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Wednesday, 27 Sep 2017

Other Questions

Departmental Staff Recruitment

Questions (39)

Joan Burton

Question:

39. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht how she plans to fill the vacancy created by the departure of the communications chief of Creative Ireland; the timetable for that person's replacement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40518/17]

View answer

Oral answers (19 contributions)

I intend to fill the position of director of the Creative Ireland programme through an open competition managed by the Public Appointments Service, PAS. The position will be for a five-year fixed-term contract and I am advised that applications will be sought shortly.

A key element underpinning the success of the Ireland 2016 centenary programme was the extent to which it was embraced by the Irish people at home and abroad. My Department's Creative Ireland programme is the Government's legacy programme for Ireland 2016 and the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in the draft framework policy, Culture 2025-Éire Ildánach, published by my Department in July last year. Through Creative Ireland, we want to build on the huge level of collaboration we experienced throughout the centenary year between central and local government, across embassies and consulates, between universities and State agencies and between creative artists and industry.

The five-year initiative from 2017 to 2022 places creativity at the centre of public policy and its core proposition is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity with significant implications for individual and societal well-being and achievement. To advance the implementation of this ambition programme, I have established a dedicated project office within my Department.

The Minister has spoken about the importance of Creative Ireland. I understand its leader was Mr. John Concannon. Is that correct?

The Minister emphasised that this person was recruited by the Department in respect of a very important job relating to the five-year Creative Ireland programme. When was she approached with the news that the person was going to leave the Department and be transferred to another post? Was a written request submitted to her? The then Taoiseach announced the appointment of this person. Can the Minister talk the House through this? When was he originally appointed to the post? He is a very fine civil servant and I have experience of his work myself. I am not in any way being critical of him. However, this is important. The Minister told our colleague how important Creative Ireland is and she got a person of some standing to lead it. However, when the new Taoiseach came to office, that person was plucked away. Was there any correspondence with the Minister's Department? Was a request made and was the Secretary General of the Department consulted before this person left a job to which he had only recently been appointed and in which he seemed very happy? I met him, as did lots of other people, at different functions before he was spirited away to head a Government political communications unit. Can the Minister advise the House of her role in this matter?

Mr. John Concannon did wonderful work as programme director for the 2016 commemorations, on which we worked very closely together as a team. We then developed the Creative Ireland initiative, which is a legacy initiative on foot of the success of the commemorative events that took place. I want it to be clear that the commemorative programme was very much a team effort in which many people were involved. The first I heard of this was when Mr. Concannon came to me to state that he had another job opportunity. I was delighted for him.

Did he tell the Minister what it was?

He told me he was moving to a new job and I said that was fair enough. That happens in all organisations. People get opportunities and move on and I wish them well. It is now my job to look for a new director. The job specification has been drawn up and the position will be advertised shortly through the PAS system. I encourage people to apply for it. It is an exciting job with many different facets. Creative Ireland is a new and exciting initiative and I believe there will be great interest in it given the many great things that are happening in the Department. We have a very good team and we have strong working relationships with all of the other organisations involved, including the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and the cultural institutions. A great deal is happening in this space. I wish John well in his new position. A lot is happening in Creative Ireland and it is an exciting time for somebody to join the team.

Is the Minister saying there was a transfer and appointment to the Department of the Taoiseach in respect of which she received no correspondence and in the context of which there was no public appointments process? Is she stating that there was no communication between the Secretary General of the Minister's Department and the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach in the context of effecting this transfer? From my experience as a Minister, there is a public appointments process embedded into Civil Service regulation and into the understanding given to people who become members of Government. However, there are also contractual and transfer issues involved. The Minister is saying that this man came to her and said he was delighted with a new job offer, which is fair enough. Surely, however, that left her and her Department in a bit of a hole. The Department had made its plans. Is the Minister really telling the House that she heard nothing from the Department of the Taoiseach and the civil servants there about this appointment? Is she saying that this was a purely political agreement between her and the Taoiseach to pluck a civil servant from one place and plonk him somewhere else? That is not done and it is totally wrong.

The Deputy is absolutely off the mark there.

Then tell us what happened.

I told the Deputy exactly what happened.

Where is the paperwork?

