Wednesday, 3 Oct 2012

Written Answers Nos. 136-142

Arts Funding

Ceisteanna (136, 137)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

136. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which adequate funding remains available to his Department for the promotion or support of community based arts or cultural groups involved in staging various performances at local level on a county basis; the degree to which he has been able to respond positively to such requests in the past 12 months; his expectations for the future in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42339/12]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

137. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number and extent of applications for grant aid directly or indirectly received by his Department and or bodies or agencies under his remit in respect of promotion of the arts or related activity in each of the past two years to date; the degree and extent to which he has been able to respond positively to such requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42340/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together.

The Government's policy on the arts is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, to increase access to and participation in the arts, and to make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life. I am continuing to work towards this goal with my Department and the agencies within its remit, and I remain committed to securing the best possible level of funding for the arts sector. The Government's priorities for the arts are set out in the Programme for Government and are further elaborated upon in my Department's Statement of Strategy (www.ahg.gov.ie).

As the Deputy is aware, primary responsibility for funding and promotion of the arts rests with the Arts Council. The Council is independent in its decision-making process, including the mechanisms and methods for such grant aid. Details of the Council's programmes and criteria for applications for same are available on the Council's website at www.artscouncil.ie, as well as the decision-making panel and statistics on applications. The Council's 2012 allocation of €63.241 million will allow it to maximise its continuing support for its clients in the arts. Details of successful applications in respect of the years 2009 and 2010 are available in the Council's Annual reports for those years, which are also available online.

The Deputy will be aware that primary responsibility for promotion of and funding of Irish arts abroad rests with Culture Ireland. Full details of applications funded by Culture Ireland are outlined on the Culture Ireland website at www.cultureireland.gov.ie.

As the Deputy is aware, I wrote to him in recent months setting out details of all arts bodies/groups that received funding from my Department since its establishment in June 2011, the amount of the funding provided and the purpose of the funding. I also supplied details of all funding provided by Culture Ireland to organisations from June 2011. In addition, I forwarded details received from the Arts Council of all funding provided by it to arts practitioners, arts groups and venues in 2011 and 2012 to date. I am acutely conscious of the resource constraints on my Department and its associated bodies at this time but will seek to have more recent data collated, if the Deputy so wishes. I would point out, however, that such data remains available on the relevant websites, as referred to above.

Turbary Rights

Ceisteanna (138, 139, 140)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

138. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will indicate arising from on-going discussions with turf cutters any agreement that can be reached whereby alternative and adjacent sites in respect of conservation criteria requirements initiated at national level as opposed to EU originating special areas of conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42341/12]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

139. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will indicate in respect of all bogs used by traditional turf cutters in County Kildare, if agreement has been reached in respect of displacement arising from special areas of conservation or nationally generated conservation measures; if he or his Department have engaged directly with the representatives of the turf cutters at all such locations and or achieved a satisfactory or amicable solution to the issues; if any particular effort is being made to identify replacement conservation bog land available and immediately adjacent to those areas originally proposed; if he expects to be in a position to finalise any such matters in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42342/12]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

140. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of traditional turf cutters in County Kildare affected by national or EU conservation measures; the extent to which on-going discussions are taking place with a view to resolution of any outstanding difference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42343/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 to 140, inclusive, together.

There are 2 raised bog Special Areas of Conservation in County Kildare affected by the cessation of turf-cutting for reasons of environmental protection under the EU Habitats Directive. There are also 2 Natural Heritage Area raised bogs in County Kildare designated under national law in accordance with the provisions of the Wildlife Acts.

Details of raised bog Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage Areas in County Kildare are set out in the table below, including the number of applications received under the cessation of turf-cutting compensation scheme, administered by my Department, the number of applicants expressing an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs, and the number of payments and the number of turf deliveries made to applicants.

