Shane Moynihan
Ceist:388. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for a progress report on the expansion of Gaeilge 365. [5566/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIrish Language
Ceisteanna (388)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department is currently considering an application for funding from Dublin City Council, on behalf of the four local authorities in Dublin, for the development of the Gaeilge365 project on a pilot basis for the Dublin region.
Within the context of 164,000 people in the Dublin City Council area alone reporting competency in the language, the Gaeilge365 concept envisages the ten-fold increase in the opportunities for the active use of Irish in the domains of public services, community groups, sports clubs, the work environment, cultural settings and local neighbourhood settings.
My officials are currently evaluating this application in the context of the resources available to my Department in the period ahead and the likely demand on same.
Culture Policy
Ceisteanna (389)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:389. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the current and capital funding provided to each national cultural institution in 2025, in tabular form. [5479/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 2025 budgetary allocations to each National Cultural Institution are shown in tabular form below.
|
National Cultural Institution |
2025 Current Funding |
2025 Capital Funding |
2025 Total |
|
Chester Beatty |
€4,135,000 |
€175,000 |
€4,310,000 |
|
Crawford Art Gallery |
€2,508,000 |
€162,000 |
€2,670,000 |
|
Irish Museum of Modern Art |
€7,830,000 |
€320,000 |
€8,150,000 |
|
National Archives |
€2,415,000 |
€311,000 |
€2,726,000 |
|
National Concert Hall |
€14,478,200 |
€260,000 |
€14,738,200 |
|
National Gallery of Ireland |
€13,610,000 |
€958,000 |
€14,568,000 |
|
National Library of Ireland |
€10,334,000 |
€478,000 |
€10,812,000 |
|
National Museum of Ireland |
€17,798,000 |
€1,308,000 |
€19,106,000 |
Official Engagements
Ceisteanna (390)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:390. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the engagements his Department has had with the government of Australia and/or any state body of the government of Australia in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [5480/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The details of engagements my Department has had with the government of Australia and state bodies of the government of Australia in 2024 and 2025 to date are outlined in the table below.
|
Year |
Details of engagement with the government of Australia and/or any state body of the government of Australia |
|
2024 |
In March 2024, an official from my Department met with the Assistant Secretary of the Platforms and News Branch in the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to discuss the work being progressed in Ireland to counter mis- and disinformation. |
|
2024 |
In May 2024, former Minister Catherine Martin, together with officials from Screen Ireland and my Department, met with the Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer of Screen Australia in Cannes, France. |
Artists' Remuneration
Ceisteanna (391)
Willie O'Dea
Ceist:391. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he intends to continue with the basic income pilot scheme for artists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5534/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government commits to assessing the Basic Income for Artists pilot to maximise its impact. In this regard, the Basic Income for the Arts pilot research scheme is ongoing until August and this will feed into Government consideration of the next steps.
In Budget 2025, Government made an allocation of €35 million for the Basic Income for the Arts in 2025. This is sufficient to fund the current pilot programme to its conclusion in August 2025 and provides the Government with flexibility for a successor support. It is important to note that the pilot is a research programme and that no decision has been taken as to the continuation of BIA, and the research evaluating the impact of the pilot scheme is ongoing.
While the research phase of the pilot scheme is still ongoing, it is clear from evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on participants, and this is heartening to see. The latest data is available at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c28a3-basic-income-for-the-arts-pilot-scheme/.
This data shows that the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators - affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being, and deprivation. Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, experience a boost to their wellbeing through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support.
The BIA is a unique opportunity to gather such valuable data on the arts sector, data that we did not have before. In researching impacts on recipients and the ecology of the arts, this pilot scheme has the potential to change the landscape of the arts sector within Ireland and, indeed, change how it is funded.
A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme to the pilot, and the future of the BIA will be decided when the final results of the research are available which will provide the Government with the evidence base upon which to base future policy decisions about the Basic Income for the Arts.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (392)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:392. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if his Department or bodies under the aegis of his Department received funding support for projects of any kind from the United States of America International Development for the period 2016 to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5658/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department in its current configuration was established in September 2020. I am advised that my Department has not received any funding support for projects of any kind from the United States of America Agency for International Development in the period since its establishment and to the present date.
