Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
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National cultural institutions are a precious resource. They protect and preserve this country's memory. They are centres for performance and learning. In addition, they offer citizens and residents opportunities to unlock their creative potential. While the focus of this matter is capital allocations and progress with the Project Ireland 2040 plan, I must acknowledge that day-to-day operations and staff numbers have never recovered since the years of austerity. Such a situation remains a challenge for many of the national cultural institutions whose staff numbers compare very unfavourably with their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and England.

Under Project 2040, a sum of €460 million has been set aside for national cultural institutions. Those institutions are: the National Library of Ireland; Irish Museum of Modern Art, IMMA; the National Museum of Ireland; the Crawford Gallery; the National Archives of Ireland; the National Concert Hall; the Abbey Theatre; the Chester Beatty Library; and the National Gallery of Ireland. The refurbishment of the National Gallery has led the way. It is a beautiful redevelopment and shows what can be achieved when investment is committed to, put aside and delivered. Many of these institutions have never been redeveloped although promises have been made in the past. In many ways, the Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage plan is a political wish list. These developments are critical not only in the context of artefacts but also to ensure universal access for all citizens and audience safety

The reason I tabled this matter is because I want a progress report. I do not want these Houses to be in the dark about the national cultural institutions and the current status of their redevelopment. I hope that the statement, which the Minister of State will give on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, will detail whether the €460 million is still a realistic figure. I am sure that it is not. What institutions are now in progress with regard to those investments? What phase has been reached in the context of each of the national cultural institutions? I mean in terms of a business case, investigation works, planning and contract procurement. The Minister is the one who signs off on all of the funding, and this is the Government's plan. In light of that, I would appreciate an update on all of the aforementioned.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus leis an Seanadóir. Táim an-sásta a bheith sa Teach chun labhairt faoin infheistíocht tábhachtach inár bhforais chultúir náisiúnta.

Under the Government's national development plan, a programme of investment of €460 million, is envisaged to upgrade and reimagine Ireland's national cultural institutions. As the Senator indicated, this was set out in Project Ireland 2040, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 to 2027, and reaffirmed in the most recent review of the national development plan.

Many of the national cultural institutions are housed in historic buildings. While this adds to the cultural experience, these buildings often require significant investment in order to keep them up to modern international standards. The investment plan recognises the importance of high-quality infrastructure in fostering vibrant culture and heritage sectors. That investment in our cultural heritage underpins real social cohesion and supports strong, sustainable economic growth.

The ambitious investment programme for the national cultural institutions, as put forward in the plan, is one of the largest single commitments to investment in these institutions in the history of the State. The investment is aligned with the national planning framework objective of ensuring that Ireland has a creative, innovative and culturally attuned society.

Guardianship and sustainability are central to the programme for Government, the national economic recovery plan, the national planning framework and the climate action plan. The Department's capital investment measures for the national cultural institutions will protect Ireland's tangible and intangible culture into the future.These major redevelopment projects will provide a world-class network of cultural infrastructure to increase capacity, deliver improved visitor experience, and address long-standing infrastructural issues, future-proofing our national cultural institutions, NCIs, for generations to come.

In recognition of the expectation that the majority of funding for this programme would be available from 2023, my Department has, over the past four years, invested heavily in ensuring that a robust appraisal and project development process is in place for the national cultural institution programme. This has meant that projects which were at concept stage in 2018 have undergone a rigorous process to fully elaborate the scope of the projects to be delivered, including through undertaking extensive investigative and survey works which are essential.

This has seen flagship projects move from initial concept, to appraisal, to detailed design. As a result, the projects emerging are better designed, better meet the objectives of the Department and the Government, and are based on the best available cost information than might otherwise be the case.

Over the next few years, there are a number of key projects. These include a project to provide a secure environmentally controlled archival repository in full compliance with internationally accepted archival storage standards at the National Archives, which is currently being tendered with a view to construction commencing later this year. There is also an ambitious development of the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, for which it is anticipated that the planning process will commence later this year. Moreover, there is a phased re-imagining project of the National Library to enhance the building, visitor experience, collections and works. Works as part of the earlier phases have already delivered a new and permanent home for the prints and drawings collection in the refurbished former seminar room of the 1827 wing and a state-of-the-art book store, which have both maximised the storage space available. These works have also provided an appropriate environment in which to safeguard the books. Design of the final works for the entire development is expected in 2022.

