Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Táim an sásta a bheith anseo i dteannta an choiste chun labhairt faoi mo phost nua. Mar is eol don coiste, táim lonnaithe sa Roinn Dlí agus Cirt agus Comhionnanais chomh maith, ag plé le cúrsaí comhionnanais agus le comhphobail nua. Tá ráiteas agam anois gur mhaith liom a léamh amach don choiste.

I appreciate the opportunity today to discuss with the select sub-committee the 2015 Estimates, to outline this year's priorities for Culture Ireland and to build on the Minister's remarks on commemorations. The Department's Culture Ireland programme continues to create and support opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present and promote their work at strategic international festivals and venues. In 2014, the Culture Ireland grants programme supported more than 300 projects from all art forms, thereby enabling artists to perform in 51 countries around the world.

It was a successful year for developing new audiences. Culture Ireland supported Irish artists to reach 3 million live audience members and a further 6 million television viewers. Irish artists won high-profile awards and critical recognition. They also created important platforms for other State bodies, such as Tourism Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, to gain wider benefits for Irish tourism and business interests.

Culture Ireland's €2.5 million allocation for 2015 will be directed across all art forms, in line with its strategy, which is focused on strengthening Ireland's international reputation for innovation and creativity, and creating career opportunities for Irish artists globally. In addition to grant round funding and showcasing initiatives, Culture Ireland also supports Ireland's two key overseas cultural centres, the Irish Arts Center in New York and the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. As well as maintaining important connections to the diaspora, these centres in prime cultural cities help to develop further opportunities for Irish artists.

To date in 2015, Irish artists have presented work globally, from New York to Sidney, as part of the 164 events that have been awarded support so far to take place this year. The music showcasing at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, the Folk Alliance International conference in Kansas in the US, and home showcasing at TradFest in the first two months of this year have already reaped contracts for many Irish musicians. For the St. Patrick's Day period this year, Irish film festivals have been supported to take place in Boston, New York, Rome, Moscow and Sidney. Irish musicians will tour extensively in the US, Australia, China and Europe.

I wish to refer to the ongoing work on commemoration of the historic events of 1916. The commemoration affords us time to interrogate the past based on hard evidence, to examine the issues in a dignified way and for communal reflection to seek to understand better the emotive forces that propelled the emergence of an independent state. Almost 100 years ago, Irish men and women, North and South, took up arms in many uniforms. The question of this island being part of an empire was one question that many sought answers to. They took that question apart in the trenches of the western front, in Gallipoli, at the Somme, in the rubble of Sackville Street, in the GPO and on Moore Street. Our memory project, in the decade of commemorations, will remember all of them. The expertise of our cultural institutions and the advice of historians, who comprise the Government's expert advisory group, will be central to our commemorations, as will the vibrancy and imagination of young people. I look forward to the continued support of Oireachtas colleagues as we develop and deliver these commemorative events.