Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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181. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has liaised with the Minister for Education and Skills on the development of contemporary art education at primary and secondary level in schools. [31297/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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203. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she expects to be in a position to promote the arts through primary and second level schools throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31407/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 203 together.

While the provision for arts in the education system and the content of the school curriculum is primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Skills, 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. Furthermore,the Programme for a Partnership Governmentcommits to the continued implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. Clearly, State-supported schools represent an important way to involve almost one million of our citizens in the arts.

The implementation of Ireland’s first national framework policy Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach and the associated Ireland 2016 Legacy Programme will also be relevant in terms of acknowledging the importance of supporting cultural engagement across wider policy areas. I will be making a further announcement in this regard in the coming weeks.