Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on his Department’s role in the Gathering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4479/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, The Gathering is an initiative of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and it has my full support and that of the agencies under my Department's remit. A range of actions being taken by my Department and its agencies to support The Gathering were outlined in reply to Question No 16 of 28 November last. That reply acknowledged the importance of genealogy in the context of The Gathering, especially in terms of helping members of the Irish Diaspora to establish links with their family history and place. My Department, the National Library and the National Archives are concentrating on progressing improvements to our genealogical offering as part of our contribution to The Gathering.

Art in all its forms is an intrinsic part of Irish culture and will play an important part in The Gathering. As outlined on 28 November last, our national cultural institutions such as the National Museum and the National Gallery are promoting a number of initiatives to contribute towards The Gathering. In addition, the National Concert Hall is focusing on two periods in relation to The Gathering: St Patrick's Weekend and Summer at the NCH, where a wide range of concerts featuring leading Irish artists in traditional, popular and classical music will be held throughout July and August. The National Library's award-winning multimedia exhibition on WB Yeats will run throughout the year. It is also mounting an exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the homecoming visit of President John F Kennedy to Ireland in 1963, in partnership with the National Archives, with the support of my own Department, the US Embassy and the JFK Library. It will also host the travelling exhibition "The Fifth Province: Irish County Societies in America", originally presented in Glucksman Ireland House, New York. The National Archives will also be playing its part.

As outlined previously, the Arts Council is playing an ongoing key role in funding and developing arts events around the country during 2013. This will seek to ensure that many of the visitors for The Gathering can experience excellent performances and exhibitions locally. In addition, both the Culture Night and International Celebration of Irish Culture initiatives will make a significant contribution to The Gathering.

In the heritage area, my Department is supporting an initiative planned for 2013 by Mayo County Council to create an architectural installation in a westerly location in Co Mayo which will be informed by past and present Diaspora celebrated by The Gathering. I am informed that the Heritage Council, which is funded by my Department, has made a submission to Fáilte Ireland regarding the international marketing of Heritage Week 2013 to link in with The Gathering. In addition, the Council grant-aided a genealogist post last year in the organisation Ireland Reaching Out, which is a Diaspora-focused organization contracted to support The Gathering.

In terms of the Gaeltacht, Údarás na Gaeltachta will be placing particular emphasis on events aimed at attracting visitors to Ireland as part of The Gathering in the context of its 2013 scheme for supporting traditional festivals in Gaeltacht areas. In summary, therefore, I consider that both my Department and the various bodies under its remit will be making a substantial contribution towards The Gathering initiative.