Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the Labour Party Private Members' motion on Yeats2015, as well as the importance of arts and culture in society. I was delighted to attend the official launch of Yeats2015 last week, in the United Arts Club, with the Minister of State, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Senator Susan O'Keeffe, chair of the national steering committee for Yeats2015, Professor Meg Harper from the University of Limerick and acclaimed artist Olwen Fouéré. There was a strong contingent from Sligo and Leitrim at this event.
Yeats2015 is a year-long celebration and commemoration to mark the life, work and achievements of W.B. Yeats on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Yeats is unique, not only as Ireland's first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, which was awarded on this date in 1923. He was also a figure of the time in which he lived, which shaped this island as much as it shaped his writings. He lived during the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence and was at the centre of the cultural wing of the emerging state. He co-founded the Abbey Theatre which opened its doors in 1904, drove the Irish literary revival, also known as the Celtic Twilightafter Yeats' collection of 1893, and served as a Senator for two terms. It is also important that we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of this great man in the context of the decade of commemorations. His poetry has inspired us all and has left a lasting impression with artists, musicians and academics across the world.
I would like to congratulate Senator O'Keeffe and the steering committee for driving this important initiative forward and I look forward to the exciting programme of events that are planned over the coming year. I hope these celebrations will encourage members of the public to rediscover the work of Yeats and to reflect on a fascinating period in our history. I am pleased that my Department provided funding of €500,000 to this important initiative, as part of a wider allocation of €22 million for a number of flagship commemorative projects. Yeats2015 provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland as an inspiring and creative place, and to illustrate to the world how utterly proud we are of our literary heritage.
I was recently in Atlanta and New Orleans for the International Famine Commemoration and while I was there I had the pleasure of attending events honouring two other giants of Irish literature - Heaney and Beckett. It would be hard to overstate the esteem in which these Irish literature greats are held in the United States and internationally. Yeats himself was very much aware of the potency of Irish writing. I was at Emory University which has some of Yeats's papers. The university is very proud to have these writings and original first editions of some of Yeats's books. It is not until one goes abroad that one realises how important these people are and how proud the Irish are to have this connection back home.
In reply to letters of congratulations on being awarded the Noble Prize, Yeats wrote, "I consider that this honour has come to me less as an individual than as a representative of Irish literature." As Senator O'Keeffe has stated, we should be inspired by what inspired him.
Tonight’s motion provides an opportunity to recognise the contribution and impact Yeats’s life and work has had on this island and beyond, and also to recognise the hugely important role the arts generally plays in our society. Our culture and our identity are intrinsically linked. To many people around the world, to think of Ireland is to think of Yeats, Beckett and Joyce. Since my appointment, I have been making a big effort to get out in local communities to see the huge impact the arts is having in every town and village across the country. I have a great appreciation of how the arts can reach out to people and how cultural expression can interpret and aid understanding.
The arts greatly enriches people's lives – both young and old. Artistic endeavour can provide a positive outlet and a great source of joy for both participants and observers. The arts draw people together in towns and village across the country and bring communities to life. My vision is to support the arts, at both national and local level, in a meaningful and lasting way. Improving access to the arts, culture and our rich heritage preserves our identity, enriches our society and helps promote Ireland’s image abroad. It is also vital for our economy. As I have said in this House before, countries which invest in the arts are progressive and successful places. I believe investing in the arts is a prerequisite for a prosperous and happy society.
Since 2011, despite many challenges, over €540 million has been invested in the arts, culture and film, with €138 million being allocated during 2014.

