Thursday, 6 Mar 2014

Written Answers Nos. 148-158

Public Sector Pensions

Ceisteanna (148)

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

148. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 127 of 19 February 2014, if he will reference the specific provisions of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 to which he refers; the basis on which he believes Údarás na Gaeltachta does not, unlike in the case of all other senior managers across the civil and public sector, have to make public the details of public service pension arrangements on retirement for senior management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11236/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I am following up the issues raised by the Deputy with Údarás na Gaeltachta and will be in touch again directly in the near future.

Question No. 149 withdrawn.

Deer Hunting

Ceisteanna (150, 151, 152)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

150. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a licence is needed to kill deer, irrespective of breed of deer, other than those on a deer farm; if his Department issues these licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11391/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

151. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of current licences issued to kill deer; the licences issued to kill deer in west Waterford; the conditions attaching to any such licence issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11392/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

152. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps being taken by him to stop the poaching of deer at Remadaumpaun, Ballymacarbry, west Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11393/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 to 152, inclusive, together.

A person who wishes to hunt deer in the State is required to be in possession of a licence issued by my Department on an annual basis under the Wildlife Acts. The hunting season for deer is regulated by the Open Seasons Order which prescribes the periods for the hunting of various deer species; these periods operate generally from I September to the end of February depending on the species and gender of the deer. The hunting of red deer is totally prohibited in the county of Kerry at any time of the year while there is a 12-month open season for Muntjac deer as it is considered to be an invasive species. Over 4,600 licences were issued for the 2013/14 deer hunting season, some 193 of which were issued to individuals in County Waterford. There are a number of standard conditions on each licence, including that the holder of a licence must have the permission of the landowner to enter lands to hunt.

My Department is aware of the illegal killing of deer in certain areas of the country and officials from the Department have carried out an increased number of patrols in such cases including in County Waterford. There has been a series of prosecutions in recent months involving illegal deer hunting in counties Carlow, Kerry and Wicklow. In addition, there are a number of on-going cases and investigations involving officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department and An Garda Síochána relating to illegal deer hunting.

Employment Data

Ceisteanna (153, 156)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

153. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he will continue to use the arts as a vehicle to promote national identity and image, thereby contributing to economic revival for the remainder of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11468/14]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

156. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht total number of persons employed directly or indirectly in the arts at present; if he will endeavour to ensure those numbers are retained or expanded, with particular reference to both the economic and cultural benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11471/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 156 together.

As previously outlined in replies to the House, the arts, culture and heritage 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, while cultural and heritage tourism is one of the most important elements of Ireland's tourism product. Its scope 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 - the foundation of which lies in the pure arts areas. Accordingly, there are differentiated sets of figures which reflect the differing basis from which employment numbers are derived.

The arts underpin policies in attracting foreign direct investment, in the creation of an imaginative labour force, in establishing an innovative environment in which the creative and cultural industries can thrive and in the area of cultural tourism. The arts are a significant economic contributor and employer in their own right and they are also important building blocks for those economic policies which the Government has identified as crucial for our economic recovery.

A report entitled An Assessment of the Economic Impact of the Arts in Ireland, published by the Arts Council in 2011, updates a previous independent evaluation by consultants Indecon of the economic impact of the arts, published in 2009. The updated report shows that the arts provide significant direct and indirect employment. The sector supports 21,328 jobs and contributes €306.8 million in taxes. The arts also impact on the wider creative industries, such as the advertising sector, architecture, fashion and design, and cultural tourism, contributing €4.7 billion to the economy and supporting 79,000 jobs.

In April last, Minister Joan Burton and I were pleased to announce a further extension of the successful JobBridge national internship scheme, which will provide for new internships in the arts sector. In association with the Arts Council, the new strand will provide exciting opportunities for those interested in careers in the arts, allowing them to gain hands-on experience and enhance their skills. The extension of the scheme will foster emerging talent in the arts and also support local arts groups in theatre, film, visual arts, dance, music, literature and more. This as an important development because it will help people take the first step towards a career in the arts. In this sector, there is a long tradition of new entrants working alongside established artists, performers, practitioners and arts administrators.

