Written Answers Nos. 273-283
273. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding that was provided to assist in the promotion or upkeep of historic houses, which are the responsibility of trustees, in the years 2000 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the amounts provided and the houses to which they were provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24356/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information that the Deputy has requested is not readily available and is currently being compiled by my officials. My Department will revert directly to the Deputy with a response shortly.
274. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department may be in a position to acquire items from the Beit Collection which are currently on sale in London, England, having particular regard to the desirability of retaining such items in this jurisdiction, for cultural and heritage reasons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24439/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe administration of the Beit Foundation, which owns and operates Russborough House, is a matter for the Trustees and my Department has no role in the matter including in the sale of any works in the collection.
However, I did meet on Tuesday night with the Chair of the Alfred Beit Foundation and two other Trustees. I asked the Chair if it would be possible to delay the sale, or to consider withdrawing the paintings from auction, to provide some time to explore all other possible options that would involve my Department and the Office of Public Works. The Trustees declined to either delay or cancel the sale, citing the fact that they would incur a liability of £1.4 million for breaking an agreement with the auction house handling the sale, with which they entered a contract several months ago.
I was only informed last month of the decision in relation to the sale - several months after the Foundation had entered into an agreement with the auction house to have the paintings sold. The fact remains that my Department does not have the discretionary funds necessary - believed to be in the order of €12 million - to buy the paintings. I will continue to see if any other possible options can be explored. This, however, will be very difficult given that the sale is to proceed next month.
275. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department, either directly or through Waterways Ireland, have reached agreement with traditional canal dwellers and canal recreational users, with regard to draft proposals to increase the costs to traditional users; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24440/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Dáil Question No. 39 on 30th April 2015. I am aware that concerns have been raised regarding certain aspects of the proposed bye-laws that Waterways Ireland intends to make in order to enhance the management of the canals for all canal users.
Waterways Ireland undertook a public consultation process in relation to the proposed by-laws in 2014. I am advised that the main stakeholders, including the Inland Waterway Association of Ireland, the Heritage Boat Association, the Royal Canal Amenity Group and the Irish Boat Rental Association, were contacted individually and invited to meet with the Chief Executive and the senior management team of Waterways Ireland prior to submitting their views. In addition, the current permit holders, including traditional canal users and canal dwellers on the Royal and Grand Canals and the Barrow Navigation, received individual written notices and were given the opportunity to make their views known.
I understand that over 2,000 submissions were made in the course of the public consultation process. A summary of the consultation process and of the submissions received is available on the Waterways Ireland website at http://www.waterwaysireland.org/public-consultation.
The current position is that there is ongoing liaison between Waterways Ireland and my Department with a view to finalising the draft by-laws which will be referred to me with recommendations for consideration and final decision. As previously stated, it is my intention to afford interested Deputies and Senators an opportunity to discuss the proposals with me prior to making a final decision on the draft by-laws.
276. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she has secured European Union agreement to facilitate traditional turf cutters, who have traditionally and constantly utilised their entitlement, by way of offering an alternative to their use of bogs that have been designated as special areas of conservation or national heritage areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24441/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra277. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she has had discussions with representatives of traditional turf cutters, with a view to resolving difficulties in respect of the implementation of special areas of conservation and national heritage areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24442/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together.
Since this Government has come into office, huge efforts have been made to solve the issue of the protection of Ireland's raised bog candidate special areas of conservation within the framework of the EU Habitats Directive. This has included intense and on-going engagement with turf cutting interests, farmers, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission. A long term compensation scheme was introduced to compensate cutters for their loss. This cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog together with a once-off incentive payment of €500.
The draft National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan was published in January 2014. It sets out how the raised bog candidate special areas of conservation are to be managed into the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed.
Notwithstanding the complexity involved, progress in relocating turf cutters to non-designated bogs is being achieved in a number of cases. Potential relocation sites have been identified for each of the raised bog candidate special areas of conservation where relocation may be required. When relocation sites have been assessed as suitable, my Department has been seeking expressions of interest from turf cutters with a view to them moving to these sites.
