Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will establish cultural apprenticeships to ensure that the best of the emerging artists here have an opportunity to remain here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37379/09]

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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I presume the Deputy is referring to the commitment in the programme for Government in the context of retaining existing jobs and supporting viable but vulnerable businesses. This commitment is to continue the apprenticeship programmes at the national cultural institutions. The national cultural institutions operate various internship, apprenticeship and placement programmes, having regard to the individual institution's requirements and facilities. These programmes will continue notwithstanding the moratorium on public service numbers. Any costs borne by the individual institutions, as heretofore, would be met from their annual grants-in-aid.

The National Gallery of Ireland is involved in graduate internship programmes, whereby graduates are taken on in the education, library and visitor services departments on short and long-term voluntary internships at different times during the year. It is also sponsoring a year-long internship in conservation, funded by the Heritage Council, during 2009-10. The gallery and the National Museum are involved in various transition year student placements during the year. The Chester Beatty Library offers a short–term and a one-year internship in conservation and from time to time makes places for internships in other areas, when possible, but it is a less formal arrangement than the conservation placements.

The Crawford Art Gallery has several different internships running at any one time, in collaboration with colleges in Ireland and also the University of Trento. These include a student who is currently working on a gallery signage design; and a post-doctoral researcher from California on a six-month internship, researching meta-data tagging, website development and collections management software. The Crawford Art Gallery is the Irish national correspondent for Association Pepiniere, a cultural network based in Paris that organises residencies for artists throughout Europe. There are currently three artists in Cork on six-month residencies under the auspices of this programme. They will be exhibiting their work at the Crawford Art Gallery at the end of their residency period. There are two students from the University of Trento due to arrive under the auspices of the Leonardo programme.

In regard to the National Archives, this institution has had a conservation scholarship or internship programme in operation since 2006. Most recently, two conservation scholars have been awarded contracts for services for the 12 months commencing in September 2009. The scholarships are open to graduates in paper or archives conservation who graduated in either the current year or the previous two years, and are awarded on foot of a competition. The arrangement is mutually beneficial as the scholar gains essential work experience while we gain skilled conservator services.

The National Library has operated a studentship programme for some ten years now. Under this programme, four 12-month placements are offered in the areas of library studentship, archives studentship, Irish history research studentship and conservation internship. One would expect that the effect of these projects would be to foster and develop the talents and expertise of those involved in assigning them in their chosen fields into the future.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and I welcome the commitments. What prompted the question is that it is a particularly tough time for emerging artists right across the spectrum of arts and culture. We have to be proactive in providing opportunities for them, keeping them in productive employment and improving their skills while they hope to get into full-time employment.