Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 May 2018
59. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she will be in a position to continue to utilise events of a cultural and heritage nature to promote the national image at home and abroad with particular reference to the need to generate increased interest in such matters among young persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20074/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIrish culture and heritage are indisputable assets when it comes to promoting Ireland's image and reputation at home and abroad among all age groups.
My Department supports a broad range of programmes and initiatives across its remit to promote Ireland’s image, including in particular the Creative Ireland Programme and Culture Ireland.
The remit of Culture Ireland, a division of my Department, is to promote and advance Irish arts worldwide thus strengthening Ireland’s cultural profile and global reputation. Strategic priorities include providing support for the international presentation of Irish artists and arts organisations, developing new and diverse international audiences and markets for Irish arts, and linking culture into the Government’s international promotion strategy in tandem with other relevant Government Agencies.
This year, Culture Ireland is presenting Culture Ireland GB18, a year-long programme of Irish arts in Great Britain that aims to showcase Irish artistic excellence in partnership with significant UK institutions, venues and festivals, to build on the unique (and in many respects shared) cultural relationship between the two countries and expand the reach of Irish culture to new audiences.
Great Britain is a key market for Ireland in terms of tourism, trade and investment promotion and the GB18 programme enables us to use our culture and heritage as a unique door-opener for Ireland and Irish business, and an effective means of articulating our values at a time of change in Ireland's wider relationship with Britain.
The Creative Ireland Programme is a culture-based programme led by my Department designed to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. Its core proposition is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing and achievement.
Pillar I - 'Enabling the Creative Potential of Children' and Pillar II - 'Enabling Creativity in Every Community' of the Programme will see considerable investment this year in highlighting numerous events of a cultural and heritage nature across the country.
For instance, a sum of €3m (€2m from my Department and €1m from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government) has been allocated to all 31 local authorities (€96,000 each approximately) to enable them support an extensive programme of activities, events and initiatives in each county. In addition, each local authority has been allocated funding to host Cruinniú na nÓg, a day of day of youthful creativity that will be held on the 23 June 2018 and which is specifically targeted at children and young people. Further details regarding Cruinniú na nÓg will be made available shortly.
The Creative Youth Plan, an initiative under Pillar I launched in December 2017 is underpinned by the principle that the arts and culture need to be at the centre of education. This will by its very nature increase interest in Irish culture and heritage among young people. Work is currently underway in progressing the 18 actions contained within this plan which can be accessed at https://creative.ireland.ie/en/library
Pillar V of the Creative Ireland Programme aims to enhance Ireland's global reputation as a creative and cultural nation and presents an unique opportunity to create a unified articulation of Ireland's values, capabilities and beliefs for the outside world with direct and indirect economic and social benefits. The www.ireland.ie website articulating this vision was re-launched in March 2018 as a cross–sectoral initiative to showcase Ireland as a place to live, to visit, to invest, to study, and do business in.
We will continue to work across Government in 2018, to further enhance Ireland's cultural and artistic reputation, particularly in the context of the recently launched ten-year plan "Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018-2027" which sets out the Government’s objectives for capital investment in Ireland’s culture, language and heritage. This plan can be accessed at http://www.chg.gov.ie/news-centre/news-centre-publications/
