Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 February 2022
262. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the degree to which she continues to ensure the availability of opportunities in arts and culture throughout the Gaeltacht area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10766/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEalaín na Gaeltachta Teo., a joint venture between Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Arts Council, is the organisation responsible for promoting the development of the contemporary and the traditional arts in the Gaeltacht.
It is against the backdrop of the relevant measures set out in the Government’s Action Plan for the Irish language 2018-2022 that Ealaín na Gaeltachta operate. Additional information is available on the organisation's website: www.ealain.ie
For the current year, the organisation is in receipt of €1.2m from the partnership between the Arts Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
In 2021, funding allocations were made by the organisation for the following:
- 5 strategic projects throughout the Gaeltacht under the Cothú Scheme;
- 18 Gaeltacht arts festivals;
- 44 Gaeltacht artists received support through the organisation's Artists Bursary Scheme;
- Over 35 small one-off events/projects; and,
- 16 strategic arts projects, including visual arts, literature, stage shows, youth drama and residencies through the Arts Development Scheme.
Ealaín na Gaeltachta deploys funding directly to artists, arts organisations, and community groups in the Gaeltacht via eight funding schemes and offers a range of soft supports to the sector including training, mentoring, advice, information-sharing and advocacy. The organisation engages in and facilitates a wide range of partnerships regionally, nationally, and internationally which increase opportunities in the arts sector for Gaeltacht communities and arts practitioners.
In order to further promote and develop the language based arts in the Gaeltacht and to specifically support the language planning process and the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, my Department has provided additional funding of up to €1.5m to Ealaín na Gaeltachta enabling the organisation to further support and create opportunities for the artistic community, especially the among the youth of the Gaeltacht. A breakdown of my Department’s additional funding is as follows:
- €1.275m was sanctioned by my Department in 2019 in order to support language-based arts classes and development opportunities in the various Language Planning Areas throughout the Gaeltacht over a three year period. In the context of this programme, I also allocated a further €50,000 recently to Ealaín na Gaeltachta which will focus on promoting opportunities for young people taking part in the language-based arts classes to showcase their artistic talents outside the classroom environment.
- As a separate initiative, I sanctioned an additional €150,000 on a pilot basis to Ealaín na Gaeltachta in 2021 enabling them to develop a drama programme directed at the youth in Gaeltacht areas. This entails 700 hours of drama classes benefiting up to 230 pupils. It also enables the organisation to conduct research and explore the activities and resources currently available to young people in the Gaeltacht.
- This funding also enables Ealaín na Gaeltachta to employ an additional five co-ordinators to implement the programme (four full-time and one part-time) located in the various Gaeltacht regions.
I might also point out that further funding of €12,200 per annum was allocated to Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne to provide language-based arts classes in the West Kerry Gaeltacht, while many of the national initiatives funded under the Creative Ireland Programme are also available in the Gaeltacht.
My officials continue to engage with relevant stakeholders including Ealaín na Gaeltachta in order to explore any opportunity arising for the artistic community, to build an understanding of the range of challenges facing the sector at present and to implement appropriate solutions for the future.
