Other Questions
41 Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport her role and responsibilities in relation to the development of cultural institutions and activities and their promotion to the public, in particular young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20673/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe stated mission of my Department is "to enrich Irish society by supporting the growth of a competitive and sustainable tourism industry and increasing access to and participation in sport, the arts and culture". Having particular regard to the cultural sector, my role as Minister is to recognise the social and economic roles of that sector by promoting and encouraging artistic expression, cultural awareness and participation through an appropriate policy, legislative and resource framework. Inherent in this role is the formulation, development and evaluation of policy and structures to create an environment that enables arts and culture to flourish, the development of the national cultural institutions and supporting the development of other arts and cultural projects at national, regional and local level.
The State's national collecting institutions provide access to their extensive and impressive collections free of charge. All of our national cultural institutions provide free educational and family friendly events throughout the year, which have particular appeal for the younger audience. While my Department provides funding to our national cultural institutions, the board of each institution is responsible for all operational matters relating to it and I do not have a statutory function in respect of day-to-day operational matters.
My Department also provides funding to certain other cultural bodies that hold collections of national importance or collections that are unique and relate to matters of national interest or international culture. These institutions and their collections are accessible to the public. They include the Hunt Museum, Limerick, Archbishop Marsh's library, the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Irish Architectural Archive, the Irish Manuscripts Commission, the National Print Museum, Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Limerick and the Science Gallery.
In addition, funding is provided to projects that meet specific cultural needs and support the high level goals of my Department. Without detailing these individually, they include projects that enhance Ireland's cultural patrimony and access to it, for example, digitisation, reproduction, translation and-or publication of historical documents, including the digitisation of the 1901 and 1911 censuses, the translation of the history of the Capuchins in Ireland and the church records project.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
These projects will enhance access to historically significant documents and are important for research and scholarship purposes.
The culture night project has been supported by my Department since the event's inception in Dublin in 2006. On culture night, arts and cultural organisations, including the national cultural institutions, extend their opening hours until late in the evening to provide the public with increased free access to the various collections, workshops and other events. In 2008, the concept was extended outside of Dublin and, in 2009, 11 towns and cities throughout Ireland participated in the event showcasing the best of their artistic and cultural heritage and facilities and attracting over 200,000 participants-visitors, all of whom enjoyed the opportunity to discover and explore the rich cultural offerings of our various national cultural institutions and other venues. Plans are under way to allow for the further extension of the culture night initiative in 2010.
In accordance with the commitments under the renewed programme for Government, plans for an extensive contemporary art event in Dublin in 2011 are being progressed as part of my Department's cultural tourism initiative. Dublin Contemporary 2011, DC2011, will be a major event that will include the exhibition of leading and emerging Irish and international contemporary art spread across a number of landmark sites in Dublin city centre over a period of up to 12 weeks in 2011.
In the first four months of 2010, visitor numbers to the cultural bodies funded by my Department were up almost 5% on the first four months of 2009. Overall, I am satisfied that my Department is fulfilling its mission statement by supporting our cultural institutions and promoting and encouraging artistic expression, cultural awareness and participation.
I thank the Minister for her reply. Regarding the arts and cultural capital enhancement support scheme, ACCESS, has she any plans to launch an ACCESS III?
Her Department's statement of strategy notes the need to seek business sponsorship for culture, arts, film and so on. What has been done in this regard and what plans has she? The statement also refers to appropriate grant schemes being made available. Will the Minister provide the House with information on what grant schemes are available for small local drama and culture groups as opposed to national groups, as the former are suffering through a lack of funding?
Regarding the question on the ACCESS programme, 40 projects were funded between 2001 and 2004 to the tune of €43 million. The subsequent ACCESS II programme, which will provide €81 million, has seen 63 successful projects announced to date accounting for grants totalling €32 million. A number of these have already been completed, including the Royal Hibernian Academy, the Druid Theatre, Cork Opera House, Waterford's Theatre Royal, the Gallery of Photography and the Irish Film Institute. The scheme is running, but there are no proposals to open it up for new applications.