For a number of these candidate special area of conservation sites, the relocation site identified may not be suitable or may not have the capacity to cater for the number of turf cutters who may wish to relocate there. In such cases, and in the context of the finalisation of the National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan, my Department, in consultation with turf cutting interests, is considering the available options in terms of relocation and the provisions of the Habitats Directive. Under article 6.3 of the Directive, consent could only be given to cut turf on a raised bog candidate special area of conservation where it can be shown that such cutting will not have an adverse effect on the site. Under article 6.4 of the Directive, consent could only be given to cut turf on a raised bog candidate special area of conservation for imperative reasons of overriding public interest.
Given the clear scientific evidence of the negative impact of turf extraction on raised bogs, it will only be possible to utilise the provisions of article 6.3 in a small number of cases. Similarly, the flexibility provided for under article 6.4, if required, will only be applicable to a small number of sites.
Final resolution of all issues in relation to the protection of Ireland's raised bog candidate special areas of conservation will only be brought about by everyone working together, within the law, with my Department and with the Peatlands Council, which was established with the purpose of ensuring the input from all stakeholders.
The Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network, published in January 2014, provides detail on future arrangements regarding turf cutting on each of the 75 current raised bog natural heritage areas. The Review has concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. This will entail the phasing out of turf-cutting on certain natural heritage areas by 1 January 2017 and the partial or complete de-designation of certain natural heritage areas.
279. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department continue to encourage the development and promotion of the arts, with particular reference to the maximisation of employment opportunities arising therefrom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24444/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Action Plan for Jobs 2015 was published in January this year and is the fourth in the multi-annual series which promotes a whole-of-government approach to economic recovery, export growth and job creation. The Action Plan sets out a number of actions in relation to the arts sectors. The nature of employment within the sector encompasses a wide range of activities and may also embody the industrial creative sectors, including audio-visual production.
For example, it is estimated that the audio-visual sector provides 6,000 full-time job equivalents. Last year, 53 feature films were made. Many of those employed in the industry are graduates. Some 65% of investment in the sector is inward investment. My Department is working with other Government Departments and agencies to examine ways in which further support can be provided to the industry.
Many people in the creative sectors will benefit from the additional funding which my Department is providing for the Decade of Commemorations, in particular the investment in the Ireland 2016 programme. This comprises €4m current and €22m capital funding in 2015.
This includes a €2 million allocation directed through the Arts Council for artistic projects and €1m directed towards our key national cultural institutions. There are also considerable employment benefits arising from the capital projects under way or being planned. For example, some 200 jobs have been created in the construction stage of the new interpretative centre in the GPO. In addition, some 300 high-level jobs have been created in the construction work on the National Gallery of Ireland as part of a joint project funded by my Department, the OPW and the National Gallery.
I will continue to invest across the arts sector within the resources available to my Department.
280. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department continue to encourage internationally the use of Ireland as a film location, with obvious beneficial economic implications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24445/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrimary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland, in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions, is the responsibility of the Irish Film Board. This includes assistance with locations for the making of films. The Film Board has a good track record of using Irish scenery as a major asset in attracting film makers to Ireland. Detailed information on the supports available from the Film Board, including in relation to film locations, can be found on its website.
The Government considers the audiovisual industry to be very important and, in addition to the excellent work of the Irish Film Board, continues to support the growth of the sector in other ways. In particular, section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 - the Film Tax Relief Scheme - has undergone a number of improvements, which took effect at the start of this year. The changes have been well received and were developed following consultations between my Department, the Irish Film Board, the Department of Finance and the industry. The intention is to ensure that Ireland remains competitive in attracting film projects. The Film Tax Relief Scheme has been extended to the end of 2020 and I am confident that this will increase the attractiveness of Ireland as a destination for film investment and allow the audiovisual production sector to maintain existing jobs and create new ones.
281. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which her Department continues to promote and support the 1916 commemoration at local and national level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24446/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme was launched in the National Museum, Collins Barracks, on 31st March 2015 and planning is well underway in relation to the activities, events and initiatives set out under each of the seven strands of the programme. One of the core objectives of the programme is to encourage and facilitate participation by, and the inclusion of, the citizens of Ireland to the greatest extent possible in the programme of events to commemorate this significant centenary.
