Written Answers Nos. 554-556
554. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of persons employed by the eight national cultural institutions under the labour activation schemes, on zero-hour contacts and unpaid internships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38693/18]
View answerIn respect of the Cultural Institutions under the remit of my Department, I am advised that no persons are engaged in either Labour Activation schemes or zero hour contracts.
Cultural Institutions operate both paid and unpaid internships. Paid internships are funded from a number of sources.
Regarding unpaid internships, the Cultural Institutes are regularly approached by students and recent graduates seeking internships, in what are specialised areas such as conservation. In many instances, these internships form part of the students course requirement. The internships tend to be short term in nature and are facilitated where possible.
The National Cultural Institutions are independent bodies under the aegis of the Department: it is a matter for these bodies if they are able to facilitate requests for short term internships from students and others interested in developing a career in the sector.
The approximate Full Time Equivalent (FTE) headcount for the eight National Cultural Institutions is 600 persons and the number of unpaid internships represents less than 2% of the total headcount.
Details are outlined in the table below regarding the number of unpaid internships currently being facilitated:
|
NCI’s |
Labour Activation Scheme |
Zero Hour Contract |
Unpaid Internships |
|
Chester Beatty Library |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Crawford Art Gallery |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
IMMA |
Nil |
Nil |
3 |
|
National Archives of Ireland |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
National Concert Hall |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
National Gallery of Ireland |
Nil |
Nil |
3 |
|
National Library of Ireland |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
National Museum of Ireland |
Nil |
Nil |
5 |
555. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding in place to renovate old houses with heritage features that are not in GLAS (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38768/18]
View answerMy Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through a number of schemes which are generally administered by local authorities.
The Structures at Risk Fund (SRF) enables conservation works to heritage structures in both private and public ownership, which are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. I have allocated €1.3m for the SRF in 2018.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is a scheme for the repair and conservation of protected structures, designed to leverage private capital for investment in small scale conservation projects across the country and to support the employment of skilled conservation professionals and tradespeople. I have allocated funding of €2m nationally for this Scheme in 2018. Details of all projects approved for funding under both of these schemes in 2018 are published on my Department’s website and local authority websites.
While no specific structure has been mentioned by the Deputy, the best advice for owners in relation to individual historic structures is to contact the Architectural Conservation Officer in their local authority who is very well placed to provide expert advice and assistance.
The closing date for the 2018 schemes has now passed. My Department remains in contact with local authorities throughout the year to ensure the best use of all funds under the schemes, including the reallocation of funds where, for example, projects do not proceed.
In terms of future funding, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027 represents a major capital investment scheme of €1.2 billion in funding over the next 10 years. This plan will see increased investment in protecting and celebrating our built heritage across the country. More details on the commencement and completion dates for projects and programmes, as well as the timing of the expenditure in relation to them, will emerge as we go through the process of appraisal and planning as required under the Public Spending Code.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. It is primarily a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports. Grant schemes are advertised by the Heritage Council on its website www.heritagecouncil.ie.
556. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding that has been approved for a theatre (details supplied) over the past five years; the name of the schemes under which the funds were approved; and when the funds were applied for. [38780/18]
View answerMy Department has approved capital funding of €250,000 in respect of the theatre to which the Deputy is referring. The amount is payable to the relevant Local Authority towards the restoration and enhancement of this theatre, pending clarity on all reinstatement issues including the contribution from insurances, and subject to the acceptance of the Local Authority of the conditions attached to the funding. This funding was applied for in September 2016 under the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018.