Discussions have been ongoing with turf cutter representatives from Ballynafagh Bog Special Area of Conservation. Progress has been made with a view to the relocation of qualifying turf cutters to a non-designated bog for the 2013 turf-cutting season. There has also been ongoing liaison with turf cutter representatives from Mouds Bog Special Area of Conservation in relation to various aspects of the cessation of turf-cutting compensation scheme. My Department will continue to engage with the communities affected with the objective of reaching solutions which meet the needs of turf cutters while complying with all national and EU law.

In May 2010, the then Government decided that turf-cutting should come to an end on all raised bog Natural Heritage Areas at the end of 2013. However, the Programme for Government undertook to review the situation with regard to Natural Heritage Areas and the future of turf-cutting on such sites will be considered as part of that review.

It is intended that the review will be completed prior to the commencement of the 2014 turf-cutting season. The outcomes of the review and the proposed approach to the future of turf-cutting within these sites will be discussed as part of the Government’s ongoing dialogue with the European Commission regarding compliance with EU law in this area. For example, while Natural Heritage Areas are designated under national law, they are recognised as areas of environmental sensitivity for the purposes of peat extraction within the terms of the EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

The outcome of the review of Natural Heritage Areas may also be relevant in relation to the possibility of relocating turf cutters from raised bog Special Areas of Conservation. In relation to such raised bogs, my Department is in the process of developing a National Raised Bog Special Area of Conservation Management Plan and has recently published a document outlining the proposed approach to the development of the plan on my Department’s website at www.npws.ie.

I also intend to elaborate an overarching policy on peatlands in a proposed National Peatlands Strategy, which my Department will be preparing in consultation with the Peatlands Council.

Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage Areas in County Kildare

Site Code	Site Name	Number of Number applications expressing an received interest in relocation 1	Number of payments made	Number of turf deliveries made
000391	Ballynafagh Bog SAC	54 28	33	3
002231	Mouds Bog SAC	84 34	35	5
001388	Cabury Bog NHA	Not Applicable
001393	Hodgestown Bog NHA	Not Applicable

1 Based upon the number of applications acknowledged by the Department.

Arts Promotion

Ceisteanna (141, 142)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

141. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the degree to which he has focused on and promoted arts and heritage activity in the context of meeting specific targets towards economic revival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42344/12]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

142. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent of any discussions he has had with the various stakeholders in respect of Arts, Heritage and or associated cultural activity in the context of economic regeneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42345/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 142 together.

The Government's priorities for the arts are set out in the Programme for Government and are further elaborated upon in my Department's Statement of Strategy. Furthermore, in relation to the Government's Action Plan for Jobs, published in February 2012, there are a number of specific actions to be undertaken by my Department and the agencies under its remit in the areas of arts, culture and creative enterprise.

The Government appreciates and values the contribution the arts sector makes to the economic activity of this country. Positioned at the core of local, regional, urban and rural activities, the arts, creative and heritage-related sectors play a pivotal part in the economic life of communities across the country, including the vital area of employment. Employment in the arts sector embraces a diverse and broad extent of activities, encompassing those engaged in specific arts practice, as well as associated wider elements. Within the current economic constraints, investment in the arts, culture and creative sectors is more important than ever, having regard to the employment intensity of the sector.

The arts and culture sectors continue to offer vital opportunities for the provision of important cultural, social and employment benefits to communities throughout the country. The nature of employment within the arts sector encompasses a very wide range of activities. It can include those engaged in the arts practice within specific artistic genres and can also encompass areas which flow from such artistic pursuits. It may also embody the whole industrial creative sectors, including the audiovisual production sector.

A 2011 study by Indecon showed that total employment in the wider arts sector, which includes film and video, museums and other cultural activities, literature and publishing, amounted to 21,300 and contributed €716m in Gross Value Added to the economy in 2010.

Since taking office, I have engaged extensively with all of the main stakeholders working in those areas which fall into the remit of my Department with a view to promoting employment and economic activity to the greatest extent possible, while recognising the intrinsic value of arts, cultural and heritage activities in themselves.