €1 million for Culture Ireland;
- an additional €1 million to the Heritage Council; and
- funding of €5m for the implementation of the Creative Ireland Programme.
I also recently announced details of more than €9 million in capital funding for existing dedicated arts and culture centres across the country.
The Creative Ireland Arts and Culture Capital Scheme is the most significant investment in arts and cultural centres in a decade and will target investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as artists’ studios and creative spaces. This kind of investment is at the centre of what I am trying to achieve through Creative Ireland Programme and the Action Plan for Rural Development.
My Department has also commissioned an economic analysis of our screen based creative industries, in partnership with the Departments of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. This study will examine the economic impact including employment and the potential of the Irish film, TV and animation sector. The commissioning of the study is a commitment to in the Action Plan for Jobs 2016 and its recommendations will inform the development of policy in this area under the Creative Ireland Programme.
All of this represents real and substantial funding increases across the arts and cultural area and has been welcomed across the sector. It re-affirms the commitment of this Government to progressively increase funding for the arts as the economy improves, as set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government.
436. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which the sector continues to attract support from philanthropists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12141/17]
View answerPrivate support for the arts is an important funding source and the Government continues to support this through tax incentives and other initiatives. The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to encourage strong, mutually beneficial links between the business community and the arts community to assist arts organisations to capitalise on sponsorship opportunities and to develop business partnerships and fundraising skills. In this regard, I recognise the important work carried out by Business to Arts for which my Department provides a small amount of assistance.
In addition, the Arts Council operates the RAISE programme, which seeks to enhance fund-raising skills in arts organisations with a view to diversifying the sector's sources of funding. It is designed to assist the sector in securing philanthropic contributions to the arts in Ireland.
In terms of other capital investment requiring co-funding, I have announced a new €9 million investment scheme for arts and cultural centres to run over the next three years, focussed on upgrading the existing stock of such centres around the country. The funding, which is being made available as part of the Capital Investment Framework 2016-2021, is dependent on matching funding being secured by project promoters and therefore provides an opportunity for philanthropists to involve themselves in the arts.
The Deputy may also wish to know that, on December 8 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 delivery on 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. It is hoped that this initiative will further stimulate private support for the arts.
437. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which she either by direction or through Waterways Ireland has reached agreement with traditional canal dwellers and canal recreational users with regard to draft proposals to increase the costs to traditional users; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12142/17]
View answer438. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which she expects to achieve an amicable resolution of issues between Irish Waterways and traditional dwellers and recreational users of the Grand Canal, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12143/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 438 together.
As I stated in my reply to Question No. 440 from the Deputy on 31 January 2017, Waterways Ireland continues to work closely with boat owners using the canals, canal users, land owners and representative groups. Contact is on-going between Waterways Ireland and the canal users groups, and local communities who support the efforts of Waterways Ireland in the maintenance and operation of the canals.
As the Deputy may be aware, provisions to amend the Canals Act 1986 in order to allow for the subsequent making of bye laws to regulate boating on the canals and to manage the use of the canals are contained in the Heritage Bill 2016. The proposed changes would allow Waterways Ireland to proactively manage the Royal and Grand Canals and the Barrow Navigation. As the Deputy will be aware, the 1988 Canal Bye Laws have been in force for almost 30 years and need to be revised to reflect changes in the use of the canals over the intervening years.
The Heritage Bill 2016 is now at Committee Stage in Seanad Éireann, most recently on 9 March 2017. Deputies and Senators will have the opportunity to consider the Bill as it passes through the various stages of enactment.
439. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which various at-risk heritage sites and buildings continue to be protected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12144/17]
View answer440. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which she is engaged in restoration of major historical or cultural sites throughout the country at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12145/17]
View answer444. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which a full audit of all historical buildings, including those of architectural and cultural interest exists; the degree to which alterations have been made in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12149/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 439, 440 and 444 together.
My role, as Minister, with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage, is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners as regards heritage assets.
Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides for the protection of architectural heritage. The Act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including relevant structures on the Record of Protected Structures. Inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers to deal with development proposals affecting them and to seek to safeguard their future.
I also have a role, as Minister, in terms of being a prescribed body under the Planning and Development Regulations 2001-2015, whereby development proposals that may impact on our built heritage are referred by planning authorities to my Department so that recommendations can be made as appropriate to avoid or mitigate any such impacts.
My Department has a number of measures at its disposal to facilitate the maintenance and restoration of major historical or cultural sites. As Minister, I am the owner or guardian under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014 of approximately 1,000 national monuments located at approximately 750 sites and in such cases there is a statutory duty to maintain the national monument. Such maintenance is undertaken by the Office of Public Works (OPW). Local authorities are responsible under the National Monuments Acts for maintaining the national monuments of which they are owners or guardians.
My Department is also providing €350,000 of funding to the OPW in 2017 to assist in the conservation and presentation of historic buildings and national monuments in State ownership. 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.
Under the provisions of the National Monuments Acts, my Department has established and maintains the Record of Monuments and Places, which affords legal protection to over 120,000 recorded archaeological sites and monuments in the State. Anyone proposing works to a monument that is included in the Record of Monument and Places must give my Department two months prior notice before works can start.
I launched a €2 million scheme - the Built Heritage Investment Scheme - for the repair and conservation of protected structures on 21 October 2015. This scheme operated 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 operating again this year and is expected to support in excess of 330 projects across the country in 2017 and to create employment in the conservation and construction industries, while helping to regenerate urban and rural areas.