Arts Promotion

Ceisteanna (154)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

154. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he and his Department continue to promote the arts through the education system, with particular reference to primary and second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11469/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

As the Deputy is aware, in January 2013 the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, TD, and I jointly launched the Arts in Education Charter. This Charter places new responsibilities on Government Departments, agencies, cultural institutions and arts organisations in terms of providing and promoting arts education to children and young people. Both Minister Quinn and I believe passionately in arts education and want to see a joined-up Government approach across Departments, education agencies and arts organisations. The Charter will see organisations like the Arts Council, the National Cultural Institutions, the Colleges of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment working with both Departments in order to bring the arts into the classroom and learners into the institutes for the arts.

A High Level Implementation Group was established to oversee the implementation of the Art in Education Charter, chaired by Professor John Coolahan, Professor Emeritus, NUI Maynooth. The membership includes the Director of the Arts Council, a representative of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick and senior officials from my own Department and the Department of Education and Skills. The Group has been meeting regularly and has been proactive in meeting organisations from both the arts and education sectors. Progress is being made on a number of initiatives, including developing a website/portal as a key communications and information channel for both the education and arts sectors. Suitable models for art-rich schools and for artists to become involved in the programme are also being examined by this Group.

In 2012, I announced the introduction of a new philanthropic initiative on a pilot basis for arts and culture organisations. €210,000 was made available to arts organisations under this scheme and last year the initiative was directed towards arts and culture organisations seeking support for projects that included an education component. In 2013 almost €200,000 was made available under that programme.

Film Industry Promotion

Ceisteanna (155)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

155. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which it is intended to promote the use of this country as a film location with obvious and consequent economic benefits; if he has had any discussions with potential film-makers from overseas regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11470/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 99 and 100 of 29 January 2014 and can assure him that my strong commitment to the film and audiovisual production sector remains undiminished. The Deputy will no doubt be aware that, in recent weeks, a number of Irish film productions have achieved major critical success internationally and several new inward production projects have been announced. In that context, I would refer the Deputy to the website of the Irish Film Board at www.ifb.ie, on which these details are regularly updated.

Question No. 156 answered with Question No. 153.

Arts Funding

Ceisteanna (157)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

157. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which his Department or subsidiary bodies have, in the past three years, supported local community groups involved in musical or theatrical productions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11472/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

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 Deputy will be aware that responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is primarily devolved to the Arts Council. Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations and my Department has no role to play in its executive or funding decisions. Full information on the Council's funding decisions is made available on their funding decisions database on the website.

Within the current economic constraints, investment in the arts, heritage, culture and creative sectors is more important than ever, having regard to the employment intensity of these sectors. While I know that the Deputy appreciates the funding difficulties facing all Departments at this time, I can assure him that I remain committed to securing the best possible level of funding for these sectors. The specific allocations to be made over the current year will, of course, be dependent on my Department's budgetary position as the year progresses. Details of grant payments are published on my Department's website and updated periodically.

EU Culture Programme

Ceisteanna (158)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

158. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which local community-based festivals have benefited from EU grant aid directly or indirectly, with particular reference to the specific grant aid for festivals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11473/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I refer the Deputy to my previous replies on this matter. As outlined previously, the EU Culture Programme 2007–2013 is the EU funding programme administered by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) for the European Commission. It was established to enhance the cultural area shared by Europeans, which is based on a common cultural heritage through the development of cooperation activities among cultural operators from 37 eligible countries. Applications can be made to the various strands of this programme for support for pan-European non-national cultural activities.

The EU Culture Programme introduced a dedicated festivals fund called Strand 1.3.6, Support for European Cultural Festivals in 2010. This strand offered funding towards the non-national European programme costs of the successful festivals. West Cork Chamber Music Festival received funding totalling €300,000 for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 editions of the festival. Cork Midsummer Festival received funding totalling €200,000 for the 2011 and 2012 editions of their festival.

Festivals are also eligible to apply for project funding under Strand 1, co-operation projects. This strand requires a European partnership (with a minimum of between 3-6 partners) and applicants must demonstrate that their projects achieve common goals beyond national borders. Costs related to marketing and promotion can be included as a line in the project budget. Irish festivals which have received support under this strand include Babaro International Children's Festival (2008); St Patrick's Festival (2010); Dublin Dance Festival (2010); and Ulster Bank Theatre Festival (2011). It should be noted, however, that current indications are that the dedicated festival strand may not be continued under the upcoming Creative Europe Programme 2014-2020 (the successor to the Culture Programme).