Written Answers Nos. 726-745
726. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the role she will have in the Government’s post-Brexit strategy in view of her responsibility for regional affairs and the potential negative impact of Brexit on the Border area; if there is a specific unit in her Department to deal with the impact of Brexit on the Border region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19737/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am acutely aware of the challenges arising from Brexit for Rural Ireland and for the border area in particular. I hosted a productive public forum on Brexit in Monaghan last November which was attended by a range of interests from the Border region. I also hosted a Sectoral Dialogue on Brexit in Cavan on 6 February which was attended by over 100 stakeholders from across the arts, culture, film, heritage, Irish language, regional and rural affairs sectors. This Sectoral Dialogue meeting focused on the impacts of Brexit on the sectors served by my Department, with particular attention being given to the impacts on Rural and Border communities. This event was part of the ongoing engagement with civil society initiated through the series of All-Island Civic Dialogues hosted by the Taoiseach. The actions set out in Realising our Rural Potential, the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development launched in January, will also assist in supporting rural communities, including those in border areas, to meet the challenges posed by Brexit and to position themselves to avail of the opportunities which also may arise. The Action Plan contains over 270 actions to be delivered by a range of Government Departments, State agencies and other bodies and sets out to support sustainable communities, support enterprise and employment, maximise our rural and recreation potential, foster culture and creativity, and improve rural connectivity.
The plan sets out a number of actions which will address the effects of Brexit in particular. For example, a specific piece of research will be commissioned on the impact of Brexit on rural areas, and particularly rural areas in the Border region. Also, InterTradeIreland will fund the development of a programme of initiatives to increase the awareness and capacity of SMEs to deal with the practical consequences of Brexit for cross border trade.
The Government has put in place a number of structural and other arrangements to address issues relating to Brexit. These include a n inter-Departmental Group that was formed in April 2016. My Department has been represented on the Inter-Departmental Group since its establishment. In addition, a Working Group, chaired at Assistant Secretary level and composed of officials from across the Department was established within my Department to deal with Brexit issues. This Working Group is supported by the Department's EU Coordination Unit which is also responsible for managing those issues relating to Brexit that fall within my Department’s remit. These arrangements are being kept under review and will be enhanced if required in the coming period.
727. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to ensure that the €50 million spent in 2016 on commemoration will be retained in the arts budget for 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19738/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions No. 387 and 409 of 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
728. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will appoint an expert panel of artists and cultural managers to advise her as proposed by an organisation (details supplied) in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19739/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 410 on 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
729. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her views on proposals that would mandate all local authorities to publish individual arts plans and cultural strategies and for local authority arts spending to be mandatory and ring-fenced on an annual basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19740/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to my reply to Question No. 411 on 7 March 2017. The position remains unchanged.
730. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to carry out a full feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Erne navigation from Belturbet to Killykeen and Killeshandra; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19869/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWaterways Ireland manages and maintains the navigation on the River Erne in County Cavan as part of the Shannon – Erne Waterway. Waterways Ireland public jetties are provided in both Belturbet and Kilconny and the navigation channel is provided with navigation markers and signage as and where required. The upper limit of the managed navigation on the River Erne is just below Erne Bridge between Belturbet and Kilconny. Waterways Ireland have informed me that a number of studies have been undertaken since the late 1980’s to examine the feasibility of extending the navigation upstream from Belturbet to Lough Oughter and Killeshandra. Based on the results of these studies and on reviewing the environmental information obtained in the process Waterways Ireland considers that the environmental designations of this lake complex make the feasibility of the proposed navigation extension unviable.
While there are no plans currently for a navigation extension scheme, Waterways Ireland have advised me that there may be potential in the waters of the Lough Oughter area being promoted as a distinct Blueway and in this context Waterways Ireland is willing to advise on possible ways forward.
I am informed by Waterways Ireland that, in this regard Waterways Ireland has met with the Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Council officials and elected representatives concerning Blueways developed successfully on the Waterways Ireland network and to advise on possible ways forward.
731. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the responsibility she has for the post office network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19870/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra754. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps she has undertaken to secure the rural post office network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20527/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra758. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps she is taking to keep post offices open. [20623/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 731, 754 and 758 together.
The Programme for a Partnership Government made a number of commitments in relation to the Post Office network which were assigned to my Department. The commitments in question have now been completed or are significantly advanced.
