Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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160. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the level of engagement between her Department and the arts officers in local authorities; her views that each local authority should employ an arts officer; and if there is scope for greater co-operation and collaboration between arts officers from different counties, in view of the benefits of the arts to local cultural life and also tourism. [5513/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Arts Council, which is the main channel of State current expenditure on the arts, provides significant support for local authorities, including the network of local authority arts officers. This network plays a major role in making the arts more accessible to everyone. I am also aware that the Association of Local Authority Arts Officers provides a forum for discussion and a support for the development of its members’ work within local authorities.

In November 2014, I met with local authority arts officers as a group to discuss their views and their ideas for the future. I have also met many of the arts officers individually and I am constantly looking for ways which would improve communication and linkages between the arts officers and other stakeholder bodies.

Finally, I would like to state my commitment to ensuring the delivery of the country's first ever national cultural policy - Culture 2025- which will set out the high-level aims and policies of the Government in the period up until 2025, including the role that local authorities can play in promoting the arts.