Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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287. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will ensure minimum cuts are made to her Department's 2015 budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38699/14]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The overall spending allocations for my Department for 2015 will be announced in the forthcoming Budget and, accordingly, it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time on the issue raised by the Deputy. I can assure him, however, that I will continue to maintain, to the greatest extent possible, my Department's core functions and the range of services provided to the public in what remains a challenging economic environment, despite the significant progress that is clearly being achieved. Against that background, my Department will, within the resources available in 2015, continue to place emphasis on:

- developing a programme, including a number of flagship capital projects, aimed at providing a significant and enduring acknowledgement of the 1916 Rising;

- targeting investment in priority areas in the arts, culture and heritage sectors that will assist, inter alia, in supporting cultural tourism as one of the most important elements of Ireland’s tourism product;

- supporting jobs in the film & TV sector and in the Gaeltacht;

- complying with relevant EU Directives, including investment in solutions for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting in raised bog Special Areas of Conservation; and

- supporting the built heritage and the strategic development of our national parks, as well as the development of our waterways in the context of the implementation of the Good Friday and St. Andrews Agreements.