Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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This motion arises from a recent briefing for Oireachtas Members held by the Arts Council, the meet and greet organised by the National Campaign for the Arts and from the recent annual Theatre Forum conference held in NUIG, at which the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht was guest speaker.

The Minister is personally committed to the arts and is involved in the cultural life of Listowel, an area that produced those world famous writers, John B. Keane and Bryan McMahon. Even so, it is important to place on record the Government's commitment to maintain existing funding levels for our cultural institutions, including the National Library and National Museum, the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland.

The Minister will agree it is in our best interest as a nation to encourage, develop and stimulate public interest in all aspects of the arts, social and cultural affairs despite our current economic challenges. To sustain a vibrant cultural life, it is essential to promote the knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts; it is not an isolated activity but reaches into most aspects of the lives of our people. In this capacity, the work of the Arts Council gets results in annually supporting 2,000 jobs directly and 3,000 jobs indirectly. The wider sector supports 27,000 jobs and contributes €382 million in taxes. The wider creative industry contributes €5.5 billion to the economy and supports 96,000 jobs. It is clear that funding the arts is an investment not an indulgence. It is good for our society, our international reputation and our economy.

Because we in Ireland have an innate talent in the arts, be it literary, performance or visual, we somehow take that talent for granted. When our economy was performing well, the then Government never achieved the figure of €100 million in funding, which was the aspiration of the Arts Council. By 2007, a figure of €80 million was provided but by 2010 the figure was down to €68.6 million. The real effect of this cut has been the loss of jobs in the arts world. I am glad to note that Culture Ireland and the Irish Film Board, while also sustaining cuts over the past three years, continue to deliver quality experiences to our national and overseas audiences, providing significant employment in the process.

In terms of our quality of life, we can all relate to wonderful arts experiences, such as poetry, music, film, that stimulate us and enhance our lives.

Our schools have a key role to play in this area as they can provide equal access for their students. We have not fully realised the potential that regular participation in arts activities by young people has in increasing their self esteem and confidence and in reducing anti-social behaviour. In Laois-Offaly increasing numbers of young people are dying by suicide and I strongly believe that their participation in arts projects would help them cope with the challenges of modern life.

If we look closer again we can find wonderful projects across the country in which elderly people in community nursing and day care units are having quality arts experiences. I urge the Minister to take a look at the Anam Beo project based in Offaly. It is run on a tiny budget and involves professional artists working with older and disabled people to teach them to paint and make short films among other things. For many, it is the first time they participated in such activity. To quote one participant who is now 88 years of age, "I would be dead if I didn't have this to look forward to every week".

Many other community groups and development agencies use the arts as a tool for engaging with disadvantaged groups. The arts are non-judgemental and accepting of all abilities and backgrounds - an important factor in breaking down barriers. In the Laois-Offaly constituency established venues such as Birr Theatre and Arts Centre and the Dunamaise Theatre depend on public funding both from the Arts Council and local authorities to continue to provide for their communities. I look forward also to the planned Tullamore Arts Centre being developed to further strengthen the arts infrastructure. Sculpture in the Parklands is another shining example of how local partnerships can produce a magnificent resource in cutaway bogs for locals and tourists alike.

On an international level artists of all disciplines have won Booker prizes, Grammy awards, Emmy awards, Nobel prizes, Oscars and Tony awards. To quote the Arts Council, "if the arts were the Olympics Ireland would top the medal table". Despite those awards, the average income for an artist in 2008 was a modest €14,676 euro.

The arts experience which artists create play a vital role in making this country a magnet for 5.5 million visitors a year. According to Fáilte Ireland, 80% of foreign tourists cite culture and heritage as a motivating factor in choosing this country as a holiday destination. The 178 arts festivals currently funded by the Arts Council are also a significant part of our tourism product. In considering the arts one finds that they are intertwined across many Departments - Education and Skills, Transport, Tourism and Sport, Health and Environment, Community and Local Government to mention a few. I hope that some structure could be put in place to bring all of that together so that we can get an accurate picture of the impact of the work each Department plays in cultural life.

Unfortunately, funding for arts and culture has declined from €206 million in 2007 to €153.2 million in 2010. That is a significant drop. Despite that, we must acknowledge that arts and culture are key to quality of life, international reputation, tourism product and, significantly in the current climate, the economy. I will conclude by quoting the National Campaign For The Arts core message:

We believe in a society that values creativity, imagination and expression. We believe the arts generate growth and tourism. We believe the arts enhance our reputation. We believe the arts enrich our lives. We believe in the value of the arts.

We must endeavour to sustain what we already have.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy for raising the matter on the Adjournment. I am very much aware of her commitment to and interest in the development of the arts in County Offaly.

