Is mór liom go bhfuil an deis seo agam ráiteas a dhéanamh i dtaobh An Plean Ealaíon 1995-1997 a foilsíodh cúpla seachtain ó shin. Is í an Chomhairle Ealaíon a dhréachtaigh an plean seo i ndlúthchaidreamh le mo Roinnse agus tar éis dom iarraidh orthu, ag deireadh na bliana 1993, dul faoin togra tábhachtach seo.
Nuair a chuir an Chomhairle an plean faoi mo bhráid, fuair mé cead ón Rialtas é a fhoilsiú láithreach, cé nach raibh deis acu teacht ar chinneadh faoin bplean agus a bhfuil ann ag an am.
Dá bhrí sin, tá an díospóireacht atá ag tarlú anois sa Dáil faoin bPlean Ealaíon 1995-1997 thar a bheith tábhachtach. Tugann sé deis chuí do Theachtaí a dtuairimí a nochtadh faoi agus tá mé ag súil go gcabhróidh an díospóireacht Dála seo liom nuair a chuirfidh mé an plean go foirmiúil faoi bhráid an Rialtais go luath. Ní haon áibhéil é a rá, dar ndóigh, go mbeidh sé níos éasca agam aidhmeanna an phlean a chur os comhair an Rialtais nuair a bheidh na tuairimí nochtaithe ag na Teachtaí Dála. Chomh maith leis sin, nuair a chuirtear san áireamh an díospóireacht sin, na freagraí agus na meastacháin a thiocfaidh ón Rialtas, réiteofar an bealach chun na cuspóirí sin a chur i gcrích. Thar aon rud eile, ba mhór an chabhair dom féin da mbeadh sé soiléir maidir le díospóireacht na Dála go bhfuil gach taobh den Teach fabhrach don phlean.
Tá An Plean Ealaíon 1995-1997 foilsithe ag tráth suimiúil i staid ealaíon agus cultúir na tíre. Ó ainmníodh mé mar Aire Ealaíon, Cultúir agus Gaeltachta dhá bhliain ó shin — agus tá sé ar intinn agam fanacht sa phost sin, is cuma cad a deir na nuachtáin — tá méadú mór tagtha ar an soláthar airgeadais atá ar fáil d'ár n-institiúidí cultúrtha náisiúnta agus don Chomhairle Ealaíon féin. D'éirigh liom, san am gearr sin, méadú de 52 faoin gcéad a fháil ar an soláthar airgeadais do na hinstitúidí cultúrtha náisiúnta agus méadú 60 faoin gcéad a fháil don Chomhairle Ealaíon. Taobh amuigh de sin, tá a fhíos ag Teachtaí nach raibh soláthar airgid ar bith ar fáil do thionscal scannáin agus éist/fís nuair a ainmníodh mé mar Aire. Is mór liom, dá bhrí sin, go bhfuil £3.25 mhilliún ar fáil do Bhord Scannáin na hÉireann i mbliana agus go bhfuil éileamh mór tagtha ar an líon iarratas ó chomhlachtaí agus ó dhaoine gur mian leo infheistiú a dhéanamh i dtograí scannáin faoi alt 35 den Acht Airgeadais, 1987, leasaithe.
Tá sé soiléir do chách, dá bhrí sin, gur tráth suimiúil é seo do chúrsaí ealaíon agus cultúir mar a dúirt mé cheana féin. Ach, mar Aire Ealaíon, Cultúir agus Gaeltachta, níl mé sásta glacadh leis an dul chun cinn cuimsitheach seo amháin. Ó toghadh mé mar Theachta Dála, bhí mé i gcónaí ag moladh go leagfadh an Rialtas amach a pholasaí faoi chúrsaí ealaíon agus cúlturtha ar bhonn struchtúrtha pleanáilte, agus is mór liom, dá bhrí sin, go bhfuil an aidhm phearsanta seo bainte amach agam anois leis An Plean Ealaíon 1995-97 atá ar fáil. Tá an díospóireacht Dalá tábhachtach seo ag tarlú inniu sa chomhthéacs seo agus tá mé ag súil le cead an Rialtais a fháil chun an plean a chur i bhfeidhm chomh luath agus is féidir.
