Written Answers Nos 1085-1102
1085. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the capital allocation for her Department in each of the years 2019 to 2023; and the areas in which this will be spent in each of the years, by projects and particular areas of investment. [12317/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recently launched Project Ireland 2040, incorporating the new national planning framework and associated 10-year National Development Plan (NDP), explicitly recognises that our culture, language and heritage are integral to the sustainable development of the country. This recognition is underpinned by a commitment in the NDP to invest in excess of €1 billion in our culture and heritage over the next 10 years.
This investment will be made across four programme areas within the Department's remit, as follows:
- €460 million will be spent on the National Cultural Institutions Investment Programme. The delivery of this programme will ensure the protection of our National Collections as well as significantly enhancing both the offering to and experience of the National Cultural Institutions for visitors.
- €265 million has been made available under the NDP for a culture and creativity investment programme. This investment programme will be closely aligned with the Creative Ireland Programme and will include a specific scheme to invest in regional arts and culture facilities among other initiatives.
- An investment of €285 million will be made in our natural and built heritage. Under the programme, my Department will develop a major new investment programme for our National Parks and Nature Reserves. We will also invest in our built heritage and our inland waterways, while the implementation of our National Biodiversity Plan, will assist in the protection our landscapes, peatlands and biodiversity for future generations.
- €178 million is being provided to support and protect the Irish language, Gaeltacht communities and communities on our offshore islands. This will support a wide range of actions from investments to support job creation, supports for Island communities and language and cultural hubs to support the Irish language.
The NDP has provided a breakdown of our allocations for culture, heritage and the Irish language over the next five years, as follows:
- €54 million in 2018
- €75 million in 2019
- €76 million in 2020
- €80 million in 2021
- €110 million in 2022
Details of the capital allocation for 2023 are not currently available. Based on these figures, I expect that the next five years will see the delivery of significant renovations commencing at a number of our National Cultural Institutions. There will also be investments in our built and natural heritage, our regional arts and culture facilities, as well as the digitisation of parts of the National Collections. The Irish language and the Gaeltacht and island communities will see increased investment over the next 5 years and the programme for Galway 2020 – EU Capital of Culture will also be delivered. Specific details on the projects to be delivered over the period to 2023 will crystallise as we move through the necessary appraisal, planning and design phases to implementation.
1086. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the pension packages received by individual staff members at principal officer grade and above in her Department and the agencies under its aegis since January 2016; if additional years were granted with approval by her or her predecessors; and the number of these years which were granted in each case. [12450/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that, since 1 January 2016, four staff at Principal Officer grade and above have retired from my Department. The breakdown is one Secretary General, one Assistant Secretary, and two at Principal Officer level. There was no added years granted in any of these cases. The pension and lump sums paid were based on standard public service scheme rules based on length of pensionable service and final pensionable remuneration.
I am advised that a total of five staff at Principal Officer level and above retired from the agencies under the aegis of my Department during the same time period. Four of these retired from standard public service pension schemes and one from the North South pension scheme. I understand that there was no grant of added years in any of these cases.
1087. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of persons who attended the Cruinniú na Cásca event in Dublin on Easter Monday 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12548/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCruinniú na Cásca 2017 included four zones across Dublin City, Smithfield Square and Custom House Quay on the city’s north side, and Dublin Castle and St Stephen’s Green on the south. It is estimated that up to 500,000 people attended the festival across the city throughout the day.
1088. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of persons who attended events organised as part of the Cruinniú na Cásca event by each local authority on Easter Monday 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12549/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach local authority had full discretion on the roll-out of Cruinniú na Cásca related events in 2017. I understand that Cruinniú events were well attended and well received but my Department does not have a breakdown of the number of people that attended events in each local authority area.
1089. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the cost of the Cruinniú na Cásca festival in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12550/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe large-scale, national Cruinniú na Cásca event held in Dublin in 2017 was held in partnership with RTÉ and Dublin City Council. The total cost of this event came to €1.3m which included a contribution from the City Council. A full report of activity and achievements in 2017 including information on Cruinniú na Casca can be found in the End of Year Report on my Department's Creative Ireland website: https://creative.ireland.ie/en
1090. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding provided to each local authority to host an event as part of the 2017 Cruinniú na Cásca festival; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12551/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA total of €2m was allocated to the local authorities in 2017 (approximately €64,000 each) to help them implement their Culture and Creativity Action Plans for 2017. Each local authority had full discretion as to how they wished to allocate this amount and that included supporting Cruinniú na Casca.
Local authorities were invited to submit proposals for additional support for Cruinniú if required. Two proposals were received, one from Kerry County Council and the other from Laois County Council, both to support specific Cruinniú programmes. Kerry County Council were allocated €10,000 and Laois County Council were allocated €5,000.
