Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the joint committee on the performance, expenditure and targets of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht during the first half of 2016.

A gross provision of over €382 million is available to my Department in 2016. In addition, a further €6.158 million in funding was carried over from the 2015 capital provision. Gross total expenditure incurred by the Department to 30 June 2016 was just under €146 million. This expenditure represents 38% of the overall 2016 gross allocation for the Department. The capital carryover of €6.158 million was also expended in full. Total gross expenditure by the Department up to and including 31 August has increased to €195.8 million, or 51% of the overall 2016 allocation.

As members will be aware, this has been a very significant year for the Department. In addition to an expansion of its remit to include responsibility for regional development and rural affairs, a key priority under A Programme for a Partnership Government, 2016 marks the centenary of the Easter 1916 Rising, providing us with an opportunity to remember and reflect on this pivotal event in our history. There were highlights in other programme areas, too, about which my colleagues, the Ministers of State, Deputies Sean Kyne and Michael Ring, and I will speak briefly on a programme by programme basis. We will commence with the arts, culture and film programme and will be happy to expand on any matter members may wish to raise.

Programme A covers the arts, culture and film, for which over €188 million has been provided in 2016, with a capital carryover of further €6.158 million. Total gross expenditure up to 30 June was €82.362 million or 46% of the 2016 programme allocation. The capital carryover of €6.158 million was also expended in full. By 31 August, expenditure had increased to €106.92 million or 59% of the 2016 programme allocation. Owing to the scale and complexity of once-off aspects of the capital and current programmes, some adjustments have been made to allocations within the programme. For example, savings have arisen in subhead A.15 - Decade of Centenaries 1912 to 1922 - due to a combination of outside factors and also in subhead A.16 - Cork Event Centre which has not progressed as promptly as anticipated. Sanction has been received from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to use these savings to address emerging pressures in other programme areas.

I have mentioned the Ireland 2016 commemorative programme, but I would like to address the initiative in a little more detail. There was an extensive education programme delivered across all levels, including the Permanent Reminder component, through which a number of significant capital projects were completed, and an extensive programme of State ceremonial and public events and a community strand delivered in conjunction with local authorities. As part of the national flag initiative, flags and copies of the Proclamation by the Defence Forces were delivered to over 3,300 national schools across the country. In the Permanent Reminder component of the programme works were completed at the GPO Witness History Centre, Richmond Barracks, the Kevin Barry Rooms at the National Concert Hall and the Athenaeum in Enniscorthy. Work at the Tenement Museum in Henrietta Street and Teach an Phiarsaigh in Ros Muc, County Galway is also nearing completion.

The series of major public events, including the State ceremonial events, proved to be a particular highlight, with an unprecedented level of public awareness and engagement. Some 750,000 people attended the "Reflecting the Rising" event on Easter Monday, following on from the official commemoration at the GPO on Easter Sunday which was enjoyed by 4,500 invited guests and 300,000 members of the general public who lined the streets on the day.

Another very important element of the 2016 commemorations was the numerous events held to mark the Battle of the Somme. I travelled to France on 1 July to participate in the major ceremony at Thiepval, which was followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the Ulster tower. Earlier this month I returned to Guillemont to remember the 1,200 members of the 16th Irish Division who had lost their lives there in September 1916. These events complemented the Government's Somme commemorative event held in Islandbridge in July.

Other ambitious capital projects under the programme also progressed significantly in 2016, with the master development plan at the National Gallery of Ireland entering its final phase, while the design phase of the proposed major capital investment at the National Library of Ireland is progressing, as is the new cultural and heritage centre at Bank of Ireland, College Green.

A new six-year €18 million capital investment scheme focused on enhancing the existing stock of arts and cultural centres throughout the country was launched in July. Some 100 applications have been received to date under the scheme. In the first half of 2016 over 1.8 million people visited national cultural institutions. If these numbers are maintained in the second half of the year, it will represent an increase of 3% on the very impressive 2015 figure of 3.5 million.

I am happy to expand on any issue arising in respect of the programme.