Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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24. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department expect to be in a position to continue to utilise events of a cultural and heritage nature to promote the national image at home and abroad with particular reference to the need to generate increased interest in such matters among young persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19889/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The full range of investment which my Department makes right across the Arts and Heritage sectors makes a significant contributes to our national image. Much of this investment is also of huge interest and benefit to young people, for example, investment in museums and cultural centres, in creative activity as funded through the Arts Council and through Irish film.

TheProgramme for a Partnership Governmentrecalls how our arts and culture were highlighted during the successful 1916 Commemorations, and how they were seen to be intrinsic to the Irish State itself. Those elements of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programmewhich focused on schools and young people were particularly successful in capturing the imagination.

On the international stage, my Department through Culture Ireland supports Irish artists to present their work worldwide. This serves to raise the global awareness of the strong reputation of the Irish arts sector, develop new audiences abroad for Irish artists and highlight Ireland as a country with a strong creative sector.

Culture Ireland supported Irish artists in over 300 events in 2015, winning high profile awards and critical recognition and seen by a live audience of approximately 3 million audience members with a further 6.5m million online/radio/television viewers. It is expected a similar number of events will be supported in 2016, in addition to a further 130 events funded under the ‘I Am Ireland’ programme. A special focus around St Patrick’s Day, a key period for raising the profile of Ireland globally, saw over 80 events in 16 countries supported in 2016..

My Department, together with the Arts Council and Heritage Council, also continues to support local events and festivals throughout Ireland, all of which contribute to promoting our national image.

In relation to young people, the Arts in Education Charter has been a landmark development in relation to the promotion of arts education and arts in education in Ireland. The Charter is an initiative of my Department and the Department of Education and Skills, working in association with the Arts Council. My Department is involved in ongoing liaison with the Department of Education and Skills on the implementation of the Arts in Education Charter objectives. TheProgramme for a Partnership Government also recognises the Charter as providing an unprecedented opportunity for children and young people to engage in a proactive and meaningful way with arts in education in Ireland and commits to its implementation.

All of these initiatives are important in promoting our national image, both at home and abroad, and in generating increased interest in cultural matters among our young people.