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

There is a misunderstanding in the question. The Creative Ireland programme did not get an additional €8.5 million in the budget. Rather, the €8.5 million in current funding across the cultural sector will assist in delivering on the objectives of the Creative Ireland programme, including the €3 million of that allocation which is being provided to the Arts Council.

In budget 2018, I announced a funding package of over €300 million in 2018 towards the development of our cultural and creative heritage. This represents an increase in funding to my Department of €13 million, comprising €9 million in current expenditure and €4 million in capital expenditure. I also secured an additional €90 million in capital funding between 2018 and 2021 for my Department which will accelerate investment across the culture, heritage and Gaeltacht sectors.

Of the €13 million in additional funding I secured for my entire Department in 2018, I allocated €8.5 million, equivalent to 65%, to arts and culture. From this €8.5 million in additional funding, I allocated an additional €2.56 million to the national cultural institutions, an additional €1.55 million to the Irish Film Board, €1 million to the Creative Children project, and €500,000 to Culture Ireland while the Arts Council received an additional €3 million.

The total Arts Council allocation of €68.2 million in 2018 represents 23% of total allocation to all areas of my Department. This is over 49% of all current expenditure by the culture division of my Department.

The Creative Ireland programme is a high-ambition all-of-Government initiative to mainstream creativity in the life of the nation to ensure, individually and collectively, we can realise our full creative potential. The Arts Council is a key partner in the programme, along with Departments, cultural institutions, local authorities and many others in the arts and cultural sector.

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I value the support and expertise of the Arts Council and will continue to work with it as we roll out the Creative Ireland programme, recognising the proper remit of both my Department and the Arts Council, and recognising also what can be achieved when everyone in the sector works together. By providing funding increases to key institutions, agencies and initiatives that deliver arts, creativity and culture right across the country, I am ensuring that this momentum will continue in 2018 and beyond.

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