The programme director of Creative Ireland was seconded to my Department from Fáilte Ireland and that is the arrangement to which he was working. He told me he had another job opportunity, we spoke about it and I wished him well. I had no contact with the Taoiseach in respect of the matter. He told me about his job. There are other people who move on to different jobs all the time, as the Deputy knows, and it happens even within my own Department. There are promotions and all sorts of different moves and I am not aware of each one of them.

They obey the public appointments structures, which is what I am asking the Minister about.

Deputy Burton has had plenty of replies from the Minister on this.

Creative Ireland is bigger than any one person. My priority is to implement the Creative Ireland plan and engage and deliver on each of the five pillars. It is a very important initiative. As I said, I wish John well. The Creative Ireland team is in place within my Department and it is working extremely well to co-ordinate all of the relevant agencies within and outside the Department's remit. It is my job to ensure that the Creative Ireland initiative is delivered and that is my focus.

National Monuments

Questions (40)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

40. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps that can be taken regarding the national monument, Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street, in the interim before the court case; if she will request the Office of Public Works to carry out safety and maintenance work deemed necessary; and if she will provide the additional funding for these works. [40693/17]

View answer

Oral answers (7 contributions)

My question relates to what can be done with the national monument of Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street before the resolution of the court case about the site. Has the Office of Public Works, OPW, the necessary resources to carry out whatever remedial work may be needed in the meantime?

I thank the Deputy for her work on both the forum and the advisory group on Moore Street.

The original schemes of works to fully conserve the national monument buildings at Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street were suspended early last year on foot of a High Court ruling. As an interim measure, and pending a permanent solution being found for the future development of the national monument, a limited scheme of essential protective and stabilisation works was completed last July. These works were specifically approved by the High Court and have been carried out to the highest possible standard by an expert contractor under the supervision of one of Ireland’s pre-eminent conservation architects. They have been monitored all along by the Department’s archaeological and architectural personnel, including the acting chief archaeologist.

The essential works completed were confined to preserving and protecting the buildings for the time being. They were limited to re-roofing, essential structural stabilisation, urgent works to the external fabric and necessary measures to secure the boundaries of the State-owned buildings. Progress on the works was charted in a fortnightly published report with photographs. Several representatives from the Moore Street consultative group visited the site while the works were under way. The works were endorsed by a highly experienced independent architect appointed by the Moore Street consultative group. The OPW is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and management of all national monuments in State care, with some 1,000 monuments at approximately 750 locations around the country.

The OPW assumed responsibility for the maintenance and security of Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street buildings when the site was vacated by the contractor in July. On foot of the recommendations of the Moore Street consultative group, a follow-up Moore Street advisory group has been set up and is independently chaired by Dr. Tom Collins. This group has met on several occasions. I understand the Deputy attended at its most recent meeting on 19 September at which a full and detailed briefing on the condition of the buildings, as well as the proposed approach to their ongoing maintenance, was given by the senior conservation architect from the OPW.

I noted from the OPW’s presentation that there could be a need for it to act or react promptly, that it should not need to have to go through a whole bureaucratic procedure and that it should have the finance to do that.

We know the court case is coming up at the end of the year. Whatever the outcome, there is the possibility of an appeal, meaning we could be looking at a further year in the courts. Meanwhile, Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street are in a fragile state. We are also coming into the winter and these vulnerable buildings could be subject to more damage and disrepair.

In the meantime, can we not start the conversation about the national monument and what is going to be there? One of the recommendations from the consultative group was that we would capture the moment in time approach to the internal restorations of these buildings that were key to the events of 1916. Can we do anything in the interim? It is a national monument and owned by the Government. It is in the Minister's remit to start the conversation to ensure that when a decision is made and the works start, all the preparatory work has been done in the meantime. Does the Minister accept the recommendations in the consultative group’s report?

The essential protective works that have been carried out had the aim of safeguarding the fabric of the buildings for the coming years. After this period, it can be expected there will be clarity and agreement on the future development of the buildings in the light of future court decisions and what emanates from the deliberations of the Moore Street advisory group. In these circumstances, and given that there are no further works approved by the courts, it is not envisaged that further interim works will be undertaken by the OPW other than routine maintenance and security.

