Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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47. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of additional funding the Arts Council sought in budget 2018; the reason for the decision to allocate an additional €3 million to the Arts Council compared to the additional €8.5 million allocated to Creative Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47855/17]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister outline how much additional funding the Arts Council sought in budget 2018? Will she explain the rationale behind the decision to allocate an additional €3 million to the Arts Council compared to the additional €8.5 million allocated to Creative Ireland?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There is a misunderstanding in the question. The Creative Ireland programme did not get an additional €8.5 million in the budget. Rather, the €8.5 million in current funding across the cultural sector will assist in delivering on the objectives of the Creative Ireland programme, including the €3 million of that allocation which is being provided to the Arts Council.

In budget 2018, I announced a funding package of over €300 million in 2018 towards the development of our cultural and creative heritage. This represents an increase in funding to my Department of €13 million, comprising €9 million in current expenditure and €4 million in capital expenditure. I also secured an additional €90 million in capital funding between 2018 and 2021 for my Department which will accelerate investment across the culture, heritage and Gaeltacht sectors.

Of the €13 million in additional funding I secured for my entire Department in 2018, I allocated €8.5 million, equivalent to 65%, to arts and culture. From this €8.5 million in additional funding, I allocated an additional €2.56 million to the national cultural institutions, an additional €1.55 million to the Irish Film Board, €1 million to the Creative Children project, and €500,000 to Culture Ireland while the Arts Council received an additional €3 million.

The total Arts Council allocation of €68.2 million in 2018 represents 23% of total allocation to all areas of my Department. This is over 49% of all current expenditure by the culture division of my Department.

The Creative Ireland programme is a high-ambition all-of-Government initiative to mainstream creativity in the life of the nation to ensure, individually and collectively, we can realise our full creative potential. The Arts Council is a key partner in the programme, along with Departments, cultural institutions, local authorities and many others in the arts and cultural sector.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

I value the support and expertise of the Arts Council and will continue to work with it as we roll out the Creative Ireland programme, recognising the proper remit of both my Department and the Arts Council, and recognising also what can be achieved when everyone in the sector works together. By providing funding increases to key institutions, agencies and initiatives that deliver arts, creativity and culture right across the country, I am ensuring that this momentum will continue in 2018 and beyond.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My question was clear. I am interested in the Minister's thinking and logic behind the Arts Council as opposed to Creative Ireland. While I appreciate all the other figures she gave us, I am interested in these two specific bodies. The Arts Council is an independent statutory organisation, independent of politics, with an arm's length approach to support and assist artists and creative industries across the country.

The Minister knows the chair of the Arts Council publicly expressed her disappointment at the additional €3 million allocation to the Arts Council budget, stating it would severely hamper its ability to broaden supports to artists and organisations nationwide. An additional €8 million represents a mere 3% increase on previous years’ allocations, down from 5% year-on-year increases that had been given to the Arts Council budget up to 2017. The budget remains €15 million below 2008 levels.

The Arts Council is the main funding agency for the arts. In her reply, the Minister acknowledged the independent and critical role it plays in the arts. Will she focus her reply on the two bodies, the Arts Council and Creative Ireland?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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5 o’clock

I remind the Deputy that, while in government between 2007 and 2011, Fianna Fáil cut the Arts Council budget by 22%. I am glad I have been able to increase that budget by 20% since taking office in 2014. I absolutely respect the independence of the Arts Council and value its support and expertise. I will continue to work with it as we roll out the Creative Ireland programme, recognising its proper remit and that of my Department along with what can be achieved when all in the sector work together. By providing funding to key institutions, agencies and initiatives that deliver arts, creativity and culture throughout the country, I am ensuring that this momentum will continue in 2018 and beyond. The core Creative Ireland programme budget will be maintained at €5 million, which is the same as this year, with a further €1 million to be provided toward implementing the Creative Children plan, which I know the Deputy very much supports because it is a wonderful initiative to assist children to engage in culture and the arts.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As the Minister said, €8.5 million was allocated in the budget in order to accelerate the delivery of the objectives of Creative Ireland. However, it is entirely unclear to me and to many in the arts community how that money will be spent. I am concerned that Creative Ireland is going to either duplicate or usurp the function and role of the Arts Council. I am not alone in my concerns that it will become the alternative agency for funding the arts in Ireland. The allocation of €3 million to the Arts Council is nowhere close to what it and the arts community expected as a commitment from the Government to increased funding for the arts. How does the increase of €13 million to the Minister's Department fit with the Taoiseach's promise to double the arts budget over the next seven years and has the Department been given a map of projected increases to meet that pledge? Organisations need greater certainty on future funding and to know the figures in order that the might plan ahead.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I outlined the breakdown of the €8.5 million allocation, involving, among other things, €3 million for the Arts Council, €2.56 million for the cultural institutions, €1.55 million for the Irish Film Board and €1 million for the Creative Ireland project. As regards the Taoiseach's commitment, he said he wants to double funding for arts, culture and sport between now and 2025. He did not specifically say that he would double the Arts Council budget. There are many deserving bodies across the arts and culture spectrum, such as our national cultural institutions, the Irish Film Board, Culture Ireland and the Arts Council. I am pleased to say we increased funding across the board for arts and culture in budget 2018. The increases need to be incremental and sustainable because nobody wants to go back to the bad old days of reckless spending. As the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, has repeatedly stated, the unsustainable increases of today are the cutbacks of tomorrow.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I will not discuss the minutiae of the figures involved. However, many people are utterly confused about why Creative Ireland now appears to be the priority body for funding rather than the Arts Council which, unfortunately, suffered big cuts to its budget when the economy collapsed. They do not understand why those cuts were not restored. As Tánaiste, I was one of the biggest supporters of the arts budget. It lost out big time in budget 2018. All Members understand that. Creative Ireland has begun to sound more like an arts wing of the strategic communications unit. It seems to be about photo opportunities and precious little else but there is an important role to be played in terms of co-ordination. However, all I see from Creative Ireland is spin and photo opportunities for the Taoiseach, in particular, and the Minister. That is not good enough in terms of spending because there is so much else that needs to be done.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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If the Deputy listens to what I am about to say regarding the figures, she will get a clearer picture. In 2017, the Arts Council will get €68.2 million in funding. Creative Ireland-----

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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That is less than it received in 2008.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It will receive €68.2 million in funding, which is nearly 50% of the total spend of my Department in that space. I have increased its budget progressively every year since I was appointed Minister in 2014. Creative Ireland does not get priority funding. It received €5 million last year and will get the same this year to assist local authorities to roll out the Creative Children programme. The Deputy will agree that setting up culture teams in local authorities has been extremely successful. Both counties in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan have a Creative Ireland plan and culture teams in place. This system is working extremely well. More and more people are engaging with the arts and culture and that is good. I want to be very clear on the funding.