Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department is committed to implementing the priorities set out in the programme for Government and in the Statement of Government Priorities 2014-2016, which was published by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste on 11 July. These will form the underlying basis of the work of my Department for the next 12 months and for the remainder of this Government's term of office.

The statement of Government priorities identifies six key priorities for the coming period. My Department will have a particular contribution to make in relation to three of these priorities, as follows: strengthening the domestic economy and prioritising new jobs for the unemployed; rebuilding trust in politics and public institutions; and protecting and enhancing peace in Northern Ireland. It will remain a key objective for my Department to maximise the economic and employment creation potential of the arts, heritage and Gaeltacht sectors. In this context, I will continue to develop synergies between the arts, cultural, heritage and Gaeltacht sectors, most notably in the area of tourism product development and cultural tourism.

The statement of Government priorities makes specific reference to the co-ordination and organisation of events and commemorations related to Ireland's path to independence that are respectful to the different traditions and communities on the island of Ireland. In that context, I will continue to advance plans for the programme of commemorative events in the context of the Decade of Centenaries 2012-22, including the centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016.

I also look forward to promoting North-South co-operation in the context of the remit of my Department and, in particular, through the work of the North-South implementation bodies that my Department co-funds, namely, Waterways Ireland and An Foras Teanga. Other key issues in the context of the programme for Government will be the continuation of efforts to implement with stakeholders the national peatlands strategy and the 20 year strategy for the Irish language. I am very new in the job but I will be drawing up my personal priorities for the Department and I will be happy to outline them for the House at a later stage.

See this speech in context