As Minister responsible for the arts and culture sectors I am acutely aware of the necessity to secure the best possible funding provisions for those sectors. I assure the Deputy that I am passionately committed to working towards that objective. In the debate relating to the implementation of the programme for Government, I explained that it is the Government's intention to make the arts and culture part of our "primary script". It will become a central essential part of the narrative about the character of a new, different, changed and better Ireland. It will therefore no longer be regarded as a discretionary activity.

To survive, grow and prosper as a country, we must look to the talent and ability of the people. The ability to innovate, think afresh and to be creative must be nurtured and encouraged. I am convinced that vitality in arts and culture induces vitality in a country. That vitality is realised through the process of stimulation through works of art - such as in music, plays, books and films - and design, such as in architecture and in crafts. All facilitate a country's capacity to be reflective, interested, and bold.

Recognition of the role of the arts and cultural activity can be seen in the investments made in the sector. In the five year period 2007-11, a total of €865 million was spent on arts, culture and film as well as an additional €54 million on the National Gallery. I am fully aware of the difficulties facing all of those involved in those areas and the tremendous work they have done in maximising their available resources. Through the vital work of the Arts Council, the Film Board and Culture Ireland the Government continues to work to support these efforts and to maintain employment levels. We will also continue to develop the priceless contribution of our cultural institutions to the overall well-being of our community.

It is interesting to note that our national cultural institutions continue to attract large numbers of visitors and are a vital component in Ireland's cultural tourism product In 2010, more than 3.5 million people visited cultural institutions funded by my Department. The National Museum alone attracted almost 1 million visitors across its four sites in 2010, putting it on a par with many other notable international galleries and museums. Similarly, the 2010 attendance figures at the National Gallery of Ireland place it ahead of many distinguished international comparators, for example the Serpentine Gallery in London, the Tate in Liverpool and MoMA in San Francisco. The Irish Museum of Modern Art, IMMA, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and its reputation, both nationally and internationally, has never been higher, with IMMA ranking in the top 20 galleries of its type in Europe.

Visitor numbers to the cultural institutions for the first quarter of 2011 continue to grow, as evidenced by the popular and critical response to exhibitions such as The Moderns, and the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera show at IMMA; the very positive response to the newly refurbished Treasury exhibition featuring the Fadden Moore psalter at the National Museum and the popularity of the Masterpieces exhibition from the National Gallery's collection.

Investments in cultural institutions continues to improve and enhance the facilities at the National Museum, IMMA and the National Gallery in the areas of storage, securing and improving the fabric of the buildings and improving the visitor experience. Such investments, while having as their primary function the maintenance of our cultural heritage for its own sake, play an incalculable role in attracting millions of visitors to our shores. The direct benefits that accrue to the country by way of cultural tourism represent a significant return on the investment in cultural institutions and cultural infrastructure generally.

We are aware that culture is cited by the majority of visitors to Ireland as a key motivator in choosing this country as a destination. Studies have shown that the list of top visitor attractions is dominated by natural and built heritage and in addition, festivals, musical and other events attract major numbers of attendees. Tourists who engage in cultural pursuits while in this country are higher than average spenders. A total of 73,000 jobs are dependent on cultural tourism, 3.4% of the total workforce. Every tool at our disposal is being used to maximise the potential of the investments made by all those who are involved in both working in or promoting those sectors. We are conscious not only of the role of the arts, culture and creative industries in providing vital opportunities for self-expression and participation, but also of their economic potential. We are determined to do our best to provide the conditions in which creative expression can flourish and are committed to enhancing access to the arts for people of all ages and income levels.

Through the various programmes, initiatives and supports offered both my Department and the agencies within my area, many such opportunities are available to develop and enhance robust employment prospects. Under the ACCESS capital investment scheme operated by my Department, more than 40 infrastructural projects are up and running across the country providing arts and cultural related employment channels. Arts administrations, artists, plus operators and occupants of cultural centres, and music venues are able to avail of and earn a living from these initiatives. With the continued support of the community and the public, these have become thriving social hubs in their localities and continue to make an important contribution to sustainable economic recovery.

Indeed, in the programme for Government, it is our intention, for example, to encourage the Arts Council to continue to dedicate resources to touring, explore philanthropic, sponsorship or endowment fund opportunities and promote genealogical tourism. The programme also states that the Government would encourage greater co-operation between local authorities to promote the arts and develop cultural tourism. In this context, since taking office I have begun an engagement with the local authority and community arts leaders in Kerry to develop a pilot template integrated strategy for arts, culture and creative industries at local level. This will lead to co-ordinated delivery of an enhanced and inclusive arts and culture experience for the public at large. It will be used as a template for local authorities across the State. It is my intention that at the end of this Government's term we will be able to report that the arts and culture sectors have grown and flourished.