Regarding the Deputy's question on commercial sponsorship for the arts and culture, I see it more in terms of philanthropy than sponsorship. There is considerable potential, given the contribution of the likes of people such as Ms Loretta Brennan Glucksman or Ms Carmel Naughton. They are both women, but the potential for any individual to support the arts and culture in a philanthropic way as opposed to in terms of the branding and commercialism used in other areas is significant. What was the final question about?
Grant schemes.
And local groups.
There are various grant schemes, but I will forward the details to the Deputy.
How many people are employed in the Department directly in respect of the cultural aspects of its portfolio? Will the Minister update the House on the National Concert Hall?
We have a small Department which works hard. There is a staff of only 108, which breaks down into three parts. There is an assistant secretary in charge of sport, another for culture and a third for tourism. Each of them is backed up by a small team that does tremendous work.
The National Concert Hall is one of the major capital projects we would like to progress. All capital projects have gone back for review to see if we can get better value. I do not have a go-ahead on it yet, but it is something I would like to see proceeding.
The Minister mentioned ACCESS II and the fact that it was ongoing. Is there an overhang of commitments and is the Minister aware of how much is still outstanding on ACCESS II? How much does the Department still owe?
I do not have the specific figures. Some 63 projects were initially announced for €32 million. An additional 13 projects were then announced and €10.29 million in grant aid was given in May 2008. Some 27 of the projects had been completed up to the end of 2009. A further 22 projects have yet to draw down grant aid. These projects have been delayed for a number of reasons — a lot of them from a failure to provide the obligatory matching funding. Some of them have planning difficulties, while some have failed to complete the necessary legal agreements to provide the Department with the required legal charge on the property. I suspect the bigger one is probably a failure to come up with matching funding.
Does the Minister have any concrete plans to encourage philanthropy and support it? Will she examine that whole area, which is a lucrative one for arts and culture? Can she tell us what she is planning to do in the near future regarding the encouragement of and support for philanthropy?
It is an issue that was being led by the Department of the Taoiseach a year or two ago, because it is wider than culture alone. However, culture is one of those areas that could benefit from philanthropy, so I will be following it up at that level.
42 Deputy Kieran O’Donnell asked the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport the measures planned to address the storage difficulties of the National Archives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20616/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra43 Deputy James Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport if she intends to convene the National Archives Advisory Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20672/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 le chéile.
The storage difficulties at the National Archives are widely acknowledged. A permanent solution would be a new storage building, but in the current economic climate it will not be possible to set aside the necessary resources to construct a new building. However, I am concerned that the best possible use should be made of the accommodation that is currently available to the National Archives. There is a large warehouse behind the National Archives' Bishop Street offices in which many archives are being stored. Unfortunately, the roof of the warehouse is of poor quality. As a result, many of the records have to be stored in waterproof plastic bales to protect them from damage and are not readily accessible to the public. The other main National Archives record store is located within the Four Courts complex, which makes retrieval difficult and relatively expensive.
My Department has requested the OPW to fit out new storage space within the Bishop Street building. This space was recently vacated by the Land Commission. This work is currently underway. My Department has also asked the OPW to draw up a short to medium-term plan to improve the overall amount of useable storage space in the Bishop Street warehouse, and this is being drawn up. In addition, the OPW has already provided some off-site storage accommodation for certain series of archives. While it is not ideal to have archives dispersed, the combination of measures being taken at the moment should relieve the situation in the short to medium-term for the National Archives. Notwithstanding the reduced allocation to my Department's capital programme, I have asked my officials to ensure that the OPW monitors the potential suitability for the National Archives of any properties that become available.
The National Archives Advisory Council derives its legal existence under section 20 of the National Archives Act 1986, "to advise him [the Minister] in the exercise of his powers under this Act, and on all matters affecting archives and their use by the public, and to discharge the other functions conferred on it by this Act". The council was first established in January 1987. Under the Local Government Act 1994 and the Harbours Act 1996, the council may also advise the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources on any matters affecting local archives and harbour archives respectively.
The council may not meet at present as, unfortunately, there are a number of vacancies that fall to be filled, including that of the chairman, which is a statutory requirement. I am currently considering reconstituting the council and I intend to bring this to a conclusion at an early date.
