Written Answers Nos. 707-725
707. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason members of the fire service did not receive 1916 commemorative medals unlike their colleagues in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19676/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra734. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if guidelines were issued last year from her Department to local authorities regarding the issuing of 1916 commemorative medals to members of the fire and rescue service. [19964/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra735. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the responsibility her Department had in drafting the guidelines for the issuing of 1916 commemorative medals in 2016 to members of the emergency services such as An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the national ambulance service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19965/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 707, 734 and 735 together.
The presentation of medals for participation in the 1916 commemorations was a matter for the services concerned and/or their sponsoring Departments. My Department has no role in relation to An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, or the local authority fire and rescue services and no guidelines were issued by my Department in regard to the presentation of commemorative medals.
708. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to carry over funding for the 1916 commemoration to the general arts, culture and film programme to 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19717/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2016, once off funding of approximately €49 million was allocated to the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme under my Department comprising , approximately €18 million in current funding and €31 million in capital. I have retained the majority of the €18 million current funding for 2017 which is now part of the baseline for the Arts division of the Department, meaning it will be available for future years.
I have already announced increases in funding across a range of arts bodies under my Department's remit as part of Budget 2017.
This has included:
- An additional €5 million for the Arts Council, an 8% increase in its annual budget.
- Boosts in funding for all of the national cultural institutions;
- €1.5 million to facilitate the opening of the newly restored historic wings at the National Gallery of Ireland;
- An increase of €2 million for the Irish Film Board and €1 million for Culture Ireland;
- Funding of €5 million for the implementation of the Creative Ireland Programme.
709. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to commit to the long-term goal of increasing arts funding to the European average of 0.6% of GDP. [19718/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my response to Question No. 388 on 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
710. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to increase funding in the arts over the lifetime of the Government; and her views on whether funding for the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board should be doubled. [19719/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my response to Questions No. 389 and 408 of 7 March 2017.
The position remains unchanged.
711. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to create an arts capital fund modelled after the sports capital fund to ensure better long-term funding for the arts. [19720/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 390 on 7 March last.
The situation remains unchanged.
712. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will liaise with the Minister for Social Protection to examine the supports for working artists in the social welfare system; and if she will relax activation rules for working artists to allow them to support themselves as they produce art and cultural pieces. [19721/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn December, I announced that my Department in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection would devise a mechanism during 2017 to assist self-employed artists who have applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance. I have been in contact with my colleague the Minister for Social Protection on the matter and officials of our two Departments are working on this initiative in consultation with the Arts Council. The scheme will be a pilot scheme and is part of the Creative Ireland Programme launched in December. Details of the pilot scheme will be announced shortly.
713. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to pursue more applications for UNESCO world heritage status for national landmarks (details supplied). [19722/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s current World Heritage Tentative List has come about from a very comprehensive process undertaken by a panel of Irish and international heritage experts specifically appointed for that purpose. The process included full public consultation and an in-depth review of all proposed candidate sites.
In the meantime, my Department has engaged with local authorities and local groups from the areas with proposals on the Tentative List to gauge the extent of the support available to advance the proposals and to clarify the work and resources required for that purpose. The fundamental requirement is that each site must be capable of demonstrating Outstanding Universal Value to UNESCO.
Of the sites featuring on the Tentative List, the greater progress so far has been with the Royal Sites serial nomination which includes Cashel, Dún Ailinne, the Hill of Uisneach, the Rathcroghan Complex, the Tara Complex and Navan Fort (Eamhain Macha). Technical evaluations have been produced for each of the six component sites and my Department is holding ongoing meetings of stakeholders from all six locations to review progress and to chart the next steps. It was agreed that the technical evaluations would be sent for international peer review following which work will need to begin on developing draft management plans for each site, including designation of core and buffer zones in each case. A further plenary meeting of this group is scheduled for next June. The process will also have to take into account that some sites will be managed by the Office of Public Works, others by local authorities, that two are privately owned and that Eamhain Macha is in Northern Ireland. The culmination of these steps, which will also have to be adopted with each of the other tentative list nominations, would be the creation of the full nomination documents for each site for submission to UNESCO.