Funding has always been and will continue to be available. If something urgent should arise, the Deputy can rest assured that I will make funding available. I am constrained by the court's decision. If a matter of urgency arises, we can ask the courts to see if we can carry out further work to safeguard the building. In the end, I want to see that Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street are restored to the state in which they were in 1916.

I still believe we need to do more in the interim to start a conversation. We had the Lord Mayor's forum and consultative group’s reports. There is a common vision as to what we would like to see in Moore Street. We could do more while waiting on the court case. Anyone who has walked the route from the GPO to Moore Street and into the lanes knows the historical significance of so many of the buildings there, not just Nos. 14 to 17. I know hindsight is great, but we could have done more back in the day when the Government was buying Nos. 14 to 17. The historical significance of the other buildings is referred to in the Shaffrey report, commissioned by Dublin City Council, and in the Frank Myles battlefield report, which Chartered Land commissioned.

Will the Minister consider putting a preservation order on these buildings? No. 10 was the point of entry and where the 1916 leaders spent the night. It was the field hospital where the wounded, including James Connolly, were treated by Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell and Nurse Julia Grenan. When the Minister gave her press release after our report came out, it was rather vague as to what she felt about the recommendations. There is a need to get her commitment to these recommendations and that she will bring this to Cabinet in the near future.

The Minister might feel I do not give her credit for good work she does. However, I agree the ministerial forum on Moore Street was a good initiative by her, as was the advisory group it subsequently created.

We have hit a roadblock, however, with two of the recommendations from the ministerial forum, namely, that there should be an understanding of what the battlefield site should look like and that a planning permission would then be put in with regard to that new vision. As it now stands, the High Court case is having the effect of sterilising the whole Moore Street battlefield site. The traders have done their damnedest to create an energy around the enterprises in which they are involved. However, we could be looking at court cases for four, five or six years. In those four to six years, if either side decides to bring it further up to the Supreme Court or to Europe, we are looking at a cultural heritage opportunity being shelved in the centre of our capital city. That would be a major disappointment.

The work of the advisory group is important. I know it is working with the different stakeholders in the area to come forward with proposals on what can be done on working with the new developer and owner.

The issue with the High Court judgment is that it gives rise to much wider concerns for my Department about the administration of national monuments, as well as for other Departments and official bodies about public and social infrastructure provision. The orders of the High Court in all three sets of proceedings have been appealed. The appeals have been lodged on the advice of those other Departments and bodies in accordance with clear and unambiguous advice from the then Attorney General. The appeals are being processed through the courts and, as such, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on them. The High Court decision on what constitutes a national monument has implications for any infrastructural project across the country. This High Court decision had wider implications than Moore Street. One of the reasons the decision had to be appealed was the implications it would have for infrastructure projects across the country.

Cultural Policy

Questions (41)

Joan Burton

Question:

41. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans for the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40519/17]

View answer

Oral answers (8 contributions)

What are the Minister's plans for the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board for 2018 and afterwards?

The Arts Council and the Irish Film Board are independent in their decision making processes and it is a matter for the board of each body to set out its plans. However, both the Arts Council and the Film Board play a central role in delivering the Creative Ireland programme, which 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.

Significant progress has been achieved in the delivery of the ten actions identified for 2017 under the Creative Ireland programme, both at home and abroad. It is my intention to build upon this progress by strengthening all aspects of our arts and cultural infrastructure, including key agencies such the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as resources permit.

The Government has already shown its determination to deliver on the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve.

To this effect in budget 2017, I secured significant additional funding for both the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board.

The increase in the Arts Council’s allocation in 2017 was €5 million, or 8%. This will assist the council greatly in implementing its ten-year strategy for 2016-2025, Making Great Art Work, including under its new funding framework.

I also secured an increase of €2 million for the Irish Film Board in budget 2017, bringing the total allocation for 2017 to over €16 million. Budgetary decisions relating to both bodies for 2018 will be made in the context of budget 2018.

