Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 June 2022
41. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking in relation to Ireland’s contribution to the implementation of the New European Bauhaus initiative to connect the European Green Deal with our living spaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33195/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department published the new National Policy on Architecture, Places for People, last month at an event in the new TU Dublin campus in Grangegorman, Dublin, hosted by the Grangegorman Development Agency. Together with its educational and healthcare partners the agency has created high-quality living environments that embody the ideals of the New European Bauhaus.
The New European Bauhaus sets the European context and ambition for our national policy and is a constant presence in the policy report. The New European Bauhaus emphasis on spanning holistically from technology and science to creativity and culture, is inspiring, to create a future which values sustainability, inclusivity and beauty. Places for People can be summarised in four objectives: Sustainability; Quality; Leadership and Culture. It will be implemented under three action categories: value and empower, set a quality agenda and generate knowledge. These approaches are a good fit with the New European Bauhaus ideals.
To start the implementation process, my Department and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland jointly commissioned photographer Ros Kavanagh to make a short film. This evocative film includes an extensive interview with cultural ambassadors Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects, who recently won the EU Mies Award for contemporary architecture. The film narrates the vision of the policy by illustrating three Grafton projects, which show how we can transform our living environments by a culture of high-quality architecture which benefits people, nature and planet. The film resonates with the values of the New European Bauhaus, showing architecture that is ‘beautiful’, ‘sustainable’ and brings people ‘together’. I am delighted this film was selected from open competition to be shown at the inaugural New European Bauhaus festival in Brussels from 10-12 June.
My Department is the national contact organisation for the NEB and is already engaged with the Commission, which is developing a fast-moving programme of funded initiatives. We have set up an Irish stakeholder group to respond to these NEB initiatives, participate in member state engagement with the NEB festival and grow the NEB network and collaborations in Ireland.
