Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

438. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the plans in place to ensure the better integration of the arts into education and broadening the focus on science, technology, engineering and maths into science, technology, engineering, arts and maths; her plans to expand the ambition and resourcing of the arts and education charter; and her further plans to continue to work with the Department of Education and Skills to further enhance the position of arts subjects within the curriculum at primary and secondary level. [37083/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While the provision for arts in the education system is primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Skills, I am firmly committed to continuing the work of the ongoing partnership between that Department, my own Department and the Arts Council, in line with the Arts in Education Charter. In this regard, the Programme for a Partnership Governmentcommits to the continued implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. The implementation of Ireland’s first national framework policy Culture 2025/Éire Ildánachand 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.

The work of the two Departments and the Arts Council in implementing the Charter is achieved largely through existing structures, such as education centres and Education and Training Boards. My Department provides some funding to assist with implementation of initiatives of the Charter, which has included the development of the Arts in Education Portal that now serves as an effective key communications and information channel for both education and arts sectors.

The Teacher Artist Partnership Initiative has also received funding to enable the continuing professional development of teachers to be expanded beyond its initial pilot programme level of 2015.

The National Arts in Education Day, held in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham with over 200 attendees from both education and artistic fields, has been heralded as another successful element of the Arts in Education Charterand a second National Arts in Education Day is planned for May 2017.

Direct support for the arts is primarily a matter for the Arts Council operating under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council’s 10-year strategy places specific emphasis on the need to plan and provide for children and young people. The strategy 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 both primary and post-primary schools. 2016 has seen steady progress with the implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. I am confident that the foundation has been firmly laid for the roll-out of further initiatives to improve the delivery of arts in education at all levels and across the wider curriculum.