The receipt of any such funding support to bodies under my aegis would be an operational matter for the bodies in question.
Commemorative Events
Ceisteanna (393)
John Lahart
Ceist:393. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the international An Gorta Mór day took place in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5675/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department works with the Department of Foreign Affairs to identify possible locations for the International Famine Commemoration. There have been twelve international commemorations of the Great Irish Famine to date. Since the first international commemoration in Toronto and Quebec in 2009, events have also been held in Australia, Canada and the UK. As well as the International Famine Commemoration my Department works with the Department of Foreign Affairs to identify and support other opportunities for our Diaspora to remember the Great Irish Famine. In August 2024, my Department supported an event, that marked one of the remarkable humanitarian efforts that occurred during the time. The Eternal Heart Sculpture was unveiled at the Choctaw Capitol in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma, USA and this is a memorial marking the significant relationship between the Irish people and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. It was commissioned to mark the 175th anniversary of the gifting of $170 (a value of several thousand dollars today) by the Choctaw Nation for famine relief in Ireland in 1847. The sculpture was officially unveiled on Friday, 30 August 2024, on the Choctaw Capitol Grounds in Tuskahoma, by Chief Gary Batton of the Choctaw Nation and Minister of State Thomas Byrne TD. The commission is a joint venture between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Choctaw Nation’s Chata Foundation. It will remain a permanent symbol of the enduring and meaningful friendship between our two nations.
Given the importance of this unveiling, which was the most significant international event in 2024 relating to the Great Famine, a separate International Famine Commemoration was not held during the year.
My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Foreign Affairs to identify a feasible location for the next International Famine Commemoration and to also support other interesting and engaging opportunities for our diaspora to reflect and remember one of the greatest tragedies in Irish history.
Departmental Staff
Ceisteanna (394)
Ivana Bacik
Ceist:394. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the gender breakdown of his Department in respect of principal officers, assistant secretaries and secretaries general, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5862/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
There are currently 40 officers in my Department serving at Principal Officer, Assistant Secretary and Secretary General. The breakdown by grade and gender is set out in tabular form below.
|
Grade |
Male |
Female |
|
Secretary General |
1 |
0 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
4 |
1 |
|
Principal Officer |
17 |
17 |
Recruitment for Secretary General and Assistant Secretary positions are managed by TLAC.
My Department closely monitors and undertakes quarterly analysis on the proportion of male and female employees across all grades in the Department and on recruitment in terms of gender breakdown for all internal competitions.
Sports Funding
Ceisteanna (395)
John Connolly
Ceist:395. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of appeals lodged against the sports capital grant allocations made in 2024; and the status of all appeals. [5870/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated to community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF), representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.
The deadline for CSFF appeals was 29 October 2024. There were 247 appeals lodged and to date 201 successful appellants have been notified. The process of reviewing the remaining 46 appeals is ongoing and all outstanding appeal decisions will be confirmed to the relevant organisations shortly.
Culture Policy
Ceisteanna (396)
Mairéad Farrell
Ceist:396. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if plans are in place to save Pálás cinema and arts centre in Galway, which received significant public funding, and is a key cultural institution in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5879/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Pálás Cinema has been in operation in Galway City Centre for the past seven years. The cinema has three screens showing homegrown and international films, as well as a wide ranging outreach, festivals and schools programme.
In 2024, Element Pictures, the operator of Pálás Cinema, indicated their intention to withdraw from operating the cinema in early 2025. The future of the cinema is first and foremost a matter for Galway City Council as owner of the cinema which it leases to the operator. I understand that Galway City Council is undertaking an independent commercial appraisal into the operation of the cinema and the outcome is awaited. In the meantime, my Department has had ongoing engagement with Galway City Council and other relevant stakeholders and this will continue.
Artists' Remuneration
Ceisteanna (397)
Robert O'Donoghue
Ceist:397. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the timeframe for the assessment of the basic income for artists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5977/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government commits to assessing the Basic Income for Artists pilot to maximise its impact. In this regard, the Basic Income for the Arts pilot research scheme is ongoing until August and this will feed into Government consideration of the next steps.
