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

I am glad to report, as in my reply to Deputy Barry, that I have retained the majority of the €18 million current funding which was provided for the 2016 commemorations for reallocation to arts and cultural purposes within my Department’s Vote. It will, therefore, become part of the baseline figures for my Department, meaning it will be carried forward into future years. As I previously outlined, budget 2017 will include an additional €5 million for the Arts Council, an 8% increase in its annual budget; increased funding for all the national cultural institutions; an increase of €2 million for the Irish Film Board and €1 million for Culture Ireland; and an additional €1 million for the Heritage Council. I have also secured a new funding stream of €5 million for the implementation of a Culture 2025-Ireland 2016 legacy programme, which will allow me to build on the positive legacy of the Ireland 2016 commemorations. I will be announcing details of this new initiative shortly.

All of this represents real and substantial funding increases across the arts and cultural area and has been welcomed across the sector. It also reaffirms the commitment of the Government to increase funding for the arts progressively as the economy improves, as set out in A Programme for a Partnership Government.

It should be noted that the majority of the €49 million allocation to my Department for this year’s Ireland 2016 centenary programme was capital funding that went towards a series of permanent reminder projects, including the witness history visitor centre at the GPO, the refurbishment of Richmond Barracks and the Kevin Barry rooms at the National Concert Hall. As a result of the completion of the various permanent reminder projects, the capital funding provided for them will not be required in 2017. The projects will continue to be a positive and lasting legacy for the people of Ireland.

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