Ba mhaithe liom a chur in iúl do Theachtaí chomh maith go mbeidh leagan Ghaeilge den Plean Ealaíon 1995-97 ar fáil go luath.
I very much welcome the opportunity to make a statement on The Arts Plan 1995-1997. The plan was drafted by the Arts Council in close consultation with my Department and following a request by me to An Chomhairle Ealaíon at the end of 1993 to draw up such a plan. It sets out a strategy for the development of arts and culture in our society over the next three years, building on the exciting advances which have been made in this area since my appointment as Minister just over two years ago. In essence, it seeks to address the many years of neglect of the arts by successive Governments and to place State support for arts and cultural expression in our society on a sufficiently high plateau within a relatively short period of time. This overall strategy of securing a plateau of State support is designed to ensure a continued and self-sustaining dynamic in our society for the benefit of all our citizens after implementation of the plan. The plan addresses current funding of the arts by An Chomhairle Ealaíon over the next three years, seeking funding levels of £19.5 million in 1995, £21.8 million in 1996 and £26.1 million in 1997. Separate arrangements exist within my Department concerning capital funding of arts and culture infrastructure, which I will explain later in this contribution.
I was pleased to obtain the approval of the Government to publish this plan last February in advance of its formal consideration of its content and its funding implications. The document was published in English initially, but I am pleased to say that an Irish language version of the plan will be available shortly, thus emphasising the inclusiveness of its overall objectives. Publication of such a plan in advance of Government consideration may be considered to be somewhat unusual but it demonstrates the commitment of this Government to the arts in general and, more particularly, the Government's willingness to secure the views of the public and their representatives in this House before giving final consideration to the plan. The Arts Plan 1995-1997 has already been debated in the public domain since its publication in February and I take heart from the fact that public reaction to date to its content has been broadly favourable. It is only appropriate that the House has an opportunity to play its full part in this process and it goes without saying, therefore, that I welcome this debate on the plan in Dáil Éireann and I hope to secure broad cross-party support for its content and strategies so that Government approval for its implementation in the shortest time period possible can be achieved before very long.
This document represents only the second major attempt by an administration to articulate policy on the arts since the foundation of the State. The only attempt by Government to draw up a White Paper on arts and cultural policy was made in 1987, when the then Government — in which my party also participated — published the White Paper on Access and Opportunity. Unfortunately for those of us who saw great potential for the development of the arts in this White Paper, its publication was overtaken by a general election, a subsequent change of Government, and the effective demise of the document. This second attempt affords us an opportunity to correct this deficiency in arts policy and planning.
The plan has my strong endorsement and I intend to pursue vigorously with my Cabinet colleagues the opportunity presented in it to develop the arts in a planned and strategic manner. The significance of the plan for me is that it is targeted at all policy makers rather than at the narrow arts community who have long been convinced of the necessity for significant investment in the arts infrastructure of the State. As the House will be aware, since my election as a Teachta Dála I have been campaigning for a planned strategic approach to be taken to the development of the arts in Ireland. I was particularly pleased to realise this objective in the context of the negotiations following the general election in November 1992 when a secure commitment to such an approach was given in the Programme for a Partnership Government of the Administration which was formed in January 1993.
The programme stated: In order to ensure the fullest development of our cultural life and to untap the potential that exists in abundance throughout Ireland, the Arts Council will be asked to operate on a co-ordinated three yearly plan for funding of the arts. This commitment by Government has been further consolidated in the policy statement of the three Government parties in the current Administration in the document A Government of Renewal which states:
The momentum achieved in the cultural sector over the past two years will be continued. It is now accepted that support and encouragement for the contemporary arts and the protection of our natural and built heritage are central issues of social and economic significance.... The Three Year Plan 1995-1997 prepared in consultation between the Arts Council and the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht will be the basis for a programme of action.
The commitment in A Government of Renewal towards an arts plan is stronger than that given in the Programme for Government of the previous Administration, something which I very much welcome.
