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

An overall statement of strategy for my Department for the period 2015 to 2017 has recently been prepared and will be published shortly. This statement will set out my Department’s goals and strategies for various programme areas, including the arts and heritage. Within my Department’s overall budget of €277 million for 2015, €156 million is being provided for the arts, culture and film and €39 million for heritage. In addition to my Department’s statement of strategy, I am committed to the delivery of the country's first ever national cultural policy, which is called Culture 2025. In this regard, I plan to carry out a wide ranging consultation process to ensure that all stakeholders and interested members of the public can make their views known. With this in mind, I have initiated general discussion on the process of developing the policy with a number of stakeholders, including with the council of national cultural institutions. A draft discussion paper is currently being finalised within my Department, having regard to those discussions, and I intend to publish it shortly. I look forward to substantive engagement with the arts and culture sector, the general public and other interested parties in the development of the new policy. As the purpose is to set out the high-level aims and policies in the area of culture for the period up to 2025, the issue of funding does not arise.

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