I am committed to supporting the current proposals in every way that I can. The process is undoubtedly both complex and lengthy and the work at every stage must be supported and developed from the local level up with stakeholder buy-in and commitment at every stage. While this adds to the timescale, it avoids a top down approach lacking the engagement necessary with local communities to secure full support for the proposals and for the protection and preservation of the sites into the future.
714. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to co-operate with the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure that parents can access second level education through Irish, especially in areas with proven demand for Gaelscoileanna. [19723/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to previous replies given to Parliamentary Questions in relation to this matter. As I mentioned in these replies, the question of access to second-level education through Irish is primarily a matter for the Minister for Education and Skills.
However, in the context of its responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department works in close cooperation with a number of key stakeholders, including the Department of Education and Skills.
Given the critical role of education in achieving the objectives detailed in the 20-Year Strategy, I can assure the Deputy that this close co-operation will continue to be a priority and I look forward to further engagement with my colleague, Richard Bruton T.D., Minister for Education and Skills, in relation to these matters.
I should also point out that the Cabinet Committee on Arts, Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands is working to ensure coherence and focus in the range of activities, both ongoing and in planning, to support and promote the Irish language within the wider context of national identity, culture and creativity. I am pleased to be a member of that Committee and I look forward to working with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, within that framework.
715. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will provide additional funding to Gaeltacht areas to encourage greater use of the Irish language and better economic prospects for those living in those areas. [19724/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to the previous replies given to Parliamentary Questions in relation to this matter. As I mentioned in those replies, the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 is recognised as a key priority in the Programme for a Partnership Government in so far as it supports the maintenance and development of the Irish language as a community and household language in the Gaeltacht. Other measures outlined in the Programme include:
- A focus on job creation in the Gaeltacht through investment in jobs by Údarás na Gaeltachta;
- Encouraging the attendance by children at Irish-medium pre-schools or naíonraí in Gaeltacht areas; and,
- Increasing investment in the Irish language.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department, together with Údarás na Gaeltachta, administers a wide range of schemes, programmes and initiatives targeting language and economic development in Gaeltacht areas. Further details are available on my Department’s and Údarás na Gaeltachta’s websites at www.ahrrga.gov.ie and www.udaras.ie respectively.
In order to further underpin the implementation of the 20-Year Strategy and the language planning process, as set out in Acht na Gaeltachta 2012, a specific allocation of €1.25m has also been provided in my Department’s vote this year, an increase of €250,000 on the 2016 allocation. This increased allocation will further enable my Department, acting in co-operation with Údarás na Gaeltachta and relevant stakeholders at community level, to implement a range of specific and practical measures aimed at supporting both the implementation of the Strategy and of the language planning process in Gaeltacht areas.
A further increase of €1m in current funding provided in my Department’s Vote this year for the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and Islands programme area will enable my Department to allocate extra resources to Gaeltacht support schemes such as the Irish Language Summer Colleges and community schemes funded by Údarás na Gaeltachta.
In relation to economic development, as Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, I very much appreciate the importance of job creation in helping to retain sustainable communities in Gaeltacht areas. In this context, I wish to acknowledge the very important enterprise and employment function of Údarás na Gaeltachta as the regional economic development agency for the Gaeltacht. In its regional enterprise role in the Gaeltacht, Údarás na Gaeltachta, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, will continue to work towards attracting investment to the Gaeltacht, in addition to supporting micro-enterprises and developing the skills base in the Gaeltacht. In order to enable Údarás na Gaeltachta to fulfil its job creation remit, a baseline capital funding allocation of €6.687m has been provided by the Exchequer to the organisation in 2017.
716. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to ensure arts funding is used to ensure minority and new voices are heard as part of the cultural output. [19725/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my response to Questions No. 395, 402 and 403 of 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
717. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to support the development of the creative industries sector; if she has reviewed the report from the previous Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the hearings in respect of examining the potential for job creation, innovation and balanced economic development in the creative economy; and if she will implement the recommendations of the report in tandem with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. [19726/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my response to Question No. 386 on 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
718. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has liaised with the Minister for Education and Skills on the development of contemporary art education at primary and secondary level in schools. [19728/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra724. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to ensure the better integration of the arts into education and broadening the focus on science, technology, engineering and maths into science, technology, engineering, arts and maths; her further plans to expand the ambition and resourcing of the arts in education charter; and her further plans to work with the Department of Education and Skills to enhance the position of arts subjects within the curriculum at primary and secondary level. [19735/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 718 and 724 together.
The Creative Ireland Programme, which the Taoiseach and I launched in December, places a special focus on “Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child”. Building on the Arts in Education Charter this will involve the development of an integrated plan – Creative Children - to enable every child in Ireland to access tuition in music, drama, art and coding by 2022. My Department officials continue to work with relevant Departments and other stakeholders to develop this plan with a launch timeframe of early Autumn 2017.
The Creative Children plan will build on work to date in implementing the Arts in Education Charter where my Department continues to work closely with the Department of Education and Skills and the Arts Council to deliver the key objectives of the Charter within the wider context now of the Creative Ireland Programme.
The objectives of the Charter have been achieved largely through existing structures such as education centres. Good progress has been made to date in terms of launching Ireland’s first Arts in Education Portal, holding National Arts and Education Days and developing Teacher Artist Partnerships through the Education and Training Centres. Indeed, I look forward to attending the next National Arts Day, this Saturday 6 May, in St Patrick's College DCU, Drumcondra.
Arising from the significant increase of support of €5m which I secured for the Arts Council as part of Budget 2017, I am pleased that the Arts Council decided to increase funding in this area for 2017 from €3.1m in 2016 to €3.7m this year.
These initiatives demonstrate the overall commitment of Government to deliver for children as we work in finalising the Creative Children plan.
719. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to develop musical education and instruments available to young persons and the general population through facilitating schools, youth groups and libraries in enhancing their music resources and the provision of access to musical training and instruments. [19729/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 399 on 7 March 201 7. The position remains unchanged.
720. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will examine proposals to facilitate use of vacant retail premises by exhibiting artists based on successful schemes such as one (details supplied) in County Galway. [19730/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to my reply to Question No. 400 on 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
721. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will examine a nationwide plan for the development of village design statements that would ensure all future planning and development takes full cognisance of historic character and protects the character and heritage of villages. [19731/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to my previous replies to Question Nos. 58 and 403 of 31 January 2017 and 401 of 7 March 2017 in this regard and note the position remains unchanged.
The Heritage Council, in collaboration with my Department, has led the development of a best practice approach to the development of Community-Led Village Design Statements. In tandem with a number of local authorities and village communities, the Council has prepared a toolkit which was launched in October 2012 at the inaugural community-led workshop. In many ways, the approach followed is similar to the Historic Towns Initiative (HTI) framework, also developed by my Department in collaboration with the Heritage Council, Fáilte Ireland and relevant local authorities, although it is focussed on smaller communities.
Current policy encourages a community-led approach rather than the development of a nationwide plan. I am however considering the possibility of a prioritised targeted approach to towns and villages with a view to not only protecting their character and heritage, but also contributing to regional development through encouraging economic growth and employment.
All approaches are still under consideration as I seek to promote an active heritage led regeneration approach and to provide for the regeneration of rural towns and villages as part of the Action Plan for Rural Development.
722. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to co-operate with the Minister for Health to develop an arts and health strategy across acute and children’s hospitals and across the community health sector; and the innovative approaches which are being considered to use the arts as a means to promote well-being across society. [19733/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions No. 395, 402 and 403 of 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
723. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps she is taking with her Government colleagues to systematically address social, geographic and economic barriers to full participation in the artistic and cultural life of the country, particularly for children and young persons. [19734/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions No. 395, 402 and 403 of 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
725. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to begin preparation of a global arts forum similar to the structure of the Global Economic Forum. [19736/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No 405 on 7 March last. The position is unchanged.
