Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2024
223. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she continues to support the tourism sector through the medium of Irish culture at home and abroad with particular reference to the needs of the industry in the present challenging times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7364/24]
View answerAs Minister with responsibility for the tourism, arts and culture sectors, I recognise the valuable symbiotic relationship between these important elements of Irish society and identity.
Irish culture in its various forms - built heritage, the arts, cultural institutions, festivals - plays a very significant role in Ireland’s tourism offering and are among the primary motivators for international visitors to visit Ireland.
In Budget 2024, I secured a total of €367.406m for Arts and Culture, an increase of €10.424m from €356.982m in 2023. The Arts Council received an increase of €4m, with increases of €1.5m and €1m to Screen Ireland and Culture Ireland respectively.
There are a number of policy initiatives and strategies within the arts and culture division which have a direct positive impact on tourism activities:
• The allocation of €7.6million for Culture Ireland is the highest allocation in its history. As the agency that promotes Irish arts worldwide, it plays a central role in enhancing Ireland’s global reputation for cultural excellence.
• Cultivating Irish artistic and creative talent and enhancing Ireland’s reputation as a hub of artistic excellence. This is being achieved through sustained levels of funding made available for Arts Council, Culture Ireland, Creative Ireland, Screen Ireland and our NCIs as well as completing the Basic Income for the Arts initiative.
• Arising from the Night Time Economy Report, €1million in funding is in place to develop further cultural offerings and promote further visitor access to museum, galleries and cultural spaces.
For the tourism sector, in Budget 2024, I secured funding of €218million for tourism development at home and amongst overseas visitors. This is has also supported continued recovery in the sector.
The portrayal of culture and sport in Tourism Ireland’s marketing communications overseas can play an important role in helping potential visitors to envisage and appreciate some of the unique aspects of a holiday on the island of Ireland and recognise the island as a top location for cultural and sporting events.
There are several cultural initiatives undertaken within the tourism sector that directly support local tourism. These include:
• Fáilte Ireland designs and delivers a diverse portfolio of both Fáilte Ireland owned and co-created Festivals that are critical for developing tourism in rural areas. One of their hero Festivals, Púca was developed by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with local stakeholders in the Boyne Valley region.
• Co-created Festivals such as the St. Patrick’s Regional Festival (Cork, Killarney, Limerick and Waterford) and Global Irish Festival Series (Mayo, Kerry, Donegal and Limerick) are particularly important as they deliver on key tourism objectives such as regionality, seasonality and sustainable tourism development, while also increasing dwell time and economic impact.
• Ireland’s Regional Festival Scheme is available to local community festivals and is administered by the Local Authorities. Each Local Authority manages their own application and grant process, with schemes opening for applications typically in March/April on the Local Authority websites.
I will continue to ensure that the linkages between arts and culture and tourism are developed further. This will not only provide additional valuable support towards a sustainable tourism sector but also ensure employment opportunities for many Irish arts and tourism workers.
