Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2017
231. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he has taken to establish arts education officers nationally in the education and training boards as are successfully operating in the Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24421/17]
View answerMy Department is coordinating a response to the matters raised by the Deputy and, when completed, will be writing to her directly in relation to same.
This is expected to be completed within a few days.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
The overall responsibility for the promotion and development of the arts in Ireland rests with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
In 2013, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Education and Skills became co-signatories to the Arts in Education Charter which became embedded as policy in both Departments.
One of the elements of the chart was to design a national programme of Local Arts Education Partnerships by involving professional artists, arts organisations, and cultural institutions, local authority arts officers and other arts providers. The Charter envisaged that such a partnership would liaise with Education Centres, Education and Training Board (ETBs) and other education providers so as to build on and support existing relationships and to facilitate the development of new partnerships and joint ventures through a range of measures but within existing financial supports.
Cavan-Monaghan Local Arts Education Partnership has been a successful pioneer in this arena and it is envisaged that other partnerships will be developed in other areas over time and as resources permit.
With regards to staffing in ETBs, the main focus of payroll budgets for the foreseeable future is to cater for increasing demand for teachers and Special Needs Assistants arising from increasing student numbers at post-primary level.
Other staffing matters such as staff involved in administration, maintenance and training provision are dealt with centrally by my Department having regard to factors such as affordability within payroll budgets and priorities determined by individual ETBs.
