Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2017
39. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht how she plans to fill the vacancy created by the departure of the communications chief of Creative Ireland; the timetable for that person's replacement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40518/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI intend to fill the position of director of the Creative Ireland programme through an open competition managed by the Public Appointments Service, PAS. The position will be for a five-year fixed-term contract and I am advised that applications will be sought shortly.
A key element underpinning the success of the Ireland 2016 centenary programme was the extent to which it was embraced by the Irish people at home and abroad. My Department's Creative Ireland programme is the Government's legacy programme for Ireland 2016 and the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in the draft framework policy, Culture 2025-Éire Ildánach, published by my Department in July last year. Through Creative Ireland, we want to build on the huge level of collaboration we experienced throughout the centenary year between central and local government, across embassies and consulates, between universities and State agencies and between creative artists and industry.
The five-year initiative from 2017 to 2022 places creativity at the centre of public policy and its core proposition is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity with significant implications for individual and societal well-being and achievement. To advance the implementation of this ambition programme, I have established a dedicated project office within my Department.
The Minister has spoken about the importance of Creative Ireland. I understand its leader was Mr. John Concannon. Is that correct?
The Minister emphasised that this person was recruited by the Department in respect of a very important job relating to the five-year Creative Ireland programme. When was she approached with the news that the person was going to leave the Department and be transferred to another post? Was a written request submitted to her? The then Taoiseach announced the appointment of this person. Can the Minister talk the House through this? When was he originally appointed to the post? He is a very fine civil servant and I have experience of his work myself. I am not in any way being critical of him. However, this is important. The Minister told our colleague how important Creative Ireland is and she got a person of some standing to lead it. However, when the new Taoiseach came to office, that person was plucked away. Was there any correspondence with the Minister's Department? Was a request made and was the Secretary General of the Department consulted before this person left a job to which he had only recently been appointed and in which he seemed very happy? I met him, as did lots of other people, at different functions before he was spirited away to head a Government political communications unit. Can the Minister advise the House of her role in this matter?
Mr. John Concannon did wonderful work as programme director for the 2016 commemorations, on which we worked very closely together as a team. We then developed the Creative Ireland initiative, which is a legacy initiative on foot of the success of the commemorative events that took place. I want it to be clear that the commemorative programme was very much a team effort in which many people were involved. The first I heard of this was when Mr. Concannon came to me to state that he had another job opportunity. I was delighted for him.
Did he tell the Minister what it was?
He told me he was moving to a new job and I said that was fair enough. That happens in all organisations. People get opportunities and move on and I wish them well. It is now my job to look for a new director. The job specification has been drawn up and the position will be advertised shortly through the PAS system. I encourage people to apply for it. It is an exciting job with many different facets. Creative Ireland is a new and exciting initiative and I believe there will be great interest in it given the many great things that are happening in the Department. We have a very good team and we have strong working relationships with all of the other organisations involved, including the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and the cultural institutions. A great deal is happening in this space. I wish John well in his new position. A lot is happening in Creative Ireland and it is an exciting time for somebody to join the team.
Is the Minister saying there was a transfer and appointment to the Department of the Taoiseach in respect of which she received no correspondence and in the context of which there was no public appointments process? Is she stating that there was no communication between the Secretary General of the Minister's Department and the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach in the context of effecting this transfer? From my experience as a Minister, there is a public appointments process embedded into Civil Service regulation and into the understanding given to people who become members of Government. However, there are also contractual and transfer issues involved. The Minister is saying that this man came to her and said he was delighted with a new job offer, which is fair enough. Surely, however, that left her and her Department in a bit of a hole. The Department had made its plans. Is the Minister really telling the House that she heard nothing from the Department of the Taoiseach and the civil servants there about this appointment? Is she saying that this was a purely political agreement between her and the Taoiseach to pluck a civil servant from one place and plonk him somewhere else? That is not done and it is totally wrong.
The Deputy is absolutely off the mark there.
Then tell us what happened.
I told the Deputy exactly what happened.
Where is the paperwork?
Please, Deputy Burton.
Can I finish?
Sure.
The programme director of Creative Ireland was seconded to my Department from Fáilte Ireland and that is the arrangement to which he was working. He told me he had another job opportunity, we spoke about it and I wished him well. I had no contact with the Taoiseach in respect of the matter. He told me about his job. There are other people who move on to different jobs all the time, as the Deputy knows, and it happens even within my own Department. There are promotions and all sorts of different moves and I am not aware of each one of them.
They obey the public appointments structures, which is what I am asking the Minister about.
Deputy Burton has had plenty of replies from the Minister on this.
Creative Ireland is bigger than any one person. My priority is to implement the Creative Ireland plan and engage and deliver on each of the five pillars. It is a very important initiative. As I said, I wish John well. The Creative Ireland team is in place within my Department and it is working extremely well to co-ordinate all of the relevant agencies within and outside the Department's remit. It is my job to ensure that the Creative Ireland initiative is delivered and that is my focus.
