Written Answers Nos. 29-38
29. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will update Dáil Éireann on her recent visit to Canada for the international Famine commemoration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39495/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe main purpose of my recent visit to the maritime provinces of Canada was to represent the Government at the 2015 International Famine Commemoration ceremony at St. John, New Brunswick, on Friday, October 23,. and at a series of other events. In the course of my visit, I attended a number of meetings with provincial government, business and trade contacts in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. My visit received a very positive response from the Canadian media and I was invited to participate in radio and television interviews for regional transmission throughout Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. These represented a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of the Famine Commemoration and of contemporary cultural and trade links with Ireland.
I was happy to note the high level of political interest in Ireland. I met the Premier of Prince Edward Island, Mr. Wade MacLaughlan. I also met Nova Scotia's Minister of Culture and Heritage, the Hon. Tony Ince, and the Deputy Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, Ms. Catherine Blewett. In addition, I also met New Brunswick's Minister for Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Mr. Bill Fraser. These meetings focussed on issues of common interest including employment, emigration and the Irish economy.
My visit also afforded an opportunity to engage with the Irish community in that part of Canada and I received a warm welcome at a series of events organised by different chapters of the Irish Canadian Cultural Association. My engagement with the culture, heritage and education sectors also included a visit to St. Mary's University, Nova Scotia, which offers several Irish language and culture based programs.
The International Famine Commemoration provides an opportunity each year to remember those forced to leave Ireland at the time of the Great Famine and to honour their remarkable resilience in making a new life in Canada and elsewhere, often in the most difficult of circumstances. Their achievements are a source of great pride to their descendants, who remain very proud of their Irish heritage. The Government acknowledges this and attaches great importance to the cultural and economic links between Ireland and Canada. I am very pleased to have led this year's International Famine Commemoration in that context and look forward to the further development of economic and cultural links between our two countries.
30. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the financial provision made in the 2016 Estimates for the funding of the five development companies on non-Gaeltacht islands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39552/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, these organisations are funded out of the overall current allocation available to my Department for the offshore islands. As announced in Budget 2016, the current allocation for the islands in 2016 is €6.631m, subject to the Estimates being approved in due course. It is intended that the same allocation will be made available for these organisations in 2016 as was available to them in 2015.
31. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures she is taking to ensure that the commemorations for 2016 are not Dublin-centric; her plans to involve the other regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39554/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOne of the core objectives of the Ireland 2016 initiative 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. 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 has taken place, 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. Arising from this, I, together with An Taoiseach and my colleagues in Government, launched 31 local authority plans on 8 October.
An extensive programme of formal State ceremonial events will take place around the country, focused on remembering and honouring those who took part in the Easter Rising and those who lost their lives. Significant regional events are planned in Ashbourne, Athenry, Enniscorthy, Cork, and Kerry to reflect the very special importance attached to these locations during the events of 1916. Further details in relation to the arrangements for these, and all of the State ceremonial events, will be published on the website www.ireland.ie in the coming months.
32. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is satisfied with the existing policies of her Department regarding supports and grants for emerging Irish artists and musicians; her views that they offer sufficient support to facilitate these persons and groups in pursuing careers in the creative industries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39540/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government appreciates the importance of the cultural and creative industries to Ireland, including the music industry. My Department provides significant support for the arts and film through its funding of the Arts Council and the Film Board while my Department provides capital supports for the development of arts and cultural infrastructure. Other financial and policy supports are also provided, for example, through the taxation system. I was particularly pleased that the Government introduced a 25% increase in the income ceiling for the artists' tax exemption for 2015. This important measure recognises the invaluable contribution which artists, including songwriters and composers, make to society and to the music industry. I am aware of the potential of the creative sector to contribute to sustainable jobs growth and my Department continues to work with other Departments in regard to the audio-visual and music sectors as part of the Government’s overall objectives under the Action Plan for Jobs.
I would also like to add that my Department - through Culture Ireland - plays a major part in promoting Irish arts and music on the world stage. In this regard, the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme will present a significant opportunity for the sector next year.
