Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Deputy about the local authorities. I am a great believer in the bottom-up approach and I took that decision in 2014 when we launched the consultation process for an overarching plan for the 2016 commemorations. Local authorities are the key to local communities and I believe in that approach. I am anxious to see arts and culture supported in every local authority area. I feel very strongly about that. When one looks at the 2016 programme and all of the communities that ran their own events, they engaged with and were facilitated by the local authorities. Only three weeks ago I met all of the local authority 2016 co-ordinators and asked them how we could build on the legacy of 2016 and have something permanent to remember what has happened in this special year. Again, it is about working with them. The arts officer, heritage officer, librarian and museum curator are a very strong part of our cultural offering locally and we must weld them together in a type of cultural unit in every local authority. I am very keen on that.

We have the same theme in the Culture 2025 policy framework - working more collaboratively across Government and drawing on the lessons of the centenary year. It includes re-examining the provision of cultural services at local level and building on existing connections between local authorities, the Arts Council and the Heritage Council. Indeed, I attended an event today with the Arts Council where it is working collaboratively with the local authorities. The council said it had renewed its vows with the local authorities in terms of its engagement with them. It is very important to work with all of the local authorities across the country and also with Foras na Gaeilge and Údarás na Gaeltachta. The organisations are all in place so we must tap into them and work collaboratively in terms of culture. We also wish to examine the role of voluntary organisations and develop policies to provide increased support. These are the priorities in the document and now it is about drawing up actions for how to achieve that. That is what we are doing at present in that area.