At the centre of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme are the State Ceremonial events, which represent the formal and solemn remembrance of the events of 1916 by the citizens of Ireland as the seminal event in our modern history, which led to our independence. The importance of our national flag and the ideals behind the Proclamation will also play a central role in the programme of events.
The 2016 Project Office in my Department has been engaged in an extensive consultation process across the Government, State agency and community sectors to progress the development of detailed plans for 2016. A widespread public consultation process has been underway for a number of months in order to encourage and facilitate the involvement of national and local, ground-up initiatives in the wider commemorative programme.
The Community Participation strand of the programme is being led by local authorities across the country and I have been working closely with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly, T.D., in this regard. Each local authority has appointed a steering committee and a dedicated ‘Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme’ co-ordinator, to support engagement and facilitation within local communities to generate awareness of the national programme; and to develop and deliver a plan for a suitable programme of events and initiatives to take place at a county level in line with the national plans for Ireland 2016. A series of public meetings in each county is nearing completion, at which members of the public came together to hear about Ireland 2016, meet those involved in their community, and to explore and learn about how they can get involved. I have allocated funding of €1 million to local authorities in 2015 to support this overall process.
My Department's 2016 Project Office is engaging with the National Cultural Institutions, the Arts Council and the Heritage Council to ensure that a comprehensive and diverse cultural programme is developed. Meetings and a dedicated workshop have also been held with a wide range of Irish language groups in order to develop an Irish language programme. My Department has been working closely with
- the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to develop an appropriate programme involving the Irish Diaspora and also to engage communities in Northern Ireland;
- the Department of Education and Skills to ensure the involvement of primary and post-primary schools and third level education; and
- the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to ensure that the views of children are taken on board and that they have a meaningful contribution to make.
My Department is also engaging actively with representatives of the various relatives groups and individual relatives to hear their views on the overall programme and to ensure that they will have a central role in a number of the key State events.
282. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if support from philanthropists continues to be available towards the support of the arts, and possibly the retention of paintings or other objets d’art, which may be deemed to be a loss to the national heritage if disposed of outside of this jurisdiction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24447/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is a scheme of tax relief for the donation of heritage items to the National Collections. Under the scheme, heritage items that are considered outstanding examples of their type and that are pre-eminent in their class, whose export from the State would constitute a diminution of the accumulated cultural heritage of Ireland, or whose import into the State would constitute a significant enhancement of the accumulated cultural heritage of Ireland, and which are considered suitable additions to the accumulated heritage of the State, may be donated to an approved body and 80% of the market value of the item(s) is then offset against the current tax liability of the donor. There is a ceiling of €6 million in respect of any one year. The approved bodies are:
The National Archives
The National Gallery of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland
The Irish Museum of Modern Art
The Crawford Art Gallery Cork
All of the approved bodies listed in the schedule to section 1003 are National Cultural Institutions that hold National Collections.
283. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the funding available to her Department to meet requirements in the current year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24448/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra2015 was the first year in many years that there is growth in current funding for my Department. Additional funding was announced in Budget 2015 for a number of key targeted initiatives in my Department. These include:
- €2m in additional funding for the Arts Council;
- €2m in additional funding for the National Cultural Institutions;
- €1m in extra funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta;
- €1m in additional funding for peatlands restoration; and
- a new €4m current allocation for the Decade of Centenaries Programme in 2016.
In order to ensure that the best use is made of limited financial resources and to provide a basis for a sustainable approach to the public finances, the Government has periodically embarked on detailed Comprehensive Reviews of both current and capital expenditure. The objectives of these reviews has been to re-set Ministerial expenditure ceilings in line with emerging Government priorities and to provide the basis for the Government's multi-annual budgetary framework.
My Department's allocations since it was established reflect the outcome of the Comprehensive Reviews of Current Expenditure (CRE) carried out in 2011 and again in 2014 and the Review of Capital Expenditure carried out in 2011. A further review of capital expenditure is due to be completed shortly. While the funding adjustments in the period up to 2014 have posed challenges, my Department has continued to support arts and culture, maintain our built and natural heritage, develop our language and Gaeltacht areas, and support island communities and the North South Implementation Bodies under its aegis to the greatest possible extent. In doing so, it has sought to support employment, achieve compliance with EU Directives and support the ongoing implementation of the Good Friday and St. Andrews Agreements.