I will deal with the storage matter first. No Minister could be other than ashamed for the treatment our National Archives has received over the years. It is a disgrace. It is our written history, yet it is being stored on inaccessible pallets with the rain pouring down on. In addition, we do not even know what is in there because it cannot be accessed. What is happening now is a sticking plaster job and, welcome as it is, it will not solve the problem in any way. There is no humidity control or access. It is a waste of the staff's time running up and down to the Four Courts to obtain material. There is no space for conservation and while good work is being done by the staff it is being done in a corridor. It is outrageous. The tragedy is that even though they have a statutory responsibility to take State papers, the staff cannot take them from many Departments. Therefore, Departments are holding archival material in God knows what sort of conditions.
The Minister has a capital budget, so this matter should be a priority. The Minister says things are bad now, but when things were good it was not considered a priority either. It is far more important than giving out lottery grants. This is our written history and we have a responsibility to do something about it.
Will the Minister give a commitment to make this matter a priority? This is the most important capital project because if it goes, it cannot be replaced. We lost so much of our archives in 1922 and therefore we must save the existing material. That is not to mention local authority, hospital and other archives, which are mouldering away due to lack of attention.
As a minor historian, I would be very sympathetic towards trying to preserve the National Archives. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, has told me what a wonderful reading room there is there. He shares with me the value of protecting such material, given that we saw the loss of so much in 1922. The latter material can never be retrieved. I accept there is a responsibility on us but, on the other hand, an estimate for a new building in 2006 was put at €120 million. That kind of money is not there at the moment, but I do accept a responsibility for protecting the documents we have through basic work such as repairing roof leaks. Our National Archives must be preserved for future generations. In so far as possible, I will try to ensure that we will protect what is already there.
The sum of €120 million would be a lot less now, so perhaps the Minister could obtain a new estimate.
The other question concerns the National Archives Advisory Council, which is a statutory body. It has not been appointed and went out of existence at least two years ago. I presume the reason it has not been appointed is due to the proposed changes to amalgamate the National Archives with the National Library. The National Archives, as currently constituted, is under threat so this is the very time the Minister needs a council to advise her. Will the Minister appoint the advisory council now? Has she had any second thoughts about amalgamating the National Archives and the National Library? I would urge her to have such second thoughts. It is not a statutory obligation and the functions of both bodies are very different. No cost benefit analysis was done on the amalgamation. As far as I can gather, the former Minister, Martin Cullen, was asked to come up with a few money-saving devices. He thought this might save money, but there is no rationale for it. There is no proof whatsoever that it will save money, but money must be spent on the National Archives.
Will the Minister appoint the advisory council? Before proceeding any further with the amalgamation, will she undertake a full cost-benefit analysis? In addition, she should read the report produced when this amalgamation was first considered 20 years ago. A full report was done at that time, although no such report was done on this occasion. Will the Minister read that report and examine the arguments for maintaining the National Archives as they are?
I am greatly inclined towards appointing a new council because I believe much guidance is needed regarding the deposition of archives, as well as their conservation and management. At present, I envisage such a development in the context of working towards a management merger. This simply pertains to management in order that back-office services and technology in particular can be shared. The enormous public interest in the National Archives in recent years has been focused on the 1911 census and, from next month, will be on the census of 1901. Even before its formal launch in the United States or elsewhere, a total of 240 million people have accessed the website to look at the census.
The use of digital technology will be a major feature of archives in the future and is a major feature of the National Library. Consequently, it makes a great deal of sense to combine efforts in this regard and to have a common focus. It makes a great deal of sense for them to collaborate on their back-office systems. However, I am absolutely satisfied that whatever processes and procedures are put in place will ensure the existence of two separate bodies with two independent directors and two separate roles. Moreover, these roles and the services provided will not change. This proposal is to ensure that such services are improved and that best use can be made of the facilities that would be available for both. However, my aim will be to appoint a council to work towards and to advise on this issue to protect the archives.
