Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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32. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her priorities for the arts under the new programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13680/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I congratulate my constituency colleague, Deputy Niamh Smyth, on her appointment as Fianna Fáil spokesperson on the arts. I look forward to working with her on national and local issues. She has a great interest in the arts, particularly given her role in the Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board, ETB, arts in education initiative which was very successfully piloted through the board.

A Programme for a Partnership Government contains a very important commitment to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve. I will engage with my colleagues in government and the Oireachtas to seek to advance this commitment in the context of the forthcoming Estimates and budgetary processes.

Other priorities, in line with A Programme for a PartnershipGovernment, include the publication of Culture 2025, Ireland's first national cultural policy, which I intend to finalise shortly. It will provide a framework for considering a range of important issues, including improving access to culture, breaking down barriers in areas of social exclusion and disadvantage, and how culture is enriched by greater cultural diversity. Another priority is the continued implementation of the arts in education charter and encouraging local authorities to strengthen the role of arts and heritage officers by building stronger links with local development groups. This will also feed into my expanded brief covering regional development and rural affairs. I will also prioritise opening the new capital grants scheme for applications to provide for upgrades of existing regional arts and cultural centres around the country. There is €3 million for the scheme in this year's budget and a total of €9 million over three years. Other priorities include boosting supports to regional museums and facilitating increased loans between the national cultural institutions and the network of regional museums, working with the Irish Film Board, Screen Ireland, to ensure Ireland is maximised as a location for international film production, and further encouraging strong, mutually beneficial links between the business community and arts organisations.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

These priorities represent an ambitious agenda and I look forward to working with all partners and across all parties in this House to develop and implement these initiatives.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate the Minister on her reappointment to the ever-increasing portfolio, as we can see from the recent announcement. While I congratulate her, I am disappointed at what most of the arts community and I see as the demotion of the arts within the Department. While I appreciate the priorities the Minister outlined, the former Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has been increased to include regional development and rural affairs and encompasses responsibility for the roll-out of broadband and the development of the An Post network. We fully understand the need for a dedicated Department for regional development and rural affairs. My colleague, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, was Minister for just that from 2002 to 2010. However, during that time a separate Department for the arts had a lead portfolio. I am very fearful, like most of the nation, that the arts may be left behind and forgotten about in the Minister's miscellaneous responsibilities. What reassurances can she give on this?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We have the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and added to its brief are regional development and rural affairs. I am looking forward to taking up the new role. To assist me, I have the Ministers of State, Deputies Seán Kyne and Michael Ring. With a bigger Department comes more staff and resources which I can use for the benefit of the arts, given that they are part of a much bigger Department. I am very committed to working to improve them across the country. Culture is so important and so much part of what we are as a people and we must invest in it. I want to see increased investment in the arts as the economy improves. They will not be left behind.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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While I am delighted to hear that, we must ensure the arts and culture remain at the heart of Irish life and that their contribution to a well rounded society is fully recognised and realised. We believe the Government's downgrading of the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht is wrong and the arts community is frustrated about it. The arts constitute a very important industry which creates many jobs and has a major impact nationally, as we can see from the year we have just had. Will the Minister assure us of her commitment and say the arts are a priority? Until the portfolio is restored to the lead role it had for almost a quarter of a century, there are real doubts about the Government's commitment. Will the Minister suggest to the Taoiseach that he reconsider and include the arts in the Department's title?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As the senior Minister, I retain responsibility for the arts which are in no way diminished in the new portfolio. They are not being downgraded. I have met a number of arts organisations. Last week, for example, I met the National Campaign for the Arts. The arts have a vital role to play in rural Ireland. The Deputy will be familiar with the new, state-of-the-art Garage Theatre in Monaghan which is a very important amenity for the local community. We also have the Ramor Theatre in Cavan and the wonderful Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig. It is unique in many ways and I was delighted to be able to approve funding of €200,000 to assist in the construction of a new recording studio.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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It is questions on Cavan-Monaghan.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It was one of the first arts institutions to be funded on a cross-Border basis. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council in Dublin both fund it.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is good to finish on a high point.