A full report of activity and achievements in 2017 including information on Cruinniú na Casca can be found in the End of Year Report on my Department's Creative Ireland website: https://creative.ireland.ie/en
1091. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason for the decision not to run the Cruinniú na Cásca festival in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12552/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCruinniú na Cásca was held last year under the Creative Ireland Programme as a natural follow-up to the 2016 Centenary Programme. Cruinniú was envisaged as an innovative annual programme of arts activities and cultural events, and that it would be a flexible responsive programme. Last year the focus was on Easter. This year, following consultation with local authority culture team coordinators, the focus will be on children and will take place in June. Planning for the 2018 events is currently underway and my Department are working with key partners in this regard. Further details on this year's Cruinniú will be announced shortly.
1092. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the possibility of the State purchasing a site (details supplied) in Dublin 12 will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12611/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no proposals before my Department for the purchase of the site referred to in the question.
1093. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cathain go díreach a bhunófar ionad Gaeilge agus cultúir i lár chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath mar atá fógraithe sa phlean náisiúnta, 2040 agus an dtabharfaidh sí cur síos ar an amscála atá ag an Roinn faoi láthair leis an togra seo a bhaint amach. [12713/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMar áta luaite sa Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta, Tionscadal Éireann 2040, tá i gceist ionad Gaeilge agus cultúir a fhorbairt i lár chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Anuraidh, cuireadh coiste le chéile le hionadaíocht ó mo Roinn féin, ó Fháilte Éireann, ó Chomhairle Cathrach Átha Cliath agus ó Chonradh na Gaeilge le breathnú ar an bhféidearthacht ceannáras an Chonartha ag 6 Sráid Fhearchair, Baile Átha Cliath a fhorbairt mar lárionad do phobal na Gaeilge i mBaile Átha Cliath. Ag eascairt ó obair an Choiste seo, fuair an Roinn iarratas ó Chonradh na Gaeilge chun staidéar féidearthachta a dhéanamh i leith an tionscadail ag deireadh na bliana seo caite. Cheadaigh mé deontas de €40,897 i mí na Nollag seo caite chun an staidéar féideartheachta seo a dhéanamh. Tar éis próiseas tairisceana a chur ar bun, tá tús curtha le hullmhú an staidéir feidearthachta anois. Nuair a bheidh sé curtha i gcrích, beifear in ann an céad chéim eile i leith an an togra seo a mheas i gcomhréir leis an gCód um Chaiteachas Phoiblí de chuid na Roinne Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe.
1094. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of visas granted to non-EU workers on film and television productions in receipt of State funding in each of the years 2007 to 2017. [12726/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of employment visas is a matter for my colleague Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and I have no remit in this matter.
1095. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department is responsible for the staffing arrangements at a centre (details supplied); if there are plans to open the centre full time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12909/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that my Department has responsibility for the staffing arrangements at the centre. It is currently staffed on a seasonal basis and is open annually from March to November.
There are currently no plans to open the centre full time, however, staffing levels across my Department are kept under review on a regular basis in line with the emerging business, while having regard to Government Policy on public sector pay and staffing as advised by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
1096. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of preliminary reports and final reports for archaeological investigations on peatland sites received by her Department in each year since 2012; and the number of reports of each type still outstanding for each year in tabular form. [12956/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1097. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of preliminary reports and final reports for archaeological investigations on peat excavation sites received by her Department in each year since 2012; and the number of reports of each type still outstanding for each year in tabular form. [12957/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1096 and 1097 together.
The databases maintained by my Department’s National Monuments Service are designed to support the efficient management and administration of all applications under the National Monuments Acts for Ministerial licenses and consents for archaeological excavations, including on peatland sites. I am advised, however, that these systems do not separately categorise applications, or related reports, on the basis of individual soil types and do not distinguish peatland excavations from those carried out on other soil types. Consequently, my Department is not in a position to provide the information sought in the format requested by the Deputy.
1098. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress that has been made since the review of archaeological survey and mitigation policy 2013 relating to Bord na Móna peatlands since 1990 (details supplied). [12958/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1099. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress that has been made since the review of archaeological survey and mitigation policy 2013 relating to Bord na Móna peatlands since 1990 in integrating archaeological and palaeoenvironmental datasets on site specific and inter-regional scales which is required to make a determination of the contribution this work can make to palaeohydrology, climate change and human activity. [12959/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1100. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress that has been made in developing an overarching research framework for future archaeological works since the 2013 review of archaeological survey and mitigation policy relating to Bord na Móna peatlands since 1990. [12960/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1101. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress that has been made in developing a bespoke database designed for the results of archaeological work in Bord na Móna’s peatland as recommended in the 2031 review of archaeological survey and mitigation policy relating to Bord na Móna peatlands since 1990. [12962/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1098 to 1101, inclusive, together.
The 2013 Review of Archaeological Survey and Mitigation Policy was commissioned by my Department to assess and analyse the contribution that archaeological survey and excavation work in Bord na Móna peatlands since 1991 had made to our understanding of Ireland’s archaeology in both dry and wetland environments. The Review also considered whether and to what extent different archaeological survey and excavation strategies and methods would increase or enhance the contribution from such surveys and excavations in the future. The Review compared Irish peatland excavations with best practice internationally.