What consultations did the Minister have with what one might call the experts in the area from both the National Archives and the National Library? I would have thought the functions of each are quite separate. While the Minister identified some common ground, the functions of each institution are highly distinct. Certainly, the experts perceive no real purpose in combining them. To take up on the point regarding cost-benefit analysis, it is difficult to envisage what would be the overall savings, were this simply meant to be a cost saving exercise.
As a separate issue, does the Minister agree it would be more appropriate to have a 15-year rule, rather than a 30-year rule? While I appreciate this would generate the need for more space, I believe that 15 years now appears to be an adequate length of time and the records should be available within that period.
One could have a debate on that issue for a long time. I believe the freedom of information legislation probably has changed thinking in that regard because that Act allows one to have immediate access to decisions, policies and the backgrounds thereto. It then means that under the 30-year rule, one is holding for the fullness of time. While this is the first time I have considered this proposal, even thinking out loud I would have thought that all the papers on Northern Ireland, for example, probably were best kept for 30 years, rather than 15 years, because while we were in the middle of peacekeeping talks and discussions, it might not have been helpful for people to have read into them. However, such papers now can be considered retrospectively from the perspective of the historian. Consequently, I believe freedom of information legislation should be used for an immediate understanding of government and governance, while the 30-year rule is for historians. These are my initial thoughts on the subject but I have not really thought it through. I would be interested to hear the opinions of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, because I am sure he has live views in this regard.
I accept fully that the National Archives and the National Library are two different creatures, both of which are highly valuable. However, that does not preclude co-operation to make best use of what we have. Members have just been talking about capital expenditure for the National Archives, which has not taken place for a number of years. However, I do not want either me or someone else to state in this Chamber in a few years' time that although the money was available for the technology for one institution, it was not available for the other. One must take advantage of changing times and changing technology and must use it to the benefit but not to the detriment of both.
Deputy Mitchell, in a final question.
The Minister is doing what she does very well, which is raising a red herring. Shared services are a great idea and I am absolutely in favour of them. The Minister has 13 bodies under her remit and I have tabled another question on this point asking why they all do not share services. However, the point is that the National Archives is not a body under the Minister's remit but is within her Department and my objection is to changing that structure. While I have no difficulty with sharing services, merging the National Archives with a State body that shares very few of its functions constitutes a major change, as about all they hold in common is that both involve written records. I urge the Minister to undertake some form of cost-benefit analysis on the proposed merger before taking this path because there is no rationale for it. Moreover, no papers have been produced under freedom of information legislation to demonstrate there is any reason to do this or that anyone will benefit. I acknowledge the sharing of services should be done by everyone.
An t-Aire, in a final reply.
I understand there will be a similar type of issue in respect of the Irish Manuscripts Commission and the National Library.
This is not necessarily even being considered from a cost-benefit perspective. In my last position as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, MABS and the Citizens Information Board came together under a single body and management and yet both are maintaining highly distinct identities, which also is what I envisage happening in this regard. I hope to re-establish the council and to be able to benefit from its expertise. I will be happy to take any suggestions the Deputies might have regarding those whom they consider might make a good input.
44 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport if she has had contact with representatives from the car rental market relating to the adequacy of the capacity of the car rental fleet to meet the requirements of the tourism market; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20622/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have received a number of representations from the car rental industry seeking support for the provision of additional car hire capacity in 2010. The matter was also raised with me at meetings with the Irish Hotels Federation and the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation on 1 April and 13 April, respectively. The concerns expressed to me relate mainly to the availability of automatic transmission cars in the traditional summer peak season, chiefly with the American market in mind.
From a tourism perspective, the main concern is the availability of cars and the price consumers must pay. In that regard, my Department and the tourism agencies have been monitoring the situation closely with regard to its possible impact on visitors from overseas. Tourism Ireland has examined the situation and advises me that tour operators in Great Britain, France and the Netherlands have reported no concerns regarding availability of automatic or manual cars for hire in Ireland for the summer season. In Germany, I understand that tour operators such as DerTour, which have reported a rise in car rental bookings compared to last year, have been advising consumers to book the car hire element of their holiday early. One smaller tour operator has reported a drop in car rentals booking this summer, citing high prices as a reason. In the United States, where the availability of automatic cars is particularly important, I understand that tour operators that have long-established relationships with car rental companies in Ireland have to date reported no problems in respect of the availability or price of cars.