I recently presented the final report of the Post Office Hub Working Group to the Government. This report examined the potential for Post Offices to act as hubs of economic and social activity, particularly in rural communities, and recommended that a project to test the concept of Shared Value Co-located Post Offices should be piloted, initially at four locations.
There have been a number of developments in relation to the postal services generally since the Programme for a Partnership Government was agreed last May, including the commissioning by An Post of a root and branch review of the company.
Overall responsibility for the postal sector, including the governance of An Post, falls under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and, in light of developments in the sector, it has been agreed that all aspects of the postal services, including the Post Office network, should now be under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
My Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, where necessary, to support the Post Office network in rural communities.
732. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will provide this Deputy on a regular basis copies of the expenditure reports prepared by her Department for the management board meetings in the interests of openness, transparency and accountability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19926/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with Public Financial Procedures, details of provisional capital and current expenditure in respect of my Department and all Government Departments are submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on a monthly basis and published at Vote level on the Department of Finance’s website, http://www.finance.gov.ie. This process provides transparency on the level of expenditure incurred by Departments on an on-going basis. All expenditure by my Department is, moreover, subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General and definitive annual outturn figures for my Department on a subhead by subhead basis are made available in the Annual Appropriation Account for my Department, which is published by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Expenditure reports prepared for meetings of my Department’s Management Board are interim reports designed to support the effective management and operations of the Department. Figures in these reports are provisional and may be subject to modification, including through necessary adjustments identified by the Management Board.
Other mechanisms in the democratic processes, including Dáil Questions, are available to the Deputy if he is seeking specific information on particular items of expenditure in my Department’s Vote.
733. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding streams available for a festival (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19954/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFestivals which encompass arts or heritage programming may qualify for grants from certain bodies under the aegis of my Department. Primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The Council has a Festival and Events Scheme and there are two calls for applications each year. Information on the funding available under this scheme can be found on the website of the Council at www.artscouncil.ie.
While the Council is funded by my Department it is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations, and specifically in its funding decisions.
I understand that festivals are also supported by my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, through Fáilte Ireland. Further information in this regard is available at www.failteireland.ie.
Support for festivals may also be available from the relevant local authority through its arts office and heritage office.
736. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigiúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cén uair a dhéanfar cinneadh ar iarratas ó chuid de na meánscoileanna ar na hoileáin ar bhreis scoláireachtaí don scoilbhliain 2017/2018 faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [20006/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá cúnamh curtha ar fáil ag an Roinn ó 2007 i leith faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge chun daltaí meánscoile ó cheantair taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht a choinneáil ar iostas i dtithe atá aitheanta faoin Scéim ar na hoileáin Ghaeltachta. Is iad Coláiste Ghobnait in Inis Oírr, Coláiste Naomh Eoin in Inis Meáin agus Gairmscoil Éinne in Árainn na scoileanna atá páirteach sa scéim faoi láthair. Déanann na daltaí seo freastal ar an scoil ar feadh bliain acadúil amháin in éineacht leis na gasúir áitiúla. Íoctar deontas laethúil de €27 le teaghlaigh aitheanta faoin scéim a choinníonn daltaí ar iostas fad a bhíonn siad ag freastal ar mheánscoil an oileáin. Déantar athbhreithniú ar an scéim áirithe seo go rialta. Cuirtear nithe éagsúla san áireamh mar chuid de na hathbhreithnithe sin, lena n-áirítear an t-éileamh ó na meánscoileanna ar na hoileáin agus an tionchar a d’fhéadfadh líon mór daltaí ó cheantair taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht a imirt ar theanga phobail na meánscoileanna agus ar theanga phobal na n-oileán féin.
Ag eascairt as an athbhreithniú deiridh a déanadh ar an scéim, tógadh cinneadh go leanfaí leis ar feadh tréimhse trí bliana eile - sé sin go dtí deireadh na scoilbhliana 2018/2019 agus gur uasmhéid de 30 scoláire a bheadh i gceist ar Oileáin Árann.
Sílim gur scéim mhaith í seo a fheidhmíonn go héifeachtach ar scála beag. Caithfear bheith cúramach nach n-athróidh líon mór daltaí nach cainteoirí dhúchais Gaeilge iad nósanna teanga na scoileanna ar a mbíonn siad ag freastal agus ar ndóigh ta sé tábhachtach go ndéanfar uasmhéadú ar an tairbhe do na scoláirí uile.