There is also a new development plan for the National Concert Hall complex, including a newly refurbished and extended main auditorium, improved musicians' facilities and a reorganisation of public facilities. The Department is currently reviewing the preliminary business case submitted in respect of this project. In addition, there are redevelopment and modernisation works planned at the Chester Beatty Library in conjunction with the Dublin Castle master plan of the Office of Public Works, OPW. The Department is currently reviewing the preliminary business case submitted and it is expected that an integrated design team will be procured later this year.

The Department is currently reviewing a preliminary business case in respect of the development project at the Abbey Theatre, a flagship development that will re-imagine our national theatre, while also contributing to the regeneration of this historic and important part of Dublin's city centre. A preliminary business case has also been completed in respect of the Natural History Museum, next door, a branch of the National Museum of Ireland, also next door, and the procurement of an integrated design team is due to commence in parallel with an investigative and preparatory works contract.

The Irish Museum of Modern Art, IMMA, is currently at strategic assessment report stage in respect of the redevelopment of the full site at Kilmainham.

At the National Gallery of Ireland, design and investigative work is under way in respect of 88-90 Merrion Square. This project will create a new entrance to the gallery, restore and enhance the gallery's library and create fit-for-purpose facilities for gallery administration, curation and research. In addition, work on the preliminary business case is underway for phase 4 of the National Gallery of Ireland master plan which will provide a detailed appraisal of options and related costs for the gallery's redevelopment. The National Gallery of Ireland redevelopment will build on the very successful reopening of the gallery's historic wings in 2017, a project, as the Senator has acknowledged, which showcased what is possible when we invest in our national cultural institutions.

The investment programme under the national development plan represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine these important public resources, which contribute very significantly to the social and cultural fabric of our society.

Just like in the education area, I am very proud to be back in government as part of the Fianna Fáil Party, because our commitment and record on the national cultural institutions, on culture and the arts in general, has been very strong throughout our periods of office. I very much look forward, as does the Senator, to seeing these particular projects which I have mentioned progress.

Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for that detailed response on behalf of the senior Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. I encourage all of our political and public representatives and staff in these Houses to visit these institutions, many of which surround this site. We can then have more champions for these projects and for the work of the institutions. I wonder how recent announcements around inflation, and such Government announcements around paying 70% of inflation costs, affect these projects or our national cultural institutions. I will read the Minister of State's response in more detail over a lengthier period but I welcome the fact that 2023 seems to be a key year for these projects.

On many of the sites and the business cases for them that the Department is currently reviewing, does the Department have the resources for these? This is a very significant investment and I wonder whether the Department has sufficient resources to deal with these projects, because time is of the essence and inflation is only going in one direction. Promises, as I have said, have been made to the national cultural institutions in the past and I hope that the Government will keep every commitment that it makes.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I again welcome Senator Warfield's interest in these important matters and I echo what he says about us being champions for the institutions that are right beside us, whether it is the National Library, the National Museum, the Natural History Museum or the National Gallery of Ireland. These are very important institutions which are right beside us and having engaged myself with the National Museum before the pandemic, the museum was very keen for Deputies and Senators to be in touch with their constituents and with school groups who might be coming to the Dáil, etc. The same would apply with the other institutions and I feel that they would be very happy for us to be their champions. We must remember that we have very important work to do here. Everybody who works in this country has a very important job, whatever one's role in society is, but culture and the arts brings us to a different space. Senator Warfield appreciates that, as certainly does Senator Murphy from his own background. It is very important that we become champions of these institutions.

The Senator mentioned the ongoing price inflation. That is a fact and a problem. The Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and his officials have engaged extensively with industry and with public sector stakeholders involved in the national development plan to take steps to introduce measures to tackle the risk to the delivery of public facilities under the national development plan. They have introduced an inflation co-operation framework for those parties who are engaged in public works contracts.

Notwithstanding these difficulties, the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Government remain entirely committed to the delivery of the investment programme and officials in the Department continue to keep the impact of these issues under constant review.