In light of the results of the analysis, the Review proposed priorities, strategies and methods for future archaeological survey and excavation in Bord Na Móna peatlands, including the development of an overarching research framework. Since 2013, as part of that framework, my Department has prioritised the completion of first round survey work in those areas of the Bord Na Móna peatlands not previously surveyed, including the identification of new archaeological discoveries. With a view to preserving suitable peatland monuments in situ, the Department also commissioned survey work in 2016 and 2017 to examine how varying prospection techniques, both geophysical and manual, can best be applied to Irish peatlands.
Additionally, in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland, my Department commissioned survey work in 2013 in a location where numerous bog bodies had been found in order to examine the potential for methodical field surveys to identify human remains. My Department is currently preparing a tender to review Class 1 toghers that traverse bogs and that form prehistoric and historic routeways across the country. The results of this work will inform proposals for future excavation and preservation in situ of that suite of monuments.
The Review recommends that all archives should be standardised and synthesised and that a comprehensive database should be developed for all archaeological work in Bord na Móna peatlands. However, my Department’s view is that the national dataset in relation to peatland archaeology is best placed within the existing dataset of all monuments. This will facilitate the production of a comprehensive and fully integrated Sites and Monuments Record for the purposes of the National Monuments Acts. Those monument types regularly identified in peatland environments have been classified in a manner that will allow them to be distinguished from other classes of monuments so as to enhance the research potential offered by my Department’s Historic Environment Viewer which enables the viewer to examine individual and national mapped monument records online.
The Review also identified issues in relation to reporting on excavations. In response to this, Bord na Móna’s Peatlands Post-Ex Project 2000-2013 was established. This relates to 153 individual licensed excavations of 171 monuments, which were investigated between 2000 and 2013. I understand that all preliminary reports have been submitted and that a contract for the final reporting phase of the project has now been awarded by Bord na Móna. It is expected that all outstanding work will be completed by June 2019.
All final reports licensed by my Department since 2013 in relation to Bord na Móna peatlands have included a range of specialist analyses, including palaeoenvironmental sampling to retrieve as much information as possible about the local and regional landscape, environment and climatic context of the sites. This multi-proxy approach included specialist wood analysis, plant macrofossil work on peat cores and samples, and insect remains analysis. The work was carried out by leading experts and has been integrated into rigorously dated contextual information.
1102. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the projects mentioned in the National Development Plan 2018-2027 that come under her Department's remit or bodies under its aegis; and the estimated completion dates for each project in tabular form. [12986/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraProject Ireland 2040 – the National Planning Framework and associated 10 year National Development Plan – has given explicit recognition to the importance of our culture, language and heritage to our sustainable development over the next decade and beyond. This recognition is supported by the unprecedented commitment by Government to invest in excess of €1 billion in our culture and heritage over the 10-year implementation of the NDP. This is in addition to an investment of €178 million in the Irish language and in our Gaeltacht and Island communities.
A cornerstone of our culture investment programme is the €460 million that is being set aside for the renovation of the National Cultural Institutions, the protection of the national collections and the enhancement of visitor experiences and services. This funding programme will build on the success of the renovation of the Miltown and Dargan wings of the National Gallery and will include significant capital investments in our institutions, most of which are based in Dublin, but including also the Crawford Gallery in Cork.
Under a new culture and creativity programme, an investment of €265 million will be made in enhancing regional cultural infrastructure to ensure that people in all parts of Ireland enjoy opportunities to engage with the arts and culture, in the expansion of the audio-visual sector as a key element of the Government’s creative industries investment, and in the digitisation of the National Collections to ensure they are preserved and made available to a global audience. Funding will also be made available for Galway 2020 when it takes on the title of EU Capital of Culture.
The National Development Plan also emphasises the amenity value of our natural and built heritage with an investment programme of €285 million over the period of the plan. Under the Plan, my Department will develop a major new investment programme for our National Parks and Nature Reserves which are invaluable natural assets, as well as being hubs for outdoor activities and tourism. We will also invest in our built heritage and our inland waterways, while the implementation of our National Biodiversity Plan will assist in the protection our landscapes, peatlands and biodiversity for future generations.
A further €178 million is also being provided to support and protect the Irish language, Gaeltacht communities and communities on our offshore islands. This is a particularly welcome announcement this year given that it has been designated as Bliain na Gaeilge. This will support a wide range of actions from investments to support job creation, supports for Island communities and language and cultural hubs to support the Irish language. It also looks to support opportunities to expand the Irish Language community beyond the Gaeltacht including the development of a flagship language and culture hub in Dublin City. It will also include developments at piers in the Aran Islands and at Machaire Rabhartaigh, serving Tory Island.
The NDP has provided an annual breakdown of our investment over the next five years which affords my Department the necessary clarity to allow us to properly schedule the delivery of our projects and programmes. 2018 will be a critical year for the appraisal of, and planning and design for many of our flagship projects with a view to moving to the implementation phase in the following years. More details on the commencement and completion dates of these projects and programmes will emerge as we go through this process of rigorously appraising and planning for these important investments.
