Culture Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 May 2023

Thursday, 18 May 2023

Questions (6)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

6. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question No. 96 of 21 February 2023, the status of the legacy framework arising from Galway 2020; when the framework will be published; the reason for the delay in its publication; if she will provide a detailed breakdown of how the remaining €1 million from her Department’s contribution to Galway 2020 will be spent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23451/23]

Oral answers (8 contributions)

Deputy Catherine Connolly

My question is very specific and is about the legacy framework arising from Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture. When will the framework be published? Will the Minister explain the delay so far and the reasons why it has not been published. Will the Minister also give a breakdown of the remaining €1 million given by her Department?

Deputy Catherine Martin

A key objective of the overall European Capital of Culture is the development of a legacy framework to sustain and build on the capacity, networks and opportunities arising from the Galway 2020 cultural programme. To develop the legacy framework, an extensive consultation process was undertaken by Galway 2020, which included stakeholders such as local artists, cultural organisations, community organisations and local State and business entities.

The independent evaluation of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture was conducted by the monitoring and evaluation organisation, The Audience Agency, which assessed the outcomes and impacts of the delivery of Galway 2020 from its designation in 2016 to the end of its delivery period in April 2021. The key recommendations from this independent evaluation were also taken into account, along with consultation with local stakeholders, when developing the legacy framework.

My officials engaged with Galway 2020 and Galway City Council and Galway County Council on the development of legacy programme aims and actions. As the Deputy is aware, in December 2022 I approved the allocation of the remaining €1 million from my Department’s overall commitment of €15 million to Galway European Capital of Culture to support the delivery of the programme under the proposed legacy framework.

I am informed that the website of the Galway Culture Company is currently undergoing an update and it is my understanding that the legacy framework will be published on the website in the coming weeks. As soon as I have confirmation of the exact date, I will inform the Deputy.

The key high level programme aims and actions under the legacy framework are outlined on the website of the Galway Culture Company. The €1 million funding from my Department will be broken down to support the delivery of these programme aims as follows: €300,000 to facilitate EU and international relationships and funding, €500,000 to develop and support place-based cultural programming and €200,000 to provide supports to the cultural and creative sectors.

Through the legacy framework, the artistic and cultural sector will have the opportunity to access the funding through a series of open calls, partnerships on funding applications to relevant EU programmes, opportunities for presentation in other European countries and targeted capacity-building supports. As opportunities arise they will be published on the website of Galway Culture Company. This will allow for the €1 million Department funding to be targeted in full to projects and initiatives to support the artistic and cultural sector in the Galway region.

Deputy Catherine Connolly

I thank the Minister. The Minister knows the background to this. We were all very proud in Galway and then it was bedevilled by bad luck, by bad weather, by Covid and by bad management, without a doubt. I say this publicly. With the legacy, foolishly we thought there may be infrastructure. In my second contribution I will come back to the language around what is not physical infrastructure.

I am following up on this because I sat on the Committee of Public Accounts and we brought it to the attention of the Department to monitor carefully what was going on with regard to the €15 million. In February 2023 I was told that the legacy framework will be published on the website of Galway Culture Company - we have a new company which is the Galway Culture Company - and this would be during March. We are now in May. My specific question is what is the delay. I welcome the website. I welcome that it is bilingual. I know there are very good people on the ground but the history of this forces me to stand up here to make sure that the whole situation is monitored.

Deputy Catherine Martin

The legacy aims to bring together key agencies and stakeholders in Galway to devise and derive a creative vision for Galway. The legacy programme has been designed based on extensive consultation with the sector and the lessons from the evaluation carried out in Galway 2020. I believe there has been no delay in the finalisation of the legacy framework. Galway 2020 engaged in extensive consultation with stakeholders as part of legacy development. It also reviewed and took into account key findings and recommendations from the independent evaluation of Galway 2020 by The Audience Agency.

These included recommendations to sustain, build and establish networks at national and European levels, as well as further enhancing the capacity of the sector, particularly in light of the impact of the pandemic on delivery. It is about getting it right. It is about the key engagement with the local stakeholders to make sure that their views were taken into account, and to ensure that it took account of the evaluation.

Deputy Catherine Connolly

I know the Minister has a lot on her plate, but she is missing the point. A Galway culture company was established on 23 January 2023 as a successor to Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture. In February, we were told that the legacy framework would be published on the website in March, and we are now in May. I know there can be delays, but I am looking at the history of this. I have a library of questions and answers in relation to it. The language used does not help. To be positive, I welcome that there will be open bids and that applications will be open to everyone, but we should look at the language used. I am not sure if we are restricted because of European language. I ask the Minister to listen to this. There will be €300,000 "to facilitate EU and international relationships and funding"; €500,000 "to develop and support place-based cultural programme"; and €200,000 "to provide supports to the cultural and creative sector". Does the Minister know what that means, even the last one maybe?

Deputy Catherine Martin

Yes.

Deputy Catherine Connolly

Please do not explain it to me. Does the Minister think that when we use the phrase "to facilitate EU and international relationships", that means something to the artists on the ground in Galway, when we see that much money going in a direction that is very vague? That is why monitoring is very important.

Deputy Catherine Martin

An example of facilitating international and EU relationships and funding would be a network or ecosystem that has been established to increase the number of applications for EU funding being progressed from Galway. That will bring more funding into the city. It will allow learnings and advice, training opportunities and policy updates to be shared to help the success of Galway-based applications, and will build contacts, networks and partnerships. It is about increasing the international links formed through the European City of Culture experience to improve cultural life in Galway. One example of that is EU-Japan Fest. A band with 60 of Japan's finest young wind and brass players spent five days in Galway in September last year. They delivered concerts in schools, met with Galway schoolchildren and participated in their classes. That Galway visit culminated in a free performance, featuring music from Ireland and Japan, in Galway Cathedral in September last year. That is what that is about. I note that the Deputy mentioned the physical infrastructure. I think we had this discussion in February. While the Department committed to providing the €15 million in funding to Galway European Capital of Culture, it did not make a provision for capital infrastructure.