Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
361. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding spent by her Department on the Creative Schools programme every year since 2017; the breakdown by current and capital spending; and a list of each participating school each year and the amount received. [24569/23]
View answer362. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the estimated additional cost of expanding the Creative Schools programme to every primary school in the State. [24570/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 361 and 362 together.
Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Creative Youth Plan, supporting schools to put the arts and creativity at the heart of children’s and young people’s lives. Since 2018, Creative Schools has supported schools over 2 years to develop and implement a bespoke Creative Schools plan. It is led by the Arts Council in partnership with my Department and the Department of Education. Access to the initiative is open to all Department of Education-recognised primary and post-primary schools. According to published figures there are currently 3,958 schools (www.gov.ie/en/collection/63363b-data-on-individual-schools/), in addition to Youthreach centres (www.etbi.ie/youthreach/youthreach-directory-contacts/).
Each school participating in the initiative is provided with a Creative Schools operating grant of €4,000 in total over the two years. Each school is also provided with access to a trained Creative Associate, a school coordinator and voice of the child training.
In 2020 the Arts Council was awarded additional funding from the July Stimulus Package announced by Government, designed to directly support those negatively impacted by Covid-19. The Arts Council agreed to award additional once-off funding to all schools participating of €1,100.
For the 2022 intake, four schools joined the programme that are based in non-mainstream settings, attached to Special Care Units or Children Detention Centres. Given the particular needs of these settings and the young people within them, they were offered an enhanced package of supports to include greater allocated time with a Creative Associate and an increased grant of €8,000 each over the two years.
In the five rounds from 2018 to 2022, a total number of 1,433 schools and Youthreach Centres have applied to participate in Creative Schools. Over 830 schools and Youthreach centres have been invited to participate during this time, details of which are available by year on the Arts Council website here: www.artscouncil.ie/generic_content.aspx?id=59340
In 2018, my Department spent a total of €400,000 in current spending for the delivery of Creative Schools, and a further €822,000 in 2019. Since 2020, all funding through my Department relating to Creative Schools has been part of the Arts Council’s annual allocation, the management of which is a matter for the Council under the Arts Act 2003.
With regard to current expenditure on the arts, including Creative Schools, the Arts Council funding decisions database gives a listing of its 2008-2022 funding decisions, available here: www.artscouncil.ie/funding-decisions/. Arts Council expenditure on specific programmes they administer, such as Creative Schools, are recorded in the Arts Council's annual reports and financial statements available here in the Council's publications section: www.artscouncil.ie/publications/?&Category=Annual%20reports
Creative Schools is available to all schools, including primary. Any further scaling up would require a re-consideration of the most feasible model of delivery.
