Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the discussions he has had with officials of other Departments regarding cuts in arts funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32328/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, under the Arts Act, 2003, primary responsibility for the support of the arts is devolved to the Arts Council. The Arts Council is a statutorily independent body and autonomous in its day-to-day operations, including its funding decisions.

Decisions regarding funding for the arts whether within my Department's Vote or on the part of other relevant Departments will be taken in the context of the ongoing Estimates and budget preparation process. In that context there are regular discussions between officials of my Department and the Department of Finance.

My policy on the arts reflects Government Policy in this area as set out in the Programme for Government and further elaborated in my Department's Statement of Strategy. This policy is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts, and make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life.

It is my aim to continue to implement this policy directly through my own Department and to support the Arts Council in its role, working within the financial and other resources available to me, into the future.

Facilities funded to date include integrated arts centres, theatres, galleries, studios and creative and performance spaces. In this manner the Department provides the bulk of capital funding for building and refurbishing arts facilities around the country, mainly in the not for profit sector, while the Arts Council provides the ongoing revenue support for many of the facilities.

Taken together, the expenditure and facilities outlined stand as testament to the Government's commitment to this vital sector for society.

The cultural and creative sectors are a major sector of the economy, in terms of both output and of employment. Taking into account economic multipliers, the Value Added dependent on the cultural and creative sectors in 2008 was €11.8 billion or 7.6% of total GNP. Employment dependent on the cultural and creative sectors combined in 2008 was 170,000 or 8.7% of total employment in the economy.

Cultural tourism is a key element of Ireland's tourism industry. The list of top visitor attractions is dominated by natural and built heritage, and in addition, festivals, musical and other events attract major numbers of attendees. Some 3.53 million overseas visitors engaged in cultural/historical visits while in Ireland in 2008, 43% of total visitors. These visitors spent €2.3 billion in Ireland, 56% of total overseas visitor spend in Ireland. Thus tourists who engage in cultural pursuits while in Ireland are higher than average spenders. A total of €3.03 billion, or 2% of GNP is at least partly dependent on overseas cultural tourism. Domestic cultural tourism would add significantly to this. A total of 73,000 jobs are dependent on cultural tourism, 3.4% of the total workforce. There is a very significant showcase impact from Irish culture, which raises the profile of the country and has a substantial economic benefit, most directly on tourism.

All of these factors must be taken into account in the context of the future funding of the arts, culture and creative sectors.