The Minister has stressed her commitment to the development of the arts in Ireland. I am at a slight loss at the Minister's references to Creative Ireland. Is Creative Ireland now effectively an oversight body that picks up all the elements of the arts in Ireland? Separately, what is the strategy relating to the Arts Council, with which huge numbers of living, working artists have a connection through funding and other supports? Second, the Minister again referred to Creative Ireland with regard to the Irish Film Board. What is her vision for the Irish Film Board, given that it is hugely responsible for the image Ireland has in the modern world both in terms of the good films that have been coming from Ireland and the image of Ireland conveyed to the wider world? This country will face many difficulties post Brexit. Arts and culture are our main calling point. I understand that Creative Ireland is going around the country and promoting the Government's presence in the arts in each county. However, these are institutions that deal with the work of artists, Ireland's performance in the arts and what we say to the wider world. I wish to know about that aspect.

On the question about our image to the wider world, pillar 5 of the Creative Ireland programme is about unifying our global message to the world and telling the world that this country is rich in culture and heritage and that Ireland is a good place to come to live, to invest and to study. It is about promoting that image to the world.

Creative Ireland is not an oversight body. It is not about that. It is about enabling people to work collaboratively. The independence of the Arts Council continues, and I absolutely respect that. It is funded and I will make a case for increased funding in the run-up to the budget. We work extremely well with the Arts Council. However, it is not about any single organisation but about how we can all work collaboratively for the benefit of the artists, art and culture in this country.

The Irish Film Board is the national development agency for Irish film making for the film, television and the animation industry. Its statutory remit is to assist and encourage the making of film in the State and the development of a film industry in Ireland. The board supports writers, directors and production companies across three sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. Indeed, I met all the stakeholders in that sector a number of months ago and they were able to tell me what the issues are. Creative Ireland is about working collaboratively with all the different stakeholders in the industry for the benefit of the industry and to allow more people to engage with and participate in culture and the arts.

Given that the Minister acknowledges the importance of the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, what demands has she put forward for 2018 to broaden funding to the sector? Many artists struggle financially. Much of their fame arises after they have died and, as the Minister mentioned earlier, their estates can be very valuable. However, that does not help many artists necessarily in their lifetimes. Incidentally, I understand the cnuas has been restored to the artist Patrick Pye. That is a good development. The Minister will recall the debate when there was an attempt to reallocate or reassign money in terms of support for the artist. Support for artists through Aosdána has had strong support from the Oireachtas.

I still do not understand Creative Ireland. What is the separate budget for Creative Ireland at present? To know money was spent on that might be helpful.

I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister recently on the Irish Film Board. The film board does good work and it is wonderful to see the results of that. However, it is also necessary for Deputies to scrutinise the work of these bodies and to ensure there is value for the level of euro invested. My question simply asked how much in loans was being given out by the Irish Film Board annually, how many of the loans were defaulting and if people who had defaulted on loans received loans subsequent to that. The reply I received basically advised me to look up the information in the annual report of the Irish Film Board, which did not answer my question. I examined the report but I could not find the details I had sought.

I am also slightly concerned about the structure of the tax breaks in the sector. What we must do with those tax breaks is ensure we are left with a growing, deeper infrastructure that produces for the future. I am worried that some of the schemes are just mechanisms whereby foreign firms can partner with local firms without leaving an infrastructure or a human resource behind to develop the industry.

The budget this year for Creative Ireland was €5 million. Of that, €1 million was used to facilitate local authorities to set up the Creative Ireland co-ordinators. Some €1.2 million was for Cruinniú na Cásca, which was a very successful cultural day on Easter Monday. We have a website and social media for getting the story out abroad. That is very important. In fact, our website, Ireland.ie, has received more than 2 million hits. These are people who are looking at Ireland.ie and seeing what we have to offer. It is important that we showcase our great strengths and our rich cultural heritage to the world.

With regard to the Irish Film Board, I will ask the board to write to Deputy Tóibín directly on the figures he has sought.

One of the pillars of the Creative Ireland plan is to make Ireland a centre of excellence for media production. I will continue to work closely with the Irish Film Board to ensure that this objective is achieved. There are many opportunities in this area. The Deputy is correct that culture is a wonderful calling card. According to IDA Ireland, it also a provides great opportunities to open doors.

To respond to Deputy Tóibín, if a Deputy does not receive an accurate answer to a parliamentary question, it is entirely within his or her power to refer the matter to the Ceann Comhairle who will have the question answered. I also ask Members, including the Minister, to show respect for the House and the orders of the Dáil by adhering to the limits on speaking time.

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