Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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150. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she anticipates the use of the arts and Ireland’s heritage as a means of promoting the national image at home and abroad with consequent economic benefit throughout all aspects of the economy; her views on particular proposals or promotions in this regard such as the marketing of historic sites relating to events and encouraging a greater awareness of our rich culture and heritage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5481/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department has responsibility for the arts, film, built heritage, natural heritage, the Irish language and the islands. In addition to their great intrinsic value, these are central to promoting the image of Ireland and its perception as a rich cultural destination. My Department has taken a number of initiatives in that regard. In 2014, my Department appointed a Cultural Tourism Officer, who has been tasked with establishing and chairing a Cultural Tourism Working Group comprising representatives from across the Department. This working group assisted in the formulation of a Cultural Tourism Working Action Plan, which focuses on identifying areas of potential collaboration, in my Department and its agencies, as well as with external partners such as the Office of Public Works and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

This initiative will enable the development of a more cohesive approach to the promotion of Ireland's culture and heritage at home and abroad by the relevant heritage and tourism bodies, for instance by encouraging the development of initiatives that help communities convey a distinctive, local cultural narrative and promote greater engagement with local cultural heritage. It will also facilitate the protection and delivery of the cultural and heritage experiences that citizens and tourists alike anticipate in Ireland. For example, consideration is being given to extending the reach of the Wild Atlantic Way tourism trail to incorporate visits to suitable national monuments that are in close proximity to the trail as currently configured.

A key objective of this initiative is to promote and realise the value of our cultural assets, both directly in terms of my Department’s contribution to the development of cultural tourism, and indirectly in terms of promoting the development of cultural tourism initiatives across the wider public, commercial and community sectors in order to bring socio-economic benefits to local communities and assist in balanced regional development.

Another example in this area is the annual Heritage Week held each August, which is coordinated by the Heritage Council and funded by my Department. The main aims of Heritage Week are to promote awareness of our built, natural and cultural heritage, thereby encouraging its conservation and preservation. Heritage Week is designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible and has proved very successful in doing so.

Through these and other initiatives, my Department will continue to encourage a greater awareness of our rich culture and heritage, both for their intrinsic value and for the associated economic benefits.