As part of its own monitoring exercise, the Department conducted a web-based survey of car hire on Tuesday, 11 May, which examined the availability of cars for rental in July and August. The key finding in the survey was that every car rental company with one exception had several types of auto transmission cars available for rent for every week in July and August. In all cases except one, there were three to four types of auto transmission car available. While the survey concentrated specifically on data on automatic transmission cars, every one of the companies researched also had a wide selection of manual transmission cars during the weeks in question. Prices in the May survey did not vary significantly from an earlier similar survey carried out by my Department in March. While I accept that as the summer peak season approaches, the position may change as regards availability, it is difficult at this stage to gauge the precise market outlook given uncertainty as regards supply and demand.
Additional information not provided on the floor of the House.
Although I have received representations urging Government intervention, I have also received a number of approaches, both from within the car hire industry itself and the wider tourism sector against such a course of action. In these cases, the view is that the potential shortages may not be as extensive as suggested and the market should take its course. As I have stated previously, it may well be that the existing car rental business model, which is dependent on a high turnover of new car sales, is no longer appropriate in the current market and must be adapted to changed circumstances.
Taking all this into account, I continue to consult with the Minister for Finance regarding the options open to the Government if State intervention is considered necessary. For State intervention to be warranted, there would have to be clear evidence of market failure and the prospect that any intervention would result in incremental hire vehicles coming onto the market, and remaining in place, to deal with potential peak demand in 2010 and later years. I will continue to engage with the sector and monitor developments closely with a view to taking a very early decision on the issue.
The price to hire a car here is twice that which obtains in Scotland. There is a shortage of cars. I will not spend too much time on this subject because I realise it was discussed the last time, when the Minister suggested that second-hand cars might be used. However, it transpires that as a result of the scrappage scheme, there are not that many second-hand cars available at present. I do not know whether the Minister has had the opportunity to read the report by Mr. Jim Power. He made two suggestions, one of which involves a subsidy, which could only be considered within the context of a budget. It would be, if one likes, a self-financing subsidy that would only be paid if visitors actually arrive and spend money here. The other suggestion he made and which could be implemented quickly with a small legislative change is to allow cars registered in Northern Ireland and Great Britain to be rented here by rental companies that have offices in both jurisdictions. Would the Minister considers such a measure if the position becomes extremely tight as the summer season approaches?
I am considering a number of different issues. In the first instance, groups within the tourism industry have been telling me that a subsidy is required while other groups demur. On the other hand, I am not completely sure that the business model which has been used for a number of years by car companies remains appropriate.
We must ensure we have availability this year. Unfortunately, the possible dip in the number of tourists that we have seen in the last months would lead to a lower demand.
I have spoken to some of the car hire and motor import companies to see how we can address this issue. There is no easy answer but I have been in discussions with the Minister for Finance to see what we can do. There is an issue with automatic cars because American tourists will not drive anything else. We are keeping a close eye on the numbers.
A subsidy was considered under an economist's report which I considered to be the easy answer. I have put to the industry the idea of importing from the North or using relatively new second-hand cars, although there are issues there related to warranties and maintenance. Cars now, however, are more likely to last for many years. There are other options but we have engaged fully with both the tourism industry and the car hire industry to see what can be done.
The Minister is right that the car hire model that has been used to date is defunct by now. A subsidy could only be seen in the context of a transition period and that transition might be quicker if there was no subsidy. Would the Minister examine the possibility of allowing cars in from the North and Britain for hire because that would give some increase in capacity while the industry is in transition?
Having checked, it does not even need a change in legislation; it could be done by regulation. In the event that is an acceptable solution to the problem, we might be able to do it.
