Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Cultural strategy is the responsibility of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

There are provisions in the Bill that would support such a strategy. As I outlined, section 43(2)(e) refers specifically to "cultural facilities". It is well catered for.

I absolutely appreciate the points the Deputies are making in relation to this. I go back to the points I raised previously about other arts and cultural plans and strategies, the funding the Government has put in to the repurposing of buildings in town centres under the THRIVE fund, the development plan process and the hugely important outputs from the work of the night-time economy task force. Particularly in smaller towns, we have quite a lot of cultural facilities that are under-utilised and perhaps should be looked at in terms of multiple uses. That is something.

In the section of the sustainable residential development and compact settlement guidelines for planning authorities about the "mix and distribution of uses", it is set out that "planning authorities should plan for a diverse range of uses including retail, cultural and residential uses". It comes back down to the development plan process. That is critically important. The arts and cultural strategies and the work of local community development committees through the delivery of local economic community plans unlock the potential in local communities for the development of cultural facilities.

It is critically important in a changed world to reimagine our town centres. I refer particularly to how public spaces are used, particularly by young people, as we take cars out and try to repurpose them. A broad stakeholder process of public participation and engagement is needed to try and achieve that.