Issues in relation to the arts, film and music will be of particular relevance in the development of Ireland's first national cultural policy, Culture 2025. My Department has commenced the engagement in a nationwide consultation process on the development of the policy and I look forward to working with further Irish artists and musicians as part of that process.
I am also pleased to have secured a 12% increase in my Department's budget for 2016. Thanks to the economic recovery, we are now in a position to invest again in our arts, culture and heritage, which will benefit artists and communities nationwide. Budget 2016 contains a number of initiatives targeted at supporting artists and the arts community. Within my Department’s overall budget of €277 million for 2015, €156 million is being provided for the arts, culture and film. The Government also recently announced a €300 million cultural and heritage investment programme, under the Government’s Exchequer Capital Investment Framework 2016-2021, to protect, promote and develop our culture and heritage.
These additional measures will provide increased support to Irish artists, both emerging and established, and underpin Government's investment in arts and culture into the future.
33. Deputy Helen McEntee asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Ireland 2016 centenary programme and the community participation element of the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39544/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, which was launched on 31 March, includes a rich diversity of programmes and events, complementary and additional to the formal State occasions, which will run throughout 2016 to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The Programme will be an invitation to everyone on the island of Ireland and to the global Irish community to shape and engage in a diverse range of historical, cultural and artistic activities – all designed to facilitate reflection, commemoration, celebration, debate and analysis and an active imagining of our future. Officials of my Department have facilitated an intensive consultation period over the last few months, including active engagement with schools, universities, colleges, business and voluntary organisations, arts and culture institutions, historical societies and representative groups – at home and with our Diaspora around the world – to inform, to stimulate debate and discussion about 2016, and to foster programme initiatives. Work has been ongoing to implement a comprehensive programme and planning is well underway for the range of initiatives within the seven programme strands.
Among the key milestones achieved to date are the following:
- I was delighted to host the first of the State ceremonial events of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme on 1 August to commemorate the funeral of O'Donovan Rossa in Glasnevin Cemetery, in the presence of President Michael D Higgins and the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D;
- An allocation of €22 million in capital funding is being provided through my Department’s Vote in 2015 for the ‘Permanent Reminder’ projects. These capital projects are progressing well and launch dates have been agreed and events are currently being planned. Some €31m will be allocated next year;
- The Global and Diaspora Programme was launched on 29 June and was very positively received at home and abroad;
- On 6 August, the Arts Council announced 9 major arts projects to commemorate 1916;
- The launch of the National Flag Initiative took place on 14 September, with the first in a series of deliveries by the Defence Forces of the National Flag and the Proclamation to over 3,300 national schools across the country. Over 1,500 flags have been delivered and have been very well received;
- The grants programme for Irish language projects under the ‘An Teanga Bheo’ strand of the Programme has been completed and were recently announced;
- The Education Programme strand was launched on 22 September for the primary, post-primary and third-level education sectors;
- Consultation is ongoing with relevant stakeholders in Northern Ireland, including official, political, media, artistic and NGO stakeholders;
- The National Cultural Institutions are planning a range of innovative exhibitions and projects and all are progressing well;
- Culture Ireland launched their official Programme “I am Ireland”on 3 October.
Under the 'Community Participation' strand of the programme, over 83 public consultations, facilitated by the local authorities, have taken place nationwide. Each of the local authorities has now developed a rich and diverse series of events and projects that will take place around the country next year. Arising from this, I, together with An Taoiseach and my Government colleagues, launched 31 individual local authority plans on 8 October. I have allocated €1 million in 2015 in current funding to support this process.
Further information in relation to the various events, activities and initiatives taking place under each of the above strands can be found on my Department’s dedicated website at www.ireland.ie, as well as the 31 county plans that were launched last month.
34. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is aware that the present funding situation at the National Library of Ireland is having a direct, detrimental effect upon the ability of management and staff to ensure the safety of the national collection against water and fire damage; that only 1% of the collection is preserved and secured to international best practice standards; the additional measures that she is considering to alleviate this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39543/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Library is one of our foremost National Cultural Institutions, charged with collecting, preserving, promoting and making accessible the documentary and intellectual record of the life of Ireland. I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the National Library, and indeed other cultural institutions, following the significant reduction of resources available to the Exchequer as a result of the economic crisis. These are significant challenges which will not be fixed overnight and will most likely take a number of years to address.
Thanks to the fact that the economy has improved, I was in a position to secure an additional €2 million in once-off funding for our National Cultural Institutions in late 2014, as part of the 2015 Revised Estimates. This included an increased allocation of €600,000 for the National Library.
The funding was aimed at addressing specific issues in a number of key institutions, including the National Library. While this funding was originally secured on a once-off basis, I was pleased to retain it again for 2016. It should be noted that the Library will also benefit from additional funding under the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme next year.
In relation to the security of the collection, I am aware that the Library gives this issue the highest priority and, where incidents have arisen, they have brought in appropriate expert advice to assist them. I was also pleased to recently approve a new post in the National Library for a security and facilities manager, which will be key to managing and planning the storage and security of the Library’s collection.
It is widely acknowledged that the Library holds a significant amount of its collection in an historic Victorian era building, which would not meet modern standards in terms of environmental and other controls.
I will shortly be making a positive announcement about the development of a capital investment plan for the Library's Kildare Street building. I am confident that those plans will allow the Library to continue to deliver on its core objectives, including the protection and conservation of its collections.
35. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the large number of injuries inflicted on, and fatalities suffered by, hares during the 2014-2015 hare coursing season, as noted in the coursing cruelty catalogue report submitted to her by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports in May 2015; and if she will clarify that muzzling does not prevent injury to hares, as stated in a letter (details supplied) from her Department, dated August 2015. [39261/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of the Wildlife Acts licences are required by the Irish Coursing Club, covering their affiliated coursing clubs, if they wish to capture or tag hares for use at regulated hare coursing meetings. I gave approval last August to the granting of the annual licence to the Irish Coursing Club allowing its affiliated coursing clubs to net and tag hares for the purpose of hare coursing for the 2015/2016 coursing season. I should point out that I also decided to sanction two of the coursing clubs due to infringements of the conditions of the licences at coursing meetings held during the 2014/15 season. These sanctions, which were imposed on foot of reports from regional staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department, entail a reduction in the number of courses run by both clubs at their next meetings compared to the number of courses run at last year’s meetings. The meeting of Doon Coursing Club, one of the clubs I sanctioned, has now been cancelled by the Irish Coursing Club following a recent prosecution case taken by my Department against members of the Club for illegal hunting of hares on State lands. I welcome this decision by the ICC as it an indication of the seriousness with which they view this issue.
While the muzzling of greyhounds at coursing meetings is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, it is my understanding that the Irish Coursing Club has had mandatory muzzling of greyhounds at regulated coursing meetings since the early 1990s. The muzzling of greyhounds has proved effective in reducing the number of hares injuries and deaths at coursing meetings. For example, the percentage of hares released back into the wild after coursing meetings last season was the highest figure to date at 99.49%.
36. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason for the delay in issuing compensation to turf cutters under the turf cutting cessation scheme; if an evaluation of compensation savings that could accrue to her Department, were the relocation of turf cutters fast tracked, has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39262/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, administered by my Department, 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. 3,149 applications have been received under this scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation. The scheme has been extended to land owners and turbary right holders affected by the curtailment of turf cutting in raised bog natural heritage areas. 220 applications have been received from applicants from these sites.
8,521 annual payments have been made in respect of the applications received under the scheme for the raised bog special areas of conservation. In addition, 1,501 once-off incentive payments and 772 turf deliveries have been made to applicants from these sites. 197 annual payments have been made in respect of the applications received for the raised bog natural heritage areas.
Assessment and verification of applications is a difficult process, particularly in respect of proof of ownership, which takes time to complete. My officials continue to work with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (as successors of the Irish Land Commission), Bord na Móna and other organisations to assist individuals with respect to the qualifying criteria of the scheme and their applications.