More than €56 million of this was allocated to the Arts Council, which supported 143 festivals across all art forms, 470 arts organisations and 532 individual artists across the country.
Ireland's cultural and creative industries play a major role in defining a positive image for Ireland at home and abroad. Their contribution to improving cultural tourism should not be underestimated. Over 2.4 million tickets were sold for arts venues throughout the country in 2013. There were more than 14,800 arts events in 2013 and more than 3.6 million visitors to the cultural institutions funded by my Department.
Like every State body, the national cultural institutions have had to endure significant reductions in financial allocations over the past few years as a result of the economic crisis. The cultural institutions have worked tirelessly to minimise the impact of the cuts and maintain visitor numbers to the greatest possible extent. Many, if not all, of the institutions have carried out staffing and operational reviews to examine how they can achieve optimal performance. It is a testament to their efforts that over 3.6 million people visited cultural institutions in 2013, an increase of 4% over the previous year. In the recent budget I was able to maintain funding for 2015 for the cultural institutions at the same level as 2014. This brought an end to the cycle of unavoidable cuts that have taken place at all of our cultural institutions in recent years as the Government worked to rebalance the public finances.
Over the past number of months I have been engaged in discussions with the chairs and senior management of a number of our cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Ireland, about addressing ongoing funding challenges. I was delighted to be announce last week that I had secured an agreement from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide an additional €2 million to the national cultural institutions as part of the Revised Estimates to be published later this month. This funding will give more certainty to the institutions and will allow them to continue to deliver on their core objectives while attracting large numbers of people through their doors.
My priority is to protect services and access for the public at the cultural institutions. I want to work constructively with the institutions in achieving this aim. Our national cultural institutions are an essential component of our cultural fabric. Through their collections, exhibitions and work with young people, they make a huge contribution to our society. The additional funding demonstrates the Government's commitment to the national cultural institutions. I hope that as the economy improves it will be possible to further reduce resource constraints on the institutions in the future.
Senator Bacik mentioned heritage. She is not present, but I can confirm that I have a great interest in heritage. I was a member of my local heritage group and also served on the County Monaghan Heritage Forum. Heritage is so much a part of what we are. I fully recognise the great work done by the Heritage Council, and it is worthy of our support.
The Government has prioritised a number of capital projects at our cultural institutions. The historic Dargan and Milltown wings are being refurbished at the National Gallery of Ireland at a cost of €32 million. This two-year project will create almost 300 construction jobs and is expected to be completed by 2016. This will bring the gallery back up to international standards and allow it to present world-class exhibits in a world-class setting. A major €4 million refurbishment was recently completed at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham premises of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The refurbishment has brought the institution up to international standards. When I visited it in August, I was very impressed by the galleries.
Funding has been allocated for building development works at the National Archiveson Bishop Street. The project will address the long-standing problems associated its storage conditions. It is anticipated that construction will begin in 2015. Similarly, funding has been approved for a significant renovation project at the National Concert Hall as part of the decade of centenaries celebrations. This project involves the renovation of the Kevin Barry room, which is long overdue and will serve to substantially improve the facilities at this much-loved venue.
Earlier this year, additional funding of €22 million for 2015 was secured for a number of flagship commemoration projects. These include the GPO interpretative centre, Kilmainham Courthouse and Gaol, the Military Archives, Teach an Phiarsaigh in Ros Muc, the Tenement Museum, Richmond Barracks, and redevelopment works at the National Concert Hall. Each of these projects will deepen our understanding of the history of that period and will provide a permanent tribute to those involved in the Rising. They are also a key component of Ireland 2016, a national initiative led by my Department to mark the 100th anniversary of 1916 in an inclusive, appropriate and respectful way. This programme will be underpinned by the €4 million I secured in the recent budget, which will be used to roll out an integrated plan during 2015. The allocation will support a wide range of activities and events by interested groups, including local community groups and the arts community.
Local communities are at the core of what I want to do, and I have already met all of the city and county managers and the local arts and heritage officers. I want them to support and encourage local communities to get involved in Ireland 2016. I want children and young people to be at the centre of how we celebrate 2016 and I will work with the Minister for Education and Skills to discuss what can be done to promote schools programmes. A public consultation process is under way to encourage and facilitate ground-up initiatives, and I look forward to hearing the ideas and suggestions that emerges from this process.
I note the reference to an Arts in Education Charter in the motion tabled this evening. The Arts in Education Charter is a joint initiative by the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I have met the Minister for Education and Skills on a number of occasions to discuss this initiative in detail. We are both very keen to progress implementation of the charter. I firmly believe that immersing schoolchildren in the arts through a targeted strategy will produce huge benefits for future generations. It gives young people a greater understanding and appreciation for the arts as they progress to adulthood. An implementation group, chaired by Professor John Coolahan, meets regularly. Progress is being made on a number of initiatives, including increasing the number of artists in residence in colleges and developing a portal as a key communications and information channel for both the education and arts sectors.
Another important priority for me is to deliver Ireland's first national cultural policy. Last June, an agreement was reached to draft a national cultural policy called Culture 2025. It will set out the high-level aims and policies in the area of culture for the period up to 2025. This is the first time in the history of the State that a Government has undertaken such an endeavour. My department is finalising a draft discussion paper. I will initiate a wide-scale consultation process early in the new year to ensure all can make their views known.
Senator Ó Murchú mentioned his visit to Northern Ireland for the Fleadh Cheoil and how music transcends all boundaries. Of course I would claim that it was the Cavan Fleadh that widened the definition of traditional music. Cavan, with the benefit of PEACE funding, was able to bring in traditional music from different traditions and communities. That legacy lives on. Last August or September I attended the launch in Cavan of a CD compiled by musicians from a traditional Irish background and from Protestant bands. It does one's heart good to hear them all play music together, and at the launch the room was filled with fabulous music. On that occasion I thought to myself, "This is what music is about - bringing people together."

I just wanted to mention that.

I very much look forward to the programme of events for Yeats2015. As we look back on the 150 years since the birth of Yeats, we also have an opportunity to look forward. I hope Yeats2015 will act as the perfect precursor to Ireland 2016, when we will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, while asking ourselves where we want to go in the next 100 years. It is a great opportunity to look forward, evaluate and consider the future. I am always encouraged by the great sense of enthusiasm, passion and appreciation in the Seanad for the arts and I am sure I will work with many Members in the coming year to commemorate and celebrate the life and works of one of Ireland's great literary figures.

It is an honour and a privilege for me to serve as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and I believe we are entering an exciting time for the arts. As the economy improves, I will fight for increased resources for my Department.