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

On the question about our image to the wider world, pillar 5 of the Creative Ireland programme is about unifying our global message to the world and telling the world that this country is rich in culture and heritage and that Ireland is a good place to come to live, to invest and to study. It is about promoting that image to the world.

Creative Ireland is not an oversight body. It is not about that. It is about enabling people to work collaboratively. The independence of the Arts Council continues, and I absolutely respect that. It is funded and I will make a case for increased funding in the run-up to the budget. We work extremely well with the Arts Council. However, it is not about any single organisation but about how we can all work collaboratively for the benefit of the artists, art and culture in this country.

The Irish Film Board is the national development agency for Irish film making for the film, television and the animation industry. Its statutory remit is to assist and encourage the making of film in the State and the development of a film industry in Ireland. The board supports writers, directors and production companies across three sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. Indeed, I met all the stakeholders in that sector a number of months ago and they were able to tell me what the issues are. Creative Ireland is about working collaboratively with all the different stakeholders in the industry for the benefit of the industry and to allow more people to engage with and participate in culture and the arts.

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