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, administered through the local authorities, supported 57 projects nationally in 2016. It 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. The scheme is operating again in 2017.
Receipt of applications for both the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and Structures at Risk are now closed, however on-going queries can be addressed to all respective local authorities who are implementing both schemes throughout 2017.
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage is a state initiative to identify, record, and evaluate the post-1700 built heritage of Ireland, uniformly and consistently as an aid to its protection and conservation. The NIAH building surveys provide the basis for my recommendations, as Minister for Arts, Heritage Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, to the planning authorities for the inclusion of particular structures in their Record of Protected Structures. The published surveys are a source of information on the selected structures for relevant planning authorities. They are also a research and educational resource.
In view of the broad range of measures in place across the various areas of our built heritage which I have outlined above which involve my Department, Local Government and the OPW I do not consider that a further audit is required.
441. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which she continues to provide funding for the arts at local and community level, directly or indirectly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12146/17]
View answerFunding for the arts at all levels is primarily a matter for the Arts Council. In this regard, I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council in Budget 2017. The increase in the Arts Council's allocation in 2017 is €5 million, or 8%, and will assist the Council greatly in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025).
In addition, the Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme – Clár Éire Ildánach 2017 – 2022 on the 8 December 2016.
This is a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national well-being. This will focus on boosting cultural provision and participation in communities and harnessing the goodwill and engagement generated by the 2016 commemorative programme.
The core proposition of this programme is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal well-being and achievement. The Creative Ireland Programme is the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach , the draft cultural policy which I published last year and which sees a vibrant cultural ecosystem as essential to society.
The programme is based on five pillars:
- Enabling the creative potential of every child
- Enabling creativity in every community
- Investing in our creative and cultural infrastructure
- Establishing Ireland as a centre of excellence in media production
- Unifying our global reputation
Under the second Pillar, Enabling creativity in every community, each local authority is being asked to develop a Culture and Creativity Plan, reflecting the overall structure and aims of the national strategy for culture and creativity. Each local authority has now established a Culture Team bringing together arts officers, librarians, heritage officers, museum curators, archivists and other relevant personnel led by a Director of Services, with a nominated person as 'Creative Ireland Co-ordinator'.
‘Cruinniú na Cásca’, an annual programme of arts activities and cultural reflection to be held on Easter Monday, will be developed – across the island, locally, with our Diaspora, curated by the national broadcaster and delivered primarily by the local authorities. Beginning in 2018, there will also be an annual County of Culture award. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government will be a key partner in this pillar.
In addition, the Action Plan for Rural Development, which I launched with the Taoiseach last month, 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 Action Plan is an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives right across Government which will benefit rural Ireland. It takes a cohesive and co-ordinated approach across the whole of Government to the implementation of both economic and social policies that impact on rural communities.
The Plan contains 276 actions which aim to improve both the economic and social fabric of rural Ireland spread across five pillars.
Arts and Heritage are covered under the fourth pillar of the plan - 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 policy initiatives are supported by significant additional resources which are being directed towards the arts and culture sector. In addition to the increase in funding for the Arts Council, I also secured an increase of €2 million for the Irish Film Board, representing a 14% increase in its annual budget.
Budget 2017 also includes:
- increased funding for all of the National Cultural Institutions;
- an increase of €1 million for Culture Ireland;
- an additional €1 million to the Heritage Council; and
- funding of €5m for the implementation of the Creative Ireland Programme .
I also recently announced details of more than €9 million in capital funding for existing dedicated arts and culture centres across the country. The Arts and Culture Capital Scheme is the most significant investment in arts and cultural centres in a decade and will target investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as artists’ studios and creative spaces. This kind of investment is at the centre of what I am trying to achieve through Creative Ireland Programme and the Action Plan for Rural Development.
All of this represents real and substantial funding increases across the arts and cultural area and has been welcomed across the sector. It re-affirms the commitment of this Government to progressively increase funding for the arts as the economy improves, as set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government.
442. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which local community-based festivals have benefited from EU grant aid directly or indirectly with particular reference to the specific grant aid for festivals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12147/17]
View answerCreative Europe 2014 - 2020 is the European Union’s funding programme to support the audiovisual, cultural and creative sectors. It consists of MEDIA and CULTURE sub-programmes as well as a Cross-sectoral strand.
The Creative Europe - Culture sub-programme has granted over €13 million in project funding to projects with Irish partners in its first three years. The majority of the funding available under the Culture sub-programme is via the co-operation projects strand.
To date, at the mid-way point of the Programme, under the co-operation projects strand there have been four Irish festivals involved as partners in projects with a total project grant allocation of just under €3 million:
- Babóro Galway International Children’s Festival (Small Size, Performing Arts for Early Years)
- Photo Ireland Festival Ltd (Flaneur – New Urban Narratives)
- First Fortnight Ltd (Networking European Festivals for Mental Life Enhancement)
- Cuirt – Galway Arts Centre (Sharing the Wor(l)D)
The Culture sub-programme also funds EU networks and platforms via operating grants for the lead organisations. There follows a summary of Irish festivals which are members of Creative Europe supported platforms and networks:
- Dublin Dance Festival is a member of the Aerowaves Platform
- Galway Early Music Festival is a member of the European Early Music Network,
Galway Film Fleadh has received €162,750 for the period 2014 - 2016 under the Access to Markets support scheme for the Galway Film Fair – the industry market which runs parallel to the Festival.
A complete list of funding results is published on the Education, Audio-Visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) website: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/selection-results_en.