45 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport if her attention has been drawn to any initiatives under development which would capture the tourism potential of the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20595/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraA high-level coordinating group chaired by the Department is looking at the opportunities that may arise for Ireland across the sports, tourism and cultural sectors from the London 2012 Olympic Games. The group comprises representatives from Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, the Irish Sports Council, the Olympic Council of Ireland, Paralympic Council of Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In terms of the tourism potential of the event, a number of specific initiatives are being undertaken by the tourism agencies to seek to maximise the potential benefits to Irish tourism of having the Olympics in London. These measures include working with the official tour operators responsible for co-ordinating the travel arrangements for athletes participating in the games to ensure that Ireland is included as a destination for pre and post-Olympics packages; arranging pre and post-Olympics familiarisation visits for key media contacts who are attending the London Olympics — these visits will showcase the sports facilities and cultural product on offer throughout Ireland; and targeting tourists from London who may wish to get away from the city when the games are in progress, by offering good value offers and packages linked to other events in Ireland and presenting Ireland as a place to escape to and relax.
Since there will be reduced accommodation and carrier capacity available for visitors who wish to travel to London when the Olympics are on, Tourism Ireland will also be working with British inbound tour operators to offer alternatives which would fill any gaps in their normal programmes, thereby diverting business to Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland supported University College Dublin in its recent launch as a potential Olympic training camp venue and it is supporting the European Triathlon Championships this year in Athlone, which it is hoped will draw attention to Ireland and attract top names in the athletics world to participate and perhaps consider basing their pre-Olympic training here.
These are some of the practical areas of work that are under way. The high-level co-ordination group will continue to meet on an ongoing basis over the next two years. The tourism agencies are also working with Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Bord Bia, as well as their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, VisitLondon and VisitBritain, to identify other opportunities to maximise the tourism potential of the London Olympics for Ireland.
Are there any figures to show how much tourism will increase during the Olympic Games? Are there any bookings?
The Olympic Games will be the biggest tourism event of 2012 and they are being held an hour from Ireland. There is huge potential for us. In Britain, they are working on the post-game legacy, introducing the country to the emerging markets in particular. For us, the potential is as great but we have this visa problem that I have been raising for the last three years. It is getting more difficult to get a visa, not easier. We have made it so complex and expensive that we will not get these visitors. The British have succeeded in doubling the number of visitors over four years. Interestingly, every year the average spend of visitors from China grows by 10%. That is not a market we can afford to ignore. If, however, a Chinese person wants to get a visa, he cannot apply on-line or in writing; the application must be brought to one of two locations in all of China. Does this make it look like we really want people from China to visit Ireland? We must do something about this because it is becoming a joke. If we do not capitalise on 2012, we may never have an opportunity like this again.
It is not true to say the Olympic Games are the only thing happening in 2012. In Ireland, there will be the tall ships race in Dublin, the Volvo ocean race in Galway, the world youth sailing championships in Dún Laoghaire, the centenary of the Titanic, the Eucharistic Congress and the general election.
I doubt that will bring in tourists somehow. It might result in an outflow of people.
I was present at the UCD bid to secure the use of its facilities by sportsmen who will be at the Olympics. The same has been done in the University of Limerick and the National Aquatic Centre hopes to get some of the synchronised swimming teams. Potential exists in this area but we do not have specific numbers yet. Dr. Ronnie Delaney and Pat Hickey of the OCI have been very supportive of this work.
I would not scoff at the number of Londoners who might want to get out of London and we will make it attractive for them to come here. We will launch itineraries for the press on the themes of sports, cultural difference and the "go where Ireland takes you" theme.
Deputy Mitchell is right about the visas in China. It was a great coup when Ireland was designated as a tourism destination from China. I was part of the trade mission in China when that happened. I have written to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform about the visa issue. There should be a common visa between Britain and the Republic of Ireland to make it easy. This is a long-term policy but there is a burgeoning middle class in China who will be travelling a lot more and we must make it as easy as possible for them.
How often does the high-level group meet and how many meetings has it held? The Minister used the word "hopeful" but we are only two years from the Olympic Games and we need commitments, particularly from athletes if they are to come here to train. We should be certain what facilities are available, who will come and how many will come.
That is the first time I have heard a general election referred to as a potential tourism attraction.
It could be a blood sport all right.
