Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2019
673. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding allocated and spent of the €1.188 million announced under the heading Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027 in Project Ireland 2040; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43501/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the period 2018 to 2027, my Department will invest nearly €1.2 billion in capital expenditure as part of Project Ireland 2040 - the National Development Plan. To direct this investment, my Department has developed a detailed sectorial investment plan, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage, which sets the high-level, strategic capital investment priorities for the Department to 2027. The investment plan sets out three strands of activity, capital investment and infrastructure programmes, capital grant schemes and major capital projects, across the following programme areas:
- €725 million towards enhancing our cultural infrastructure, incorporating,
- A €460 million investment in our National Cultural Institutions and,
- €265 million for a national Culture and Creativity Investment Programme;
- €285 million towards a heritage investment programme; and,
- €178 million towards investment in our language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.
All capital expenditure allocated to and incurred by my Department is dedicated to advancing Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage .
Capital expenditure incurred in 2018 included €3.9 million for local arts and cultural infrastructure, €7 million for our National Cultural Institutions, €7.9 million for our historic environment (incorporating capital expenditure by Waterways Ireland and the Heritage Council), and a €7.6 million investment by Údarás na Gaeltachta to create and maintain jobs.
Capital expenditure incurred in 2019 to end-September has been used to progress some key initiatives under Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage , including, to date, €11 million towards investment to support the Audio Visual sector (through Screen Ireland), €2.8 million towards investment in local arts and cultural infrastructure, nearly €2.4 million towards supporting Galway 2020 European City of Culture, and €7.3 million towards investment by Údarás na Gaeltachta in job creation.
The following table indicates the capital allocation provided to my Department under the Revised Estimates 2018 and Further Revised Estimates 2019 and the capital out-turn.
|
Capital Allocation (Revised Estimates 2018) |
Capital Out-turn 2018 |
|
€54.3m (+ €0.7m capital carryover) |
€54.131m |
|
Capital Allocation (Further Revised Estimates 2019) |
Capital Out-turn (to end-September 2019) |
|
€73.8m (+ €0.7m capital carryover) |
€38.756m* |
*this figure is provisional as all expenditure within the Department's Vote is subject to an ongoing internal verification and monitoring process to ensure the best use of available financial resources. Adjustments may fall to be made between subheads as part of this process and all figures are subject to audit by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
