Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Whelan that capacity needs to be improved and it needs to be safeguarded. The Government has agreed to provide funding this year for phase one of a development planned at the National Archives headquarters in Bishop Street. The Office of Public Works will shortly go to tender for this project and it is anticipated that works will begin in the middle of this year. This will greatly increase the storage capacity at the National Archives.

The motion commends the Government for the continued high value placed on the educational merit and the appeal, as international tourist attractions, of our cultural and heritage institutions and for continuing to support the policy of not imposing admission charges, as outlined by the Minister. I agree wholeheartedly with this. It is of huge importance to encourage visitors to Ireland. Young backpackers coming here could be turned off going to the museums and galleries. In other cities, such as Amsterdam, Paris and New York, there are entrance fees so it is encouraging to see they are free of charge here.

The motion also commends the Government for continuing to acknowledge the role and importance of our national heritage and special areas of conservation, nature reserves, wildlife, habitats, protected species, national parks and heritage sites. The Department is working closely with Fáilte Ireland to enhance tourism. The natural beauty and culture of Ireland are key reasons for visiting. Biodiversity and ecosystems play a major role in keeping that image alive. Ireland has key assets such as protected structures, sites of scenic and scientific importance and national parks which can be utilised to further support our tourism efforts. Ireland's Ancient East aims to deliver over 600,000 overseas visitors to the east of our country, from the north east of the Boyne Valley right down to the Wexford and Waterford coastlines, by 2020. This is a living history project which will balance the Wild Atlantic Way in the west, animating the culture and heritage of our country. Included here are world attractions like Newgrange, which is older than the Pyramids. In fact, the entire Boyne Valley is full of historic passage tombs, monastic ruins and bloody battlefields.

Cross-departmental co-operation is vital in emphasising the importance of our arts and heritage assets. For instance, the arts in education charter is a positive initiative and involves the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Education and Skills and aims to improve access to and participation in the arts for children at an early age. Likewise, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport co-operates on relevant matters. By investing in our heritage and cultural institutions, our nature reserves, walking trails and national parks, we enhance visitor experience. The Government is continuing to invest in and enhance our arts and cultural institutions.The Department is providing funding of €547,000 to the Arts Council to help fund the 2015 community-based heritage grant scheme. This scheme, which supports continuing conservation and the development of heritage through local community based groups, is expected to generate a total investment of more than €1 million.

The Government's legislative programme for the spring and summer of 2015 lists two national cultural institutions Bills. The heads of the Bills have been agreed by the Government and texts are being drafted. The national cultural institutions (No. 1) Bill seeks to revise and update the governance arrangements in regard to the National Gallery of Ireland, National Museum of Modern Art and Crawford Gallery in Cork. The purpose of the national cultural institutions (No. 2) Bill is to revise and update the governance arrangements in regard to the National Library, National Museum and National Archives of Ireland, including shared services. While these Bills are still at the drafting stage, I welcome the introduction of new legislation on sharing services as it makes sense to have research and archives material for these institutions located at one site.