Mr. Eamonn Moran:

I thank the Chairman and members for the opportunity to speak to the committee about Creative Ireland. The Department of Education and Skills did not make an opening statement but we are delighted to be involved in the Creative Ireland programme.

Our focus is on pillar 1 of the programme, which is creative youth. There are approximately 19 actions being initiated under this pillar. Our Department has effective lead responsibility for approximately ten of those, about which I can speak at greater length later. Several involve the schools. We have approximately 4,000 schools in the system, comprising 3,200 primary schools and 800 post-primary schools, and there are some Youthreach centres involved as well. Anyone who has children or nephews or nieces in school, particularly a primary school, will know that all schools regard themselves as creative. They were not waiting for Creative Ireland to come along to become creative, but we see the benefit of Creative Ireland as allowing us, through co-operation between Departments, the Arts Council and other bodies, to identify innovative ways to assist schools and students in and out of school to become creative and identify best practice. The Creative Ireland programme can provide an initiative for those schools that are creative to enhance the element of creativity that they offer to their students and, in respect of those schools that might be more focused on sport, to get involved also in the creative area. We see it as a great opportunity for our schools to get involved.

There are approximately 150 schools taking part in the first phase of the Creative Schools initiative which is led by the Arts Council. The aim is for that number to double for the next phase of the programme. For all of these 19 initiatives under pillar 1, we are in the pilot phase in that we are trying out many initiatives in schools and they are very receptive to helping us try them out. In addition to receiving support from dedicated teachers and artist facilitators, the 150 schools in the Creative Schools initiative receive approximately €2,000 seed funding to help them put their creative school plan in place. Reflecting the general number spread between primary and post-primary schools, of the 150 participating in the first phase, 110 are primary schools, 30 of which are DEIS schools, and 30 are post-primary schools, eight of which are DEIS. There are seven special schools and three Youthreach centres. Schools from every county are participating.

Ms Banotti and Mr. Ó Coigligh referred to the close co-operation between our Department, the Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and the Arts Council in the various initiatives. In Creative Schools, for example, we have seconded two teachers, primary and post-primary, to the Arts Council. They work very closely with us and the Arts Council. They bring a pedagogical perspective to the project and that initiative is working very well. It is probably the flagship action in creative youth and has attracted a great deal of interest from schools. I am happy to provide further information on the other actions but that is a thumbnail sketch of the Creative Schools action.