Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
626. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the estimated cost of introducing a culture card voucher system worth €200 each to all 18-24-year-olds in Ireland in 2024, in order to promote engagement with culture, arts and media, based on schemes in place in Germany, Spain, France and Italy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27443/23]
View answer627. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the estimated cost of introducing a culture card voucher system worth €200 each to all young people in Ireland when they turn 18, in order to promote engagement with culture, arts and media, based on schemes in place in Germany, Spain, France and Italy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27444/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together.
My Department actively supports a range of institutions, programmes and initiatives which create opportunities for young people around the country to engage with the arts and culture. The National Cultural Institutions which house the national collections, in particular, are free to access by the public. They also have a range of programmes, events and resources for young people including both in-person and online events and resources.
In addition, through the all-of-Government Creative Ireland Programme based in my Department, the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 provides access to children and young people, from birth to 24 years, to creative, cultural and artistic engagement across all aspects of their lives. Prioritising those that are seldom heard, the Plan supports engagement in activities such as creative writing, youth theatre and creative technology. Programmes such as Creative Schools put arts and creativity at the heart of school life, strengthening links between schools and the broader cultural and community infrastructure. Funding is allocated to all 31 local authorities to deliver Cruinniú na nÓg annually, the national day of free creative and cultural activities for children and young people. Held on the 10th June this year, over 750 free events took place nationwide.
This group are also considered a key demographic for our work to stimulate the night-time economy and my Department held dedicated workshops with young people in partnership with the Department of Children, Equality, Diversity, Integration and Youth last year and are currently working through their recommendations with a view to developing new initiatives.
More generally, I have supported significant investment in the Arts Council to record levels of €130 million which has a mandate to stimulate public interest in the arts and to promote knowledge and appreciation of the arts. I have also initiated a new policy on the Night Time Economy, as well as investing ambitiously in the audio visual sector, all with a view to growing these sectors and providing new opportunities for younger people to participate in arts, culture and media activities.
Against that background, there is no proposal currently under review within my Department to develop a culture voucher along the lines of the Deputy's proposal. If such were to be considered, it would need to be subject to the usual appraisal and regulatory impact analyses, and within the context of the Annual Estimates process. In broad terms, census 2022 identified some 438,500 people in the 18-24 years cohort, which would see a minimum cost of €87.7 million for the provision of a once-off voucher of €200 for this group alone. This does not include the cost of establishing and administering such a scheme, which would likely be considerable, and would not take into account the expectation of younger groups that a similar scheme would be in place when they reach 18 years.