I emphasise that this plan was not formulated in any exclusive, élitist or insular manner. An Chomhairle Ealaíon drew from the views of a broad cross-section of our society and, as such, the document can be viewed as a comprehensive evaluation of the arts and their requirements now and for the future. The process undertaken involved wide public consultation in the first instance, and, as I have already indicated, subsequent detailed discussions with my own Department in a partnership framework with shared objectives for the enhancement of the arts in Ireland. This is a significant development in what might be described as the development of a strategic alliance between An Chomhairle and my Department. This has led to the finalisation of this plan and its continuation will represent a key factor in how we can achieve the plan's objectives in a cohesive, structured and effective manner in the minimum time period possible. It is crucial to realise that it is only through such partnerships and co-operation that the objectives of the plan will be achieved in a co-ordinated way in the most appropriate period of time. An Chomhairle recognises this and the plan makes it clear that its success will depend on An Chomhairle Ealaíon engaging in partnerships at national, regional, local and international level.
In addition to the contribution from my own Department, the drafting of the plan was crucially informed by submissions received from individuals and organisations representing a cross-section of the community — from bodies in the arts and culture section, local authorities, education bodies, youth agencies, groups representing the disabled and other marginalised groups in our society. An Chomhairle also commissioned research as a further strand to the consultation process. This research initiative involved four separate but important exercises: research on "The Public and the Arts" carried out by University College Dublin dealing with audiences and participation in the arts; research on "Managing the Cultural Sector" carried out by the Smurfit Business School; a paper on "The Economics of the Arts in Ireland" written by the distinguished economist, Joe Durkan and a report on "The Employment and Economic Significance of the Cultural Industries in Ireland" carried out by Coopers and Lybrand.
The time available does not allow me to go into any detail on this research so I will quote from one of them. The Coopers and Lybrand report shocked some people but it did not surprise me. It pointed to the significance of the arts sector in the economy with gross revenue in the order of £450 million, employment amounting to 21,500 full-time equivalent jobs and with a minimum export value of £100 million. This compares very well with almost three times as many employed in the cultural sector as in the computer hardware industry at 7,500 and not far off the total employment in banking in Ireland at 24,000. The report suggests it is high time that the arts are taken seriously as a positive contributor to our economic development. With the pervasive problems of unemployment in the traditional sectors, the opportunity must be seized to develop innovative employment creation strategies where the arts can play an even greater role.
In summary, apart from the powerful cultural arguments there is an overwhelming case for the arts in an economic sense, particularly in relation to employment creation, innovation and sustenance.
A case in point where this can be demonstrated is our film industry. There is no doubt that the injection of support from the State which the industry received in recent years has created an atmosphere where innovation and artistic expression is flourishing while, at the same time, real and tangible returns to the economy are becoming apparent. The benefits to the economy in the key areas of job creation, the procurement of goods and services from Irish companies and the enhancement of the skill base of Irish personnel are factors which have now been clearly demonstrated by the recent publication of a report on the economic impact of film production in Ireland in 1993. This report draws from an independent objective database, which IBEC is overseeing and was compiled by its audiovisual production federation, my Department, Bord Scannán na hÉireann, RTE and Film Makers Ireland. The 1993 analysis covers the first 16 feature films, major television dramas and animation projects which commenced that year. It must be remembered that the initiatives were in place mid-year.
The combined budget of these projects was £50.5 million, £30.5 million or 60.5 per cent of which was spent in Ireland. A total of 4,191 Irish people were employed on the projects which is the equivalent of 480 full-time jobs on an annual basis. Most significantly, the analysis indicates that the cost to the Exchequer in terms of section 35 film investments and support from Bord Scánnan was £6.1 million but that the actual return to the Exchequer was significantly greater at £7.7 million. There was a net balance. Yesterday the National Heritage Committee of the House of Commons reported on the British film industry and recommended to the British Government that it introduce a scheme similar to that which prevails in Ireland and comments favourably on its analysis of our measures following submission of material to it which it sought from us and its visit to this country.