Written Answers Nos. 225-228
225. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the degree to which she continues to attract philanthropic involvement and support for the arts here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8965/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrivate support for the arts is an important funding source and the Government continues to support this through tax incentives and other initiatives. While my Department does not have a breakdown of the total flows of philanthropic funding to the sector, the Programme for a Partnership Government does contain a commitment to encourage strong, mutually beneficial links between the business community and the arts community to assist arts organisations to capitalise on sponsorship opportunities and to develop business partnerships and fundraising skills. In this regard, I recognise the important work carried out by Business to Arts for which my Department provides a small amount of assistance.
In addition, the Arts Council, which is funded by my Department, operates the RAISE programme, which seeks to enhance fund-raising skills in arts organisations with a view to diversifying the sector's sources of funding. It is designed to assist the sector in securing philanthropic contributions to the arts in Ireland.
In terms of other capital investment requiring co-funding, a €10 million investment scheme for arts and cultural centres is in progress, focussed on upgrading the existing stock of such centres around the country. The funding, which is being made available as part of the Capital Investment Framework 2016-2021, is dependent on matching funding being secured by project promoters and therefore provides an opportunity for philanthropic support.
In addition, Project Ireland 2040 provides for investment of €460m in a significant number of capital projects in our National Cultural Institutions over the next 10 years and states that individual cultural institutions will be raising their own contributions (typically around 10%-15% of project costs) through philanthropic effort.
226. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the degree to which home production can be encouraged in the making of films for cinema or television; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8966/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraScreen Ireland is the national development agency for Irish film making and the Irish film, television and animation industry. Its statutory remit is to assist and encourage the making of film in the State and the development of a film industry in Ireland. Screen Ireland supports writers, directors and production companies across these sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. Screen Ireland has a vision for a vibrant, creative and sustainable Irish film, television and animation industry, with diverse voices, talent and opportunities which speaks to and connects Irish film culture with audiences at home and abroad.
In Budget 2019, I was able to allocate an additional €2 million to Screen Ireland to build on its vital work in supporting Irish film, television drama, documentary and animation. This increases its annual budget by 11% overall to €20 million.
In April of last year, I was joined by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance in launching Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027. This is a capital investment plan and it provides funding of €200m for the audio visual industry and media production through Screen Ireland over the next 10 years.
In June 2018 I launched the Government's Audio-visual Action Plan which is an industry-wide, long-term plan, under the Creative Ireland Programme, to support the Government’s ambition to enable Ireland to become a global hub for the production of Film, TV drama and animation.
A steering group has been set up which will prioritise measures, oversee implementation and monitor risks, and will report regularly to me as Minister.
Section 481 film relief is a valuable asset to the film industry in Ireland. It is one of the primary mechanisms by which the Government supports the film industry and attracts new film projects to Ireland. It provides support in the form of a corporation tax credit related to the cost of film production. I am glad to note that Budget 2019 also included an announcement that Section 481 has been extended to 2024. An additional time-limited tax incentive of 5% (regional uplift) is also being introduced for productions based in certain regions.
227. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which employment in the arts continues with particular reference to ensuring continuity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8967/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur culture, heritage and language play a hugely positive role in our lives enhancing our physical and mental well-being and nourishing our national psyche. The Government recognises the importance of culture, heritage and the Irish language. That is why the Taoiseach has given a commitment to double the spend on arts and culture by 2025.
Budget 2019 was an important milestone on this journey. The funding package of €339 million for 2019 for developing culture, heritage and the Irish language is an increase of €36 million, or 12%, on that of last year.
Primary support for the Arts is delivered through the Arts Council. Funding for the Arts Council has increased in recent years and now stands at €75 million in 2019, and increase of some €6.8m or 10% over 2018. The Arts Council, which is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003, operates within a published 10 year strategic framework entitled Making Great Art Work. This strategy prioritises support for artists throughout their careers, by the involvement of many agencies in cultural provision, by the impact of the arts on the creative economy, and by the depth and breadth of people's engagement with the arts. For example the Arts Council now include as an assessment criterion, an organisation’s policy on the remuneration of artists in an effort to ensure that organisations in receipt of Arts Council funding should offer fair and equitable remuneration to artists.
In April last year, I was delighted to launch my Department's sectoral Plan - Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027. The plan sets out significant investment on a phased basis over the next 10 years prioritised across 3 areas - €785m for Culture; €295m for Heritage and €178m for our Language. This level of investment will transform our cultural and heritage infrastructure right across the country and goes a long way towards honouring the commitment to double government spending on arts, culture and heritage.
The cumulative impact of these funding increases is further testament to the commitment to double Government spending in the arts, culture and heritage sector. My Department and I will continue to work rigorously with an Taoiseach and all of my Government colleagues towards delivering on the commitment to increase Government spending in the arts and culture sector on a trajectory that will see funding doubled by 2025. In this context, I am already delivering additional supports to the arts and culture sector, thus leading to increased activity and employment across all sectors of my Department.
Question No. 228 answered with Question No. 219.
