Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I welcome Deputy Deenihan to this portfolio. He will bring added interest and vigour to it.

My policy on the arts, culture and film sectors reflects Government policy in this area as set out in the programme for Government. This policy is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase the profile of, access to, and participation in, culture and the arts, make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life, maximise the potential for cultural tourism and grow the film and audiovisual production sector.

The Government is keenly aware of the economic potential of the arts and creative industries and their role in supporting enterprise and innovation in the economy as a whole, as highlighted at the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh. It also is determined to use Ireland's unique cultural assets as a way of distinguishing it from other tourism destinations and thereby attracting an increasing number of cultural tourists in the years ahead.

At the same time, while our arts, culture and heritage are important contributors to sustainable economic recovery, I appreciate that their contribution should never be measured in financial terms alone. Rather, they should be appreciated also for the social, cultural and educative benefits that they bring to communities large and small throughout the country.

Government policy on the arts has been and will continue to be enabled and implemented through the agencies and institutions within my Department, namely, the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland, as well as the cultural institutions within my Department's remit.

Recently, as part of the preparation of my Department's statement of strategy for the period 2010-14, I have consulted the agencies under my Department's aegis, as well a number of interested parties in the arts and culture areas. I will consider the suggestions put forward in this consultation when finalising this strategy, which will include a clear description of my Department's strategic priorities for the period 2011-13, reinforced by key objectives and timelines.

The arts, cultural and creative sector is constantly in a state of renewal and evolution. The challenge in the current economic environment is to work smarter within the limited public financial resources available to build on our strengths and to seize new opportunities. For example, one of the opportunities discussed at the cultural forum on the new statement of strategy was that presented by developments in the area of information and communications technology. Members will be aware that digitisation of the 1901 and 1911 census records has opened access to our heritage to an exponentially bigger audience than the paper records ever could have reached. At the same time, it has created a heightened interest in Ireland around the world that no doubt will help to attract here increasing numbers of so-called roots tourists n the years ahead.

Similarly, the Irish Film Board highlighted the opportunities for the Irish film industry of the increasing migration to Internet-based viewing and marketing of audiovisual content. Small Irish productions will never be able to compete with the huge marketing spend of Hollywood studios but can get into people's homes through platforms such as iTunes and can win audiences through word of mouth on Facebook and Twitter.

My overall goal, as reflected in the forthcoming statement of strategy for the Department, will be to help the sector as a whole to seize on such opportunities and to come through the current challenges in position to achieve greater success in the years ahead.

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