Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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25. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the arts in education initiative; the funding that has been provided by her Department for it each year since it was launched; the funding being allocated for in 2017 by her Department with particular regard to local arts in education initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31155/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am firmly committed to continuing the work of the ongoing partnership between the Department of Education and Skills, my own Department and the Arts Council, in line with the Arts in Education Charter. Indeed, the Programme for a Partnership Governmentcommits to the continued implementation of the Arts in Education Charter.The arts in education remit is being achieved largely through existing and evolving structures, such as education centres and local authority arts Departments, with funding provided by my Department and the Department of Education and Skills.

In 2014, capital support of €29,000 was given towards the setting up of a portal which provides the platform through which good collaboration practice in arts in education and arts education is supported. This is the key national digital resource of arts and education practice in Ireland.

In 2015, support from my Department totalled €129,000, which included a payment of €60,000 to the National Association of Principals and Assistant Principals for its work in arts in education.

The funding being provided by my Department for 2016 is just over €68,000. I have also recently approved a further allocation of €30,000 for the National Association of Principals and Assistant Principals.

The allocation of funds for 2017 is currently being considered in consultation with relevant partners to the Arts in Education Charter.

Direct support for the arts is, of course, primarily a matter for the Arts Council operating under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council’s ten-year strategy places specific emphasis on the need to plan and provide for children and young people and also commits to working to achieve full implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. The Arts Council contributes funding to a number of organisations to assist in the delivery of arts in education projects in schools. These include Poetry Ireland's Writers in Schools Scheme, where writers and storytellers visit primary and post-primary schools, as well as the Bringing to Book Artist-in-Residence Scheme, a Children's Books Ireland project.