Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 October 2023
175. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media how the people of Clare will benefit from her Department’s allocations in Budget 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45783/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy of the following allocations and initiatives from my Department arising from Budget 2024 that will benefit the people of Clare.
Culture
The Department’s Budget 2024 funding allocation provides for a range of national services along with both capital and current cultural support schemes. Proposals and applications from County Clare will have equal opportunity and fair consideration in the allocation of funds from the Department.
Night-Time Economy
The recommendations of the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce, which was published in September 2021, aim to support the overall economic growth of our cities and towns, including those in Clare, by providing employment opportunities, boosting tourism, and encouraging cultural development. We will continue to provide funding in 2024 to develop new opportunities within the Night-Time Economy in support of the Report’s recommendations.
Basic Income for the Arts
The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme is a three-year research programme to evaluate the impact of a basic income style payment on the arts sector. The recipients of the payment include representatives from all art forms, age groups, ethnicities and counties. 54 recipients of the Basic Income payment stated on their application that they are from Co. Clare.
Arts, Film & Investment
The Department’s Arts and Culture programme aims to promote and develop Ireland’s world class artistic and creative strengths at home and abroad, maximising their societal and economic value for the country, and supporting Arts and the entertainment sector to develop and grow.
In the context of Arts, Film and Investment, I hope to provide capital grants for the provision of new artists workspaces through Clare County Council over the coming months.
Creative Ireland
Under the Creative Ireland Programme, the Creative Communities initiative provides funding to Clare County Council to support the Culture and Creativity team to implement an annual programme of events and initiatives that align with their Culture and Creativity Strategy 2023-2027. Additionally, my Department will continue to support Cruinniú na nÓg in June 2024 where children and young people will get to participate in this national day of free creative activity.
The Creative Youth pillar of the Programme supports Local Creative Youth Partnerships in partnership with the Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. These bring together local infrastructure to coordinate and provide creative activities for children and young people in their communities, targeting those seldom heard. One operates from the Limerick Clare Education and Training Board (ETB) and this support is planned to continue into 2024.
My Department has also allocated €349,125 under the Creative Climate Action Fund II: Agents of Change to 3 projects in Co. Clare - ‘Renew Bunratty’ (led by Bunratty Local Development Association), ‘Room with a View’ (led by artist Maeve Stone), and ‘Dinnseanchas: Envisioning the Uplands’ (led by Hometree Charity).
Gaeltacht
Irish Summer Colleges
€500,000 has been made available to support social inclusion schemes in terms of the Irish Summer Colleges. This funding will allow a wider cohort of young people to attend a Gaeltacht summer college course. It is anticipated that this funding will benefit young people across the country, including Clare, who currently do not qualify for the Department's DEIS Gaeltachta scheme, which was established in 2019.
My Department will continue to fund the DEIS Gaeltachta scheme for 2024, for which €400,000 in funding is available. This scheme provides up to 400 scholarships per year to enhance the potential of young people nationwide attending one of the over-200 DEIS post-primary schools across the country, to attend a course in the Gaeltacht during the summer.
Irish Language Supports
Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021
An additional €0.5m was allocated in Budget 2024 to ensure the full and successful implementation of the Official Languages Acts 2003 to 2021.
The Irish Language Services Advisory Committee, established in 2022 under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, has the specific function of increasing the services provided by public bodies through the medium of the Irish language, having particular regard to services provided by public bodies in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks.
Ennis has been recognised as an Irish Language Network under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, and together with the funding that is being provided by my Department under the Language Planning Process, this additional funding will further support Irish speakers in Clare in their use of the language.
Irish Language Support Schemes (Capital)
An additional €0.5m has been made available in Budget 2024 for the Capital Programme of the Irish Language Support Schemes. Community-based organisations that operate through Irish outside the Gaeltacht, such as those in Ennis as an Irish Language Network, would qualify to apply for capital assistance under this programme, strengthening Irish as a community and family language in accordance with the objectives of the Gaeltacht Act 2012 and the 20 Year Strategy for Irish 2010-2030.
Media
Media Fund
In Budget 2024, €6m was secured to support the Media Fund, which provides funding on a platform-neutral basis to the wider media sector, on an administrative basis. The priority of the Fund is the establishment of a Local Democracy Reporting Scheme and a Courts Reporting Scheme, both of which will provide support to all media, but particularly at local and regional level. It is intended that these new schemes will be opened for applications in 2024, to which all relevant organisations in Clare will be eligible to apply.
Sport
Sport Ireland
Sport Ireland, as the agency responsible for the development of sport in Ireland, will be developing its plans for the 2024 budget allocations in the coming period and will be announcing relevant details to the key stakeholders in due course. All counties, including Clare, will benefit from this funding.
Sports Capital and Equipment Programme
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country.
The funding provided for the SCEP in 2024 will cover the expected drawdowns for existing SCEP allocations throughout the country, including those in Clare. Furthermore, the 2023 round of the Programme closed on 8 September and it is expected that allocations to successful applicants will be announced next year, including to projects in Clare.
Tourism
The Budgetary allocation to Fáilte Ireland for 2024 will enable Fáilte Ireland to continue their work in developing the tourism sector and helping to deliver economic growth of the industry and individual tourism businesses, including the tourism sector in Co. Clare.
As part of the Budget settlement, up to €10 million has been identified for a comprehensive programme of supports targeted at downstream tourism businesses experiencing particular trading challenges linked to the reduction in footfall to activities and attractions in regions most impacted by tourism bed stock displacement. This programme of supports includes investment in sustainable tourism development and promotion, industry digitalisation, promotion of domestic tourism and festivals and recruitment and retention initiatives.
I have also asked Fáilte Ireland to engage with impacted businesses to consider the scope for a specific business support scheme that could help the most affected tourism activities and attractions and to report back to me on options and recommendations in four weeks’ time.
