Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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12. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which employment continues to grow throughout the arts-heritage sector, with particular reference to the degree to which her Department continues to offer direct or indirect assistance to those involved in the promotion of the arts in its various forms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23841/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Jobs 2015 was published in January this year and is the fourth in the multi-annual series which promotes a whole-of-government approach to economic recovery, export growth and job creation. The Action Plan sets out a number of actions in relation to the heritage and arts sectors.

The nature of employment within these sectors encompasses a wide range of activities, from theatre and music to archaeology and tourism. It may also embody the industrial creative sectors, including audio-visual production.

For example, it is estimated that the audio-visual sector provides 6,000 full-time job equivalents. Last year, 53 feature films were made. Many of those employed in the industry are graduates. Some 65% of investment in the sector is inward investment. My Department is working with other Government Departments and agencies to examine ways in which further support can be provided to the industry.

Many people in the creative sectors will benefit from the additional funding which my Department is providing for the Decade of Commemorations, in particular the investment in the Ireland 2016programme. This comprises €4m current and €22m capital funding in 2015.

This includes a €2 million allocation directed through the Arts Council for artistic projects and €1m directed towards our key national cultural institutions. There are also considerable employment benefits arising from the capital projects under way or being planned. For example, some 200 jobs have been created in the construction stage of the new interpretative centre in the GPO. In addition, some 300 high-level jobs have been created in the construction work on the National Gallery of Ireland as part of a joint project funded by my Department, the OPW and the National Gallery.

The built heritage jobs leverage scheme was a funded by a special €5 million stimulus package in 2014. It was very successful and leveraged a further €10 million in private funding and many projects benefited from it. Funding for the protection of heritage sites and buildings will continue to be provided by my Department in 2015 via a number of schemes, which will be either directly administered or delivered through local authorities or through the Heritage Council.

I will continue to invest across the arts and heritage sector within the resources available to my Department.