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Wednesday, 6 Mar 2019

Written Answers Nos. 318-324

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Questions (318)

Maurice Quinlivan

Question:

318. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if Údarás na Gaeltachta has the power to take equity stakes in client companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10991/19]

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Written answers

I wish to advise the Deputy that under the provisions of the Údarás na Gaeltachta Act 1979 (as amended), Údarás na Gaeltachta has the power to take equity stakes in client companies and does so occasionally. In that context, Údarás na Gaeltachta has informed me that investments are evaluated and made on a case by case basis. 

Under current arrangements and prior to deciding whether or not to make an equity investment, a client company or potential new client company is required to provide Údarás na Gaeltachta with a full business plan which is subjected to a financial  and, if necessary, technical assessment.

All of Údarás na Gaeltachta relevant investment decisions are made having regard to state-aid rules, including the market investor principle.

Commemorative Events

Questions (319)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

319. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to have the remains of persons (details supplied) that were buried within the walls of Kilmainham Gaol exhumed and reinterred in Glasnevin Cemetery as part of her work on historical commemorations. [11017/19]

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Written answers

As the Minister with responsibility for leading the Decade of Centenaries commemorative programme, my priority is to ensure that the Government's approach to the remembrance of the significant historical events and related themes is appropriate, measured, respectful, inclusive and sensitive to the different perspectives that exist on the events of this period. 

I have no plans to have the remains of the persons referenced by the Deputy exhumed and reinterred in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Kilmainham Gaol is a national monument and, in accordance with Section 14 of the National Monuments Act 1930, any proposed exhumation at the monument would require an associated excavation licence.  Currently there is no application for such a licence with my Department in this case.

Architectural Heritage

Questions (320)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

320. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a school building (details supplied) will be placed on the list of protected structures due to its historical significance in education. [11058/19]

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Written answers

My functions, with regard to the protection of our architectural heritage, are set out in the Planning and Development Acts, as are the responsibilities of local authorities and owners. 

While I understand the importance of buildings such as the one mentioned to the local community and its history, the addition to or deletion of a structure from the Record of Protected Structures is a reserved function of the planning authority, in this case Dublin City Council.

The Planning and Development Acts give primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect our architectural heritage by including particular structures on their Record of Protected Structures (RPS).  Inclusion on the RPS 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 draw on information provided by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH), maintained by my Department, to recommend structures to the planning authorities for inclusion on the RPS. These recommendations are generally made for structures rated by the NIAH as being of Regional significance or above.  

In relation to the building in question, the general area was included in Phase 3 of the NIAH survey of Dublin City, which took place in 2013. The building mentioned by the Deputy was not the subject of a Ministerial Recommendation. However, it remains open to the local authority to include the building in its Record of Protected Structures, should it decide to do so.

Departmental Advertising Expenditure

Questions (321, 322)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

321. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount spent on social media advertising and online promoted content (details supplied) in 2018 and to date in 2019, by campaign and social media platform used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11117/19]

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Catherine Murphy

Question:

322. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has engaged and-or consulted with a public relations online advertising agency regarding social media advertising and online promoted content in 2018 and to date in 2019; the amount spent by company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11134/19]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together.

In 2018, expenditure of €66,420 was incurred in respect of social media relating to the Creative Ireland Programme. This arose from a comprehensive citizen engagement programme (curated and implemented by a contracted digital content agency) to showcase the range and depth of Ireland's cultural and creative offering and to encourage participation in arts and creative activities as a means of individual, collective and societal well-being. The vision of the Creative Ireland Programme is that every person in Ireland should have the opportunity to realise their full creative potential. This represents a new approach to creativity and cultural policy and therefore requires a sustained ongoing communications programme.   

I am also advised that in 2018 the Culture Ireland Unit engaged Mr. Nik Quaife on a 1 year contract for the provision of services including a communications strategy for its GB18 programme, to celebrate and renew Ireland’s cultural relationship with Britain.  Expenditure of €51,400 was incurred in respect of these services.

My Department also engaged D’Arcy Marketing and Big O on 2018 at a cost of €17,466 and €6,125 respectively to promote awareness of the 2018 European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) campaign for the recruitment of Irish language translators to the institutions of the European Union.  

In addition to the above, further expenditure of €5,535 has been incurred to date in 2019 by the Creative Ireland Programme and €2,446 by the Culture Ireland unit in respect of social media costs. 

Value for money is always an important consideration for my Department when assessing expenditure of this nature.

Urban Development

Questions (323)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

323. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 228 of 13 February 2019, the details of the review of the various actions concluded under the Government's policy on architecture 2009-2015; the actions that have been completed; the status of actions 1 to 29 in action on architecture 2002-2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11154/19]

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Written answers

The Government Policy on Architecture (GPA) 2009-2015 was the subject of three periodic reports which are published on my Department’s website. The policy was also reviewed by way of presentation and discussion at two conferences, in July 2017 and March 2018. These conferences reviewed the policy actions with specific emphasis on reuse of urban buildings and places.

The GPA 2009-2015 was designed to be implemented via three strands: actions led by the Department; an open call for expressions of interest to carry out 20 priority actions; and support to enable stakeholders to carry out other actions in the policy.

Each year until 2016, calls for applications for direct grant aid were issued and projects, publications and events were supported. The implementation of many actions was adjusted from the initial design in order to address current priorities better, while other actions provided a springboard for initiatives by third parties. The outputs are set out in the three reports on the policy implementation, mentioned above.

The implementation of Action on Architecture 2002-2005 coincided with the restructuring of departments following the general election of 2002, when the responsibilities of the then Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, which had published the policy, were divided among a number of departments. A number of actions were carried out by key stakeholders and those which were not completed were carried forward into the following policy.

One of the notable successes of the 2002-2005 policy was the establishment of the Irish Architecture Foundation. This remains a key partner in promoting public engagement with architecture, including by excellent initiatives such as Open House and Architects in Schools.

Architectural Heritage

Questions (324)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

324. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if Ireland is a signatory and is bound by the charter for the conservation of historic towns and urban areas, Washington Charter 1987; and if Ireland complies with the principals and objectives contained within. [11240/19]

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Written answers

The 1987 Washington Charter is not an agreement between State parties and there is therefore no mechanism for State ratification, signature or accession to it.

Conservation theory and practice is continually evolving and Ireland is guided by the most up to date principles and objectives of international best practice.

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