Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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139. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to publish a national cultural policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5526/15]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister and her predecessor have both committed themselves to the publication of the first ever national cultural policy. That is a positive and innovative move. The question seeks to provide the Minister with an opportunity to tell the House how she has progressed towards the eventual publication of the document. It was described as culture 2025. I assume we will not have to wait until 2025 before it is published.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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No, we certainly will not. We will publish it in 2015. I am committed to the delivery of the country's first ever national cultural policy - culture 2025. In this regard, I plan to initiate a wide-scale consultation process to ensure that all stakeholders and members of the public can make their views known. With that in mind, I have initiated some general discussion on issues around the process of developing the policy with a number of stakeholders, including the Council of National Cultural Institutions. A draft discussion paper is currently being finalised within my Department, having regard to those discussions, and I intend to publish it shortly. I look forward to substantive engagement with the arts and culture sector, the general public and other interested parties in the development of the new policy.

As the Deputy indicated, this is the first time a cultural policy is being developed. We are breaking new ground. A draft document will shortly be available for consultation. I want as many people as possible to get involved in the consultation process. In drawing up the document, the Department has been in contact with a number of interested parties and we have taken soundings from the cultural institutions. I am very keen that as many people as possible will buy into it because it is a very important document.

New Orleans has a document on the city as a cultural capital and the importance of culture to both the economy and the promotion of the arts in its communities.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I would probably be very impressed with what the Minister is saying if it was not a direct repeat of what the then Minister, Deputy Deenihan, said to me back in January 2014. He said at the time that there would be widespread national consultation and that a draft discussion paper would be published shortly. However, 13 months later, this has not happened.

I take it that the new Minister has got her teeth into this matter and that she will drive the initiative forward. She has told us it will be done in the current year. The Minister has her work cut out if she is to undertake a comprehensive consultation, obtain the details of the consultation, study them and then present the document. Is the Minister confident that this challenge, which she has set for herself, will be attained in 2015?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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This document is definitely one of my priorities. It is a very important document and is the first of its kind. It will focus on the meaning of culture in the 21st century. Within the next few weeks the draft document will be published and made available for consultation. I agree with the Deputy that the timescales are short, but we intend to make it available in order that people can become involved. We want people to buy into it and to give their views. We want to find out what can be done to embed culture at the heart of public sector decision-making and discourse and in corporate sector and private sector decision-making.

I emphasise the importance of culture to this country. Everything that leaves this country is a representation of Ireland's culture which is such an intrinsic part of us. Many different areas will feed into this policy document to define what culture is for 2025.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Does the Minister accept that this document must re-establish quite clearly the arm's length principle to the effect that this Government accepts that a body such as the Arts Council, for example, must be autonomous in its work in disbursing grants? Does she also accept that it is essential that the independence of the national cultural institutions, which have felt threatened by her Government, will be reaffirmed in this document and that it will address their concerns?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I accept the arm's length principle by which the Arts Council works and also the cultural institutions. I refer to the legislation to put the National Concert Hall on a statutory footing. The institution will be accountable to the Minister for its corporate governance and how it spends its budget. Monetary controls will be in place. However, the artistic side of the cultural institutions will be left to them as their business. It is up to the Minister to ensure accountability for the taxpayers' money invested in these institutions.