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

I agree with the Deputy that the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2011 deal with harassment and bullying in the workplace. That is what governs it.

On the Seamus Heaney exhibition in the wonderful Bank of Ireland College Green centre, we have been working very closely with Bank of Ireland and the National Library in recent years. The exhibition is well under way and we hope it will open in mid-2018. Entry to the exhibition will be free. It adds further to the cultural offering in the centre of the city, which is great.

I must say that culture teams in local authorities are doing wonderful work on behalf of the Creative Ireland programme, again connecting with communities and getting more people to engage with culture and creativity. Every single local authority has drawn up a culture plan for its county and is now looking at a five-year strategy. We are working with them to develop a five-year plan for culture and creativity in every single county across the country.

It is easy to pick out specific things but when we started the Creative Ireland initiative, we were building on the 2016 initiative and the major interest that people have in culture and creativity.

The substance of the Creative Ireland initiative is creative children and communities, building more collaboratively on existing initiatives and working with all stakeholders to put culture and creativity at the centre of public policy and the heart of Irish society. It was a new concept and that is why we worked with different stakeholders. The Arts Council is a key partner in the Creative Ireland programme. It has a specific remit in terms of promoting the arts.

I have key responsibilities in the area and would not, in any way, interfere with the independence of the Arts Council and would in no way dilute its role. I will continue to work on it. Creative Ireland has more than a purely arts focus. It is about encouraging citizens to explore a wider creative agenda through access to the arts, although access to the arts is a key aspect.

Another key aspect of the programme has been working with local authorities and supporting voluntary groups which are trying to engage with citizens in a variety of creative pursuits.. Every county has the plan and is working on it, and I want to continue to support them. Last year they received €1 million from my Department and this year I intend to double that funding which goes directly to local authorities that make decisions. I have no input into their decisions; they decide on how best to promote engagement through communities and local events.

Culture teams comprise museum curators, arts and heritage officers and librarians, and is director-led in local authorities. Every local authority has its own culture team and culture officer who leads that process.