Mar chás eisceachtúil de bharr cúinsí ar leith cheadaigh mé cúigear scoláire breise le déanaí do Choláiste Éinne, Árainn don scoil bhliain 2017/2018 amháin.
737. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the stage and details of provisions of proposed legislation governing hedge cutting; the way the interests of farmers will be protected in line with wildlife; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20040/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976, as amended, prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August. Following a review of Section 40, which involved, inter alia, consideration of submissions from interested parties, I announced proposals in December 2015 to introduce legislation to allow for managed hedge cutting and burning at certain times within the existing closed period on a pilot two year basis. The legislation required to allow for these pilot measures is included in the Heritage Bill 2016, which was published in January 2016.
The Bill recently completed its passage through Seanad Éireann and will now go to Dail Éireann. In the meantime, the existing provisions relating to Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts remain in force.
738. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the Arts Council will be publishing a new arts and disability policy in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20088/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Arts Act 2003, primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts, including arts and disability, throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The Arts Council is independent in relation to its funding and executive decisions. In 2013, the Arts Council published its Arts and Disability Policy 2012 -2016 to address issues of equity, access and participation for artists and audiences with disabilities and this is available on the Council's website. The policy was developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and the Arts Council continues to work in partnership with the sector in its implementation.
The policy is built on a number of key values including:
- Equality,
- The Social Model of Disability,
- Complexity and diversity of people and practices,
- A holistic approach, and
- Inclusion.
I understand that the Arts Council’s Arts and Disability Policy is due to be reviewed and updated in the context of the Arts Council's new 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work. It is expected to be published over the coming months. I will ask the Arts Council to reply directly to the Deputy regarding its plans for a policy document.
739. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans to ensure the allocation of funding being provided for the arts by her Department is decided by the Arts Council only; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20089/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMost of my Department's arts and culture budget is allocated to the agencies under its remit. Within these allocations, the Arts Council is the primary State agency for funding the arts in Ireland. In 2017, I will provide over €65m to the Arts Council, an increase of over 8% since 2016. Details of the Arts Council's expenditure including its individual grants can be viewed on the Arts Council's decisions database which provides a listing of 2007–2017 Arts Council funding decisions. Decisions are routinely published in the Arts Council newsletter, and decisions are also recorded in the Arts Council's annual reports, which are available online.
The Council is statutorily independent in relation to its funding and executive decisions.
My Department has traditionally provided funding for capital investment in arts and cultural infrastructure and across a range of other cultural initiatives. Details in this regard are available on my Department’s website.
740. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps she will take to increase the provision of arts education to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20090/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
741. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her plans for the development of the National Concert Hall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20091/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Concert Hall in conjunction with the Office of Public Works is working on the preparation of a Master Plan which will, amongst other things, maximise the use of the historic site and ensure that the National Concert Hall is fit for purpose in the 21st century. My Department has been supportive of the preparation of this work in the context of Pillar 3 of the Creative Ireland Programme which aims to assist the National Cultural Institutions in preparing ambitious but realistic investment plans, building on progress already underway, to address infrastructure deficiencies in a planned and measured way.
In due course, my Department will of course have to examine the plan in line with the requirements applying to all public capital development projects and in light of the resources available to my Department.
742. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the funding that is being provided for the arts in 2017; the amount which will be allocated by the agencies or organisations under the remit of her Department; the amount which is being allocated to arts projects directly by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20092/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails of the funding allocations made available to my Department are published each year in the Revised Estimates Volume with the outturn published in the annual Appropriation Account. These publications are available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and on the website of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. As is shown in the published figures, the 2017 allocation to Arts , Culture and Film is €158.261m and most of this is allocated to the agencies under the aegis of the Department. Details of the expenditure outturns are published each year in the Appropriation Account and these are published by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General at www.audgen.gov.ie.
I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board in Budget 2017. The increase in the Arts Council's allocation in 2017 is €5 million, or 8%, and will assist the Council greatly in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025). I also secured an increase of €2 million for the Irish Film Board, representing a 14% increase in its annual budget.
Budget 2017 also includes:
- increased funding for all of the National Cultural Institutions;
- an increase of €1 million for Culture Ireland;
- an additional €1 million to the Heritage Council; and
- funding of €5m for the implementation of the Creative Ireland Programme.
Where my Department makes direct grants to organisations, the figures are published on the website of my Department at www.ahg.gov.ie. The figures for 2017 will be published in due course.
743. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of funding that will be made available to regional arts centres across the country; the criteria by which these funding decisions are made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20093/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recently announced details of grants of over €9 million in capital funding for arts and culture centres across the country. This capital scheme is the most significant investment in arts and cultural centres in a decade and will target investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as artists’ studios and creative spaces. This kind of investment is at the centre of what I am trying to achieve through Creative Ireland and the Action Plan for Rural Development.
The Arts and Culture Capital Scheme was considerably over-subscribed. The Department received 106 applications in total under Stream 1 and 2 seeking total funding of over €20m with eligible requests for funding totalling over €14.6m. The detailed selection criteria and eligibility requirements were published in the Guidelines of the Scheme. There was a two stage assessment process. The first stage involved all applications being reviewed on receipt to ensure eligibility. All eligible applications were then forwarded to an Assessment Panel which undertook the second stage of the assessment of the applications which advanced from stage one. The Assessment Panel reviewed each eligible application within the defined criteria and scored them accordingly. The recommendations were then forwarded to me for decision as set out in the published scheme conditions. Following these assessment processes, 56 projects are being funded. Seven flagship projects will receive substantial funding allocations while a further 49 projects will receive funding ranging from €20,000 to €276,000. Full details of these can be found on my Departments website.
I will be opening a further Stream of funding under this Scheme shortly. It will provide small capital grants of up to €20,000 to not-for-profit organisations with a defined arts and cultural remit. While the amounts involved are relatively modest, the grants will in themselves make a huge difference to individual organisations and will be of particular benefit to local cultural centres throughout rural Ireland.
744. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the steps she is taking to implement pillar four of the Creative Ireland programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20094/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme 2017 – 2022 in December 2016 as the Government Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and as the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in the draft policy document Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach , which sets out an overarching vision and framework for culture over the coming years. The Creative Ireland Programme is a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national wellbeing.
The objective of the fourth pillar of the Programme – Establishing Ireland as a centre of excellence in media production – is to elevate the creative industries including media, architecture, design, digital technology, fashion, food and crafts together on an all of government basis. The initial focus this year will be on Ireland's potential to be a global leader in film production TV drama, documentary, children's storytelling and screen animation.
In November last, I announced the commissioning of an economic analysis of our screen based creative industries to examine the economic impact and potential of the Irish film, TV and animation sector. Following an open tender process, Olsberg SPI Ltd in association with Nordicity, was selected to conduct the study. Later this month, a Media Production Workshop will be held to consult the key stakeholders in the sector. This will be followed by the publication of an industry-wide, long-term plan for Ireland as a global media hub later this year.
745. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the details of funding allocated to the town and village renewal scheme by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20108/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI launched the initial Town and Village Renewal Scheme in July 2016, with funding of €10 million to support the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages across Ireland. A sum of €380,000 was allocated to each county, and each county, through the Local Authorities, was invited to submit up to 8 proposals for consideration for funding. Details of the 170 towns and villages which were successful under the 2016 scheme, broken down by county, are available on my Department’s website, at: http://www.ahrrga.gov.ie/more-than-170-towns-and-villages-benefit-from-funding-under-e10m-town-and-village-renewal-scheme-minister-humphreys/
On 13 April this year, I launched an enhanced Town and Village Renewal Scheme as part of the Action Plan for Rural Development. This scheme will see €20 million in funding being invested in towns and villages across rural Ireland over the next 15 months.
The 2017 scheme will be operated via the Local Authorities in close collaboration with community and business interests, and I anticipate that up to 300 towns and villages will benefit from funding. The scheme is targeted at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000 people.
Projects which have clear positive economic impacts on the town/village or which stimulate economic activity between a town/village and its neighbouring townlands will be particularly welcome, as will projects which demonstrate leveraging of, or linkages with, other schemes operated by Government Departments or agencies (e.g. in the areas of heritage, arts, culture, tourism, tidy towns, recreational facilities, re-use of vacant premises, vacant sites, energy efficiency schemes, etc.).
Full details of the application process have been issued to the Local Authorities and the closing date for applications is 30 June 2017.
The 2017 scheme will operate on a competitive funding basis. Applications will be assessed on their own merits, rather than on a county basis, and funding will be allocated to the best projects. However, given the level of interest in the scheme last year, I would hope to see a good spread of high quality projects across the country.
