Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have this opportunity to outline to the Dáil the principal features of the 2013 Estimates for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I echo the comments of my colleagues, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, who outlined the full package of budgetary measures yesterday. Ireland is making steady progress, but we still have a long way to go. The Government is prepared to travel the distance that remains to reach a sound and stable economic position. The Department will play its part in making that journey.

In this context, gross funding for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will be €252.4 million in 2013 with an allocation for current expenditure of €215.3 million and a capital allocation of €37.095 million. A further €8.1 million, comprising €7.183 million in current funding and €905,000 in capital funding, is provided through Vote 34 for the National Gallery. This brings total funding for 2013 to €222.4 million in current spending and €38 million in capital. Within this funding allocation, the Department will oversee the conservation, preservation, protection, development and presentation of Ireland's heritage and culture. The Department will also promote the Irish language, support the Gaeltacht and assist the sustainable development of island communities.

Funding for 2013 will be reduced by approximately €10 million in current and €6 million in capital on the 2012 figures. As Members will appreciate, as a consequence of the significant fiscal deficit facing the country, we just do not have the same level of resources available to fund this work as we had in previous years. However, the Department will work hard to ensure the best possible use is made of the available funding.

Approximately €125.4 million, or 50% of the Department's resources, will be allocated to the Department's arts, culture and film programmes in 2013. Funding for the arts, culture and film represents a significant contribution not only to sustaining the arts and national cultural institutions but also to the economically important cultural tourism sector. My key focus for the arts and culture is to protect jobs and stimulate creativity. Of this total, €60.7 million will be allocated for the Arts Council for 2013 from current, capital and European Presidency funding. This is the maximum possible funding I can allocate to the Arts Council for next year, and is below the average reduction I have had to apply across the board in the Department. This will allow the council to continue to support arts organisations of varying sizes - from national bodies such as the Abbey Theatre to small, locally based groups - across a broad range of individual art forms and arts practices.

It is worth noting that between 2007 and 2011, funding to the Arts Council declined by almost 22%, from €83 million to more than €65 million. Since becoming Minister I have also had to reduce funding to the council, but I have worked to slow this decline as much as possible. This year, funding to the Arts Council was 2.9% lower than in 2011, the smallest year on year reduction since 2008. Next year, the reduction will be approximately 4% below the average reduction I have had to apply in other areas of the Department.

The 2013 allocation is also an acknowledgement by the Government of the contribution of the arts in the generation of employment in communities. The arts are the bedrock of many communities and also play a real role in Ireland's cultural tourism offering. I have worked hard to minimise the level of reduction in funding to the Arts Council for 2013.

Within the arts and culture envelope, I will hold current funding to the National Archives at its 2012 level of €1 million. This is to assist in the ongoing work of the archives, which is of great importance, and also to recognise the role of the archives in the current commemorative programme. With regard to national cultural institutions, the priority in 2013 will be to keep venues open and to maintain as far as possible front of house services to the public to ensure what they offer to the public continues to draw large numbers of people, including overseas and domestic tourists. Funding of approximately €11.3 million will be allocated to the group of cultural institutions comprising IMMA, the Chester Beatty Library, the National Concert Hall and the Crawford Gallery. Approximately €3.9 million will be allocated to regional museums, galleries and cultural centres. Approximately €11.9 million will be allocated to the National Museum of Ireland and €6.7 million allocated to the National Library of Ireland.

The rate of reduction in the core funding for the Department's Culture Ireland programme has been arrested.

Including the EU Presidency culture programme funding, the total allocated to the culture Ireland programme in 2013 will increase compared to the current year.

A provision of over €18 million is being made available in respect of capital expenditure. The bulk of this capital funding will be channelled toward the Irish Film Board, in recognition of its importance from both a cultural and employment perspective. One of the key reasons Ireland continues to be chosen as a film location is the work the Irish Film Board does to promote Ireland at international film and television markets. The positive impact of this work is threefold, in terms of creating jobs in Ireland, creating spend on local goods and services, and promoting Ireland on the big and small screens to audiences of millions internationally.

I also welcome the decision by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to extend the section 481 film tax relief scheme until the end of 2020. This will give a great deal of certainty to the Irish audiovisual sector to the end of the decade. Moving to a tax-credit model will be a significant change, but there is an extended lead-in period to the new arrangements to enable the sector to adapt. This year alone a number of significant productions are filming in Ireland, including "Vikings", with a spend in Ireland of €25 million, and "Ripper Street", with a spend of almost €11 million. The extension of the scheme is important for Ireland, for both the jobs that are supported by this sector and our location as a place for film and audiovisual investment.

Funding of some €44.3 million has been made available in the context of my Department's heritage programme. A provision of almost €37.6 million has been allocated for current expenditure with a further €6.8 million in capital funding. A further €1.2 million in capital funding will be carried over into 2013 giving an overall reduction in funding for heritage of approximately 6% next year.

Exchequer funding of around €4.4 million will be made available to support the work of the Heritage Council. My Department will be working with the council over the coming months to implement the findings of the recent review which recognised the council's particular strengths in supporting and building links with local communities and local government in the promotion of our heritage.

With regard to natural heritage, the key outputs in 2013 will focus on meeting our obligations under EU directives. Turf-cutting and the protection of designated raised bogs remains a key concern for my Department and I remain determined to address this issue in a way that is fair, balanced and supportive of those affected. My Department and the Peatlands Council will continue to work closely with turf-cutters who are required to cease cutting turf on Ireland's 53 special area of conservation raised bogs so as to ensure that their needs are met through relocation to a new bog or through compensation. A national plan will be progressed for the management of these protected habitats together with an overarching peatlands strategy to set out national policy on the future of all of Ireland's peatlands.

Heritage functions in my Department will also continue to be supported through the Environment Fund in 2013. The level of allocation from that fund will be decided in due course.

I am committed to developing North-South co-operation within the broader arts, heritage and commemorative activities of my Department as well as through the funding of North-South bodies. An indicative provision of €40.3 million is being made available to support the two North-South implementation bodies, An Foras Teanga comprising Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency, and Waterways Ireland. These allocations will fall to be agreed by the North-South Ministerial Council in due course.

My Department makes a significant contribution to supporting economic activity and employment across the country, both in the sectors that it directly supports and, equally, in the context of cultural tourism. My primary concern is to make every effort to ensure that, within the provision available to me, I can continue to support the agencies that are contributing to job creation while also maintaining front-line services to the public. In addition, for 2013 every saving that can be made from cutting down on overheads, and through the public service reform plan, will continue to be pursued. The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to fairness, jobs and reform in the budget. My Department will continue to play its part to help move Ireland to a sound and sustainable economic position.

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