Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019
54. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the level of funding for publishing and literature provided by the Arts Council in the past four years; and her views on whether literature and publishing are key cultural and artistic pursuits as Gaeilge and in English and are vital for the health of Ireland's cultural future and should therefore be funded adequately. [8504/19]
View answerThe strategic context for the Arts Council’s support of literature is set out in its 10 year strategy entitled Making Great Art Work. This strategy describes how the Council will lead the development of the arts in Ireland over the next decade. Aligned to this strategy in terms of objectives and desired outcomes, the Arts Council's published it Literature Policy & Strategy 2018 which sets out its current policies for literature and available at the following link http://www.artscouncil.ie/uploadedFiles/Lit_Policy_2018.pdf.
The Arts Council’s role in literature is to support the development of the artform, and the Council is a key player in the provision of a national infrastructure for literary culture in Ireland. The Council's remit for literature includes poetry, fiction, short fiction, children’s literature, critical writing and some forms of creative non-fiction.
The Arts Council recognises that the individual writer remains at the heart of the artform and works to develop the optimum environment for writers to create their best work. Through bursaries, travel awards and residency opportunities, the Arts Council provides direct support to writers to devote time to their craft and develop their careers. Through its support for resource organisations, the Arts Council ensures that key services and opportunities are available to writers. Publishers, journals, festivals and events all provide valuable platforms to writers, and the Arts Council works to support a variety of these to ensure that our literary ecosystem is diverse, healthy and open to a variety of voices and genres.
As the international, commercial publishing industry benefits a number of established Irish writers, Arts Council support is concentrated on indigenous, independent literary publishing houses and journals that platform new voices, experimental or risky work and distinctive Irish writers.
The total Arts Council funding to literature in 2019 is almost €3.5m. This includes funding to festivals, key literature resource and children’s literature organisations, as well as writers residencies in universities the three laureate honorary initiatives. This figure, which represents an increase of 24% since 2016, is also inclusive of €1.27m funding to a range of publishers in English and Irish – these include poetry and children literature publishers, as well as a number of literary journals
The Arts Council also supports the development of Irish-language literature. This includes audience development, readership, translation, partnerships, promotion and critical writing. The Arts Council's literature policy contains a commitment to work with relevant partners to clarify roles and responsibilities, and develop unique supports to address the needs of Irish-language literature
Details of these funding schemes and initiatives in support of literature and these can be viewed on the Arts Council's website at the following link http://www.artscouncil.ie/Arts-in-Ireland/Literature/Schemes-and-initiatives/
In terms of Irish language initiatives, I should add that my Department provides significant funding to Foras na Gaeilge in order to carry out a statutory mandate to promote the Irish language on an all-island basis. Foras provides ongoing support for publishing and literature through An Gúm, Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge, Áis and other initiatives. An Gúm provides publications and facilities to support the language in the education system, Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge supports publishing in Irish through various funding schemes and ÁIS distributes Irish language books throughout the country and further afield. Other initiatives include support for key online publications ( the newspaper Tuairisc.ie, the lifestyle magazine NÓS.ie and the current affairs magazine Comhar.ie) and literary festivals such as Listowel Writers Week and IMRAM. Further information is available at the following link https://www.forasnagaeilge.ie/
I agree strongly that literature and publishing are key cultural and artistic pursuits. Literature is an integral part of people’s lives in Ireland: books, stories, language and reading are essential to our culture and society. Ireland’s strong international reputation for literature is enhanced by contemporary writers who enjoy critical acclaim, win prestigious literary awards and attract significant readerships around the world.
