Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of questions and observations for the Minister and Minister of State. I compliment them both on their time in office so far. The word "delivery" will certainly be part of their legacy when they are finished in their portfolios. That has been widely acknowledged in both spheres of their Department. As Senator Warfield said, I am sure many previous Ministers for the arts would have loved to have been able to dish out the kind of funding the Arts Council has received from the Minister. I agree that it sets a benchmark that we cannot go back from. We have to build on it, as all members who have spoken will agree.

I had not heard of the creativity in older age scheme before. If we have a minute at the end, perhaps the Minister will expand on that. Is it a local authority programme? Will the Minister enlighten us on that?

Regarding Creative Ireland, in my previous term, I always advocated rolling out the creative schools programme to all schools. I have argued that the functional way of doing that is through the education and training boards, ETBs. Creative Ireland, the Department and the Department of Education have arts education officers in place. There may be three or four such posts across the country. We have 16 ETBs and they are our go-to in terms of having access to our schools, teaching expertise and bringing artists and creative expertise into our schools. I ask the Minister, as I asked the previous Minister, to consider having arts education officers appointed to the ETBs and giving them a budget to deliver arts education and the creative schools programme in all schools.

The Minister addressed the appointments to RTÉ and the BAI. The joint committee wrote to the Department about that some weeks ago and I am anxious that we get a thorough briefing from the Department on it before we make those appointments. This has to be expedited as much as possible because RTÉ and the BAI are under extreme pressure in terms of numbers.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Northern Sound today, since Senator Carrigy has mentioned Shannonside Northern Sound. I cannot overemphasise the impact local radio stations have had on our communities and a particular demographic, namely, those who are most at risk of being isolated, those who live alone and older members of the community. I have tuned in to my local radio stations much more recently. It is always on in my office in Cavan-Monaghan. Local radio is so informative. We recognise the presenters' voices and they have given company to local people through the pandemic.

They must be supported. I ask the Minister to consider the three requests that have been alluded to a number of times and to ensure that IBI gets the support it needs because we need its members to keep delivering to our communities, as they have done up to this point, particularly during the pandemic.

I know that the Minister of State with responsibility for sports, Deputy Chambers, is very familiar with the Bailieborough leisure centre and swimming pool project. Like a lot of community swimming pools throughout the country, its doors have been closed since last March and it has not had the cushion of the local authority or any umbrella organisations. This is a community facility that was built by the people and for the people and has been run by community groups. We had the very welcome news this week of Covid-19 stability funding of €100,000 for the swimming pool. This will mean that it will, I hope, be able to open its doors very shortly. Like a lot of sporting organisations, however, it has been facing considerable costs, paying fees and haemorrhaging significant funds, which has almost finished it off. Keeping closed has cost it money. I urge the Minister of State, and I know that he is doing this through Sport Ireland and Swim Ireland, to ensure that these kinds of facilities, which do not have the mechanisms, support or cushion of local authorities or other sporting organisations and which are doing things on their own, get the support from the Government to continue. We cannot afford to lose such facilities. Now more than ever they are needed absolutely for our communities right across the country.

I will not ask the Minister of State to respond. We are delighted to have a visitor, Deputy Andrews, with us. I will give the Minister and the Minister of State a couple of minutes at the end to finish up.