I was talking about the general election in terms of major events that will happen in 2012. The reality is that the big countries will not come to train in Ireland, they will go directly to the larger cities in England. We hope to get some of the smaller countries and their ambassadors were all present in UCD, while UL and the National Aquatic Centre have been marketed to attract them.
The group meets regularly in the Department. We should not underestimate, however, the work Enterprise Ireland is doing separately on the industry side because the Indecon report that was drawn up recognised the business area was of even greater potential than the tourism area.
I have heard reports that it is equally difficult to get a business visa. The Minister stated that recognising the British visa is not likely to happen any time soon. However, I suggest this is the obvious and quick solution. Does the Minister realise that we already recognise the British visa in that if one is turned down for a British visa, one is automatically turned down by Ireland? The corollary of that should be that we accept it if it is granted by Britain.
If we are looking, as we should, at the potential of the Asian market, we should also consider our language skills with regard to promoting that market and encourage people to come in.
We need to free up money from the banks to encourage SMEs in the tourism sector and put them in a position to be able to provide the services we need to get the tourists in.
I was not for one moment suggesting that the visa was a long-term issue. I stated that having the visa will ensure long-term growth of the tourism industry as I see great potential there. I accept what Deputies stated on language skills. One of the exciting initiatives of recent years has been the development of the Confucius Centre in UCD, where students can take Mandarin along with other academic subjects, and there is huge potential there.
Tourism has been included in the credit review group for SMEs refused credit by the banks. Anybody involved in the tourism industry can refer to the credit review group with the hope of freeing up money. I accept that it is critical to the future of these small businesses which are the backbone of the tourism industry.
46 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport the major capital programmes that are expected to progress in 2010 in the area of the arts and culture; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20696/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraDepartmental funding for major capital cultural projects is primarily from the cultural development subhead that has an allocation of €16 million in 2010.
This level of funding will allow for continued progress for the arts and culture capital enhancement support scheme, ACCESS, that commenced in 2001. Under the ACCESS scheme, grants totalling more than €85 million have been awarded for the development of 120 arts and cultural projects throughout the country to develop the arts and culture infrastructure. Integrated arts centres, theatres, museums and galleries as well as arts studios and other creative and performance spaces have been provided with funding. The ACCESS programme has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in the provision of quality cultural spaces throughout the regions. In 2010, ACCESS projects nearing completion include the Niland Model Arts Centre in Sligo, the Belltable in Limerick, Solas cinema in Galway and the Wexford Arts Centre.
In addition to the ACCESS scheme funding is occasionally provided for other capital projects. These allocations generally arise outside of the timeframe for which applications could be accepted under the ACCESS scheme, and are assessed on an individual case-by-case basis. Among the projects that have received funding are the Gate Theatre, the Abbey Theatre and the Wexford Theatre Royal, which is the opera house. The Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann capital development programme is also among the significant projects that were funded by the Department.
In addition, the Department, together with the Office of Public Works, is working on dealing with major structural issues at the historic wings of the National Gallery and I am hopeful that work can commence in 2010. Furthermore, an offsite storage facility for the National Museum of Ireland in Swords, County Dublin, is undergoing fit-out works with an estimated completion date of June 2010. The works are required to meet the needs of the museum to operate the facility as a collection resource centre and the Department is contributing €1 million towards the costs of the works. Furthermore, work has now been completed on the refurbishment of the Natural History Museum and it reopened late last month to record visitor numbers.
The procurement stage of the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall is also progressing. In accordance with the Government decision, the project was tendered on a design, build, finance and maintain PPP project basis. Two participating consortia submitted tenders on 25 September 2009 and these tenders are being assessed by the National Development Finance Agency under the PPP guidelines set out by the Department of Finance. Once these evaluations have been finalised, a more definite timeline for the project can be established.
I welcome that a number of capital projects are going ahead. I understand some of the projects are new, as opposed to refurbishments and commitments already in place. Are new staffing requirements implied in any of the projects?
Earlier, I indicated that another 22 projects were due to draw down grant aid, so they are ongoing all the time. Quite a number of new projects are also included in what I indicated. This concerns funding under the capital programme so any staffing would have to be paid for under grants through the Arts Council and that would come up for consideration as part of its Estimate every year.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