In Budget 2025, Government made an allocation of €35 million for the Basic Income for the Arts in 2025. This is sufficient to fund the current pilot programme to its conclusion in August 2025 and provides the Government with flexibility for a successor support. It is important to note that the pilot is a research programme and that no decision has been taken as to the continuation of BIA, and the research evaluating the impact of the pilot scheme is ongoing.?
While the research phase of the pilot scheme is still ongoing, it is clear from evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on participants, and this is heartening to see. The latest data is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/c28a3-basic-income-for-the-arts-pilot-scheme/.
This data shows that the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators - affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being, and deprivation. Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, experience a boost to their wellbeing through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support.
The BIA is a unique opportunity to gather such valuable data on the arts sector, data that we did not have before. In researching impacts on recipients and the ecology of the arts, this pilot scheme has the potential to change the landscape of the arts sector within Ireland and, indeed, change how it is funded.
A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme to the pilot, and the future of the BIA will be decided when the final results of the research are available which will provide the Government with the evidence base upon which to base future policy decisions about the Basic Income for the Arts.
Sports Funding
Ceisteanna (398)
Joanna Byrne
Ceist:398. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the sports capital and equipment programme and large-scale sport infrastructure fund will open for new applications for much-needed funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5982/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In 2024 allocations under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) totalled €173 million, benefiting 35 individual projects. With this announcement, the cumulative investment from the LSSIF since the first round in 2020 totals €297 million.
Last year the LSSIF received an unprecedented demand for funding, amounting to €665 million from 96 applications. As a result of this significant demand, a range of valid applications did not receive an LSSIF allocation at the initial allocation stage.
In relation to LSSIF applications which have not received an allocation, it should be noted that a reserve list is being prepared by my Department. All remaining valid applications are being considered for prioritised inclusion on this list which will be published in due course.
Under the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) ,formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, over a quarter of a billion euro was allocated in 2024 to community sports clubs and facilities, representing the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland.
The timing of further rounds of the LSSIF and the CSFF will depend on the necessary funding being available and in that regard the Programme for Government confirms that the Government will maintain sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels including people with disabilities and older people.
Sports Facilities
Ceisteanna (399)
Alan Kelly
Ceist:399. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media whether he will be providing funding for the development of the GAA’s Casement Park in Belfast; and if so, the amount and when. [6053/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In February 2024 the Government agreed a range of funding allocations of more than €800 million to affirm its commitment to work with the Northern Ireland Executive, and with the UK Government, to make cross-border investments that will make the island of Ireland a better place to live for all who call it home. This is evidence of our commitment to Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement-North/South Co-operation and is the largest ever package of Government funding for cross-border investments.
As part of this wider set of commitments, the Government announced a commitment of €50 million through the Shared Island Fund to contribute to construction of a redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast. This is both a North/South and an East/West project, and it is the Government’s wish that the ground will be made available to a wide range of sporting and cultural events.
Consistent with the Government’s policy on funding for large scale sports infrastructure, principles for funding of the project will be agreed such that it is accessible to and will benefit a range of sports, and is operated to facilitate equality, diversity and inclusion in sport, including supporting cross-community relationships in Northern Ireland and across the island.
I understand that Casement Park funding issues are currently under consideration by the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive at present. Casement Park is owned and managed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and its redevelopment is a matter for the GAA and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Culture Policy
Ceisteanna (400)
Michael Collins
Ceist:400. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for a full breakdown of what grants and funding is available for festivals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6127/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am conscious of the contribution that festivals make to the artistic and cultural life of local communities and how they can make destinations more attractive to domestic and international tourists. I recognise also the challenges involved in arranging festivals, often involving significant financial outlay and commitments and usually relying on a great deal of voluntary activity. Accordingly, my Department and the relevant agencies under its aegis seek to support the staging of festivals.
In that regard my Department runs a Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme. The Scheme is designed to support local cultural festivals which are not in receipt of other central Government monies and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. Events which are funded by the Arts Council and/or Fáilte Ireland are not eligible. Funding available under this scheme is typically capped at €5,000.
I hope to be in a position to make an announcement in relation to the Festivals and Summer Schools scheme for 2025 in the coming weeks.