Relocation is a complex process, which involves investigating suitable sites for turf quality and quantity; assessing the infrastructure/drainage works required; establishing the number that can be accommodated on a site; assessing the cost and feasibility of land purchase or lease; and meeting possible planning and environmental impact assessment requirements.
All the steps in the relocation process must be undertaken prior to the relocation of turf cutters to a suitable site. Given the nature of the work, this takes time. I am advised that the cost of this work is essentially the same irrespective of the time period required to undertake the work.
It is the aim of my Department, and mine also, to secure a relocation site for every qualifying applicant who wishes to relocate to a non-designated bog and progress is being made in that task despite the complexities involved.
37. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has consulted the director of the National Library in an attempt to address the relevant issues it faces at present; if she will be willing to make finances available to address these issues; and if these issues are presently a priority of her Department. [39533/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Library is one of our foremost National Cultural Institutions, charged with collecting, preserving, promoting and making accessible the documentary and intellectual record of the life of Ireland. I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the National Library, and indeed other cultural institutions, following the significant reduction of resources available to the Exchequer as a result of the economic crisis. These are significant challenges which will not be fixed overnight and will most likely take a number of years to address.
Thanks to the fact that the economy has improved, I was in a position to secure an additional €2 million in once-off funding for our National Cultural Institutions in late 2014, as part of the 2015 Revised Estimates. This included an increased allocation of €600,000 for the National Library.
The funding was aimed at addressing specific issues in a number of key institutions, including the National Library. While this funding was originally secured on a once off basis, I was pleased to retain it again for 2016. It should be noted that the Library will also benefit from additional funding under the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme next year.
In relation to the security of the collection, I am aware that the Library gives this issue the highest priority and, where incidents have arisen, they have brought in appropriate expert advice to assist them. I was also pleased to recently approve a new post in the National Library for a security and facilities manager, which will be key to managing and planning the storage and security of the Library’s collection.
It is widely acknowledged that the Library holds a significant amount of its collection in an historic Victorian era building, which would not meet modern standards in terms of environmental and other controls.
I will shortly be making a positive announcement about the development of a capital investment plan for the Library's Kildare Street building. I am confident that those plans will allow the Library to continue to deliver on its core objectives, including the protection and conservation of its collections.
38. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures she will take to improve the working environment for artists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39502/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government appreciates the importance of the cultural and creative industries to Ireland, including the music industry. My Department provides significant support for the arts and film through its funding of the Arts Council and the Film Board while my Department provides capital supports for the development of arts and cultural infrastructure. Other financial and policy supports are also provided, for example, through the taxation system. I was particularly pleased that the Government introduced a 25% increase in the income ceiling for the artists' tax exemption for 2015. This important measure recognises the invaluable contribution which artists, including songwriters and composers, make to society and to the music industry. The IMRO report entitled The Socio-Economic Contribution of Music to the Irish Economy, highlights the impressive contribution the music industry makes to the Irish economy. The report contains a broad range of recommendations for which several Ministers have responsibility. My Department is examining those of relevance to my areas of responsibility.
I am aware of the potential of the creative sector to contribute to sustainable jobs growth and my Department continues to work with other Departments in regard to the audio-visual and music sectors as part of the Government’s overall objectives under the Action Plan for Jobs.
I would also like to add that my Department - through Culture Ireland - plays a major part in promoting Irish arts and music on the world stage. In this regard, the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme will present a significant opportunity for the sector next year.
Finally, issues in relation to the arts, film and music will be of particular relevance in the development of Ireland's first national cultural policy, Culture 2025. My Department has commenced the engagement in a nationwide consultation process on the development of the policy and I look forward to working further with the music industry as part of that process.
Within my Department’s overall budget of €277 million for 2015, €156 million is being provided for the arts, culture and film. The Government also recently announced a €300 million cultural and heritage investment programme, under the Government’s Exchequer Capital Investment Framework 2016-2021, to protect, promote and develop our culture and heritage.
