Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will consider seeking the implementation of a multi-annual funding framework for those funded through the Arts Council to provide more certainty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4259/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Government policy on the arts, as set out in the Programme for Government , is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts, make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life, and maximise the potential for cultural tourism and job creation in this sector. In the context of the 2013 Estimates, I continued my endeavours to maximise ongoing Government support for the arts and culture sector. For 2013, the Exchequer allocation to the Arts Council, which is the principal agency through which State funding is channelled to the arts, will total some €60.7 million in current, capital and EU Presidency funding. I remain committed to securing the best possible level of funding for the arts sector.

Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations and neither I nor my Department has a role to play in its funding decisions. I am advised, however, that the Arts Council operates funding cycles for its three main grant programmes - Regularly Funded Organisations; Annual Funding; and Annual Programming Grants – in such a way as to help arts organisations by giving them more funding certainty and improved ability for planning.

I believe that within the current economic constraints, our investment in the arts, culture and creative sectors is more important than ever due to the employment intensity of the sector. The arts are a significant economic contributor and employer in their own right and they are also important building blocks for those economic policies the Government has identified as crucial for our economic recovery. The arts continue to underpin policies in attracting foreign direct investment, the creation of an imaginative labour force, establishing an innovative environment in which the creative and cultural industries can thrive, and promoting cultural tourism.