Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the study published by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, Creative Engagement; the plans his Department's officials have to meet officials from the Department of Education and Science with a view to promoting arts in education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24507/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Creative Engagement, The Art in Our Schools pilot programme, was set up by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, NAPD, in 2004, co-funded by the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, to encourage students to engage with the arts. The NAPD is a well established body with close links to the Department of Education and Science.

In September 2004, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism provided €60,000 to the NAPD under this initiative to develop a programme of art activities in approximately 20 schools. A further €69,000 was allocated in 2006 for a continuation of the programme, which supported programmes in 32 schools. Recently, the NAPD has produced an extensive evaluation of the programme, focusing on the 32 schools in the 2006-07 scheme as part of the agreement with the NAPD underpinning its grant conditions.

From a preliminary examination of the conclusions, it is clear that there is a strong recommendation to have an arts in education ethos more embedded within the school curriculum. Furthermore, more formal support from the two Departments and the Arts Council is also sought. On completion of the examination of the report by my Department, I will raise the issues with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I will not go into any great detail on this issue because it has been discussed somewhat with Deputy Upton's priority question. I would point out that arts in education was a Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism initiative. Apparently, the Minister's predecessor's last word on the subject was that he had referred back to the Arts Council for practical recommendations as to how it should be brought forward. Have those practical recommendations been provided and what steps are envisaged on foot of them?

With our economy perhaps not doing as well as it was, we need formal arts education in our schools not only to grow audiences for the future but to grow independent, creative thinkers, which is essential. As the Minister rightly said, there are some good projects and Creative Engagement was a pilot project. What we need is to have a formal embedded arts programme within the schools. If there is to be progress in this area, it will not come from the Department of Education and Science. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism will have to drive it.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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This report is welcome and positive and we are very enthusiastic about arts and education. However, on the one hand, this report has come forward and, on the other, there is the arts in education report. The body which wrote up the arts in education report, the Arts Council, is also responsible for the other report, or at least had an input into it. Is this tied into the arts in education report? Is this not another case of the right hand talking to the left hand? How do they mesh together?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is a fair point. They mesh extremely well. The report to which I referred in my reply was specific because of the 32 schools that were supported. It has only come into the Department in the past week or so and its assessment is only being carried out at present. The indications are that it has a very positive impact.

It is important to point out that a whole range of bodies in Departments, agencies, local authorities, libraries and so on are engaged with all the schools and there is a depth of arts activity taking place in the schools through various bodies. Clearly, the major report states that we want a more focused approach in terms of arts in education. That can only be positive for the development of our children.

Obviously, there are pressures on the other side and from the Department of Education and Science's perspective the school curriculum can only be so big. It is a question of trying to find space for all the demands that exist within the programme, which is a fair point. However, I am heartened because we would all admit, given the evidence we find in visiting schools, as we do, that the uptake in recent years in terms of general interest in arts and arts activity among primary school students in particular has increased significantly. What we want to do is capture all that good effort, formalise it and get it active in all the schools throughout the country. That is what I will be discussing with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science.