Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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443. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the action she will take to address the issues of very low incomes among arts practitioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37088/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I have had discussions with the Minister for Social Protection in relation to the recognition of artists within the social protection system. Officials from our two Departments are tasked with investigating the issue and will report back in due course.

In relation to other supports, I secured a series of funding increases in Budget 2017 across the arts and cultural bodies under my remit. These include:

- an extra €5m for the Arts Council - an 8% increase;

- €2m extra for the Film Board;

- an extra €1m for Culture Ireland;

- a significant additional allocation of €3.5m for the national cultural institutions; and

- a new funding stream of €5m for the implementation of a Culture 2025/Ireland 2016 Legacy Programme, details of which I will be announcing shortly.

All of this represents real and substantial funding increases across the arts and cultural area and has been welcomed across the sector. It also re-affirms the commitment of this Government to progressively increase funding for the arts as the economy improves, as set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government. These increases will have a positive and distinct impact on arts and cultural provision around the country, especially for artists and other creative workers.

The Arts Council is the main channel through which the Government directs funding to the arts and to artists, and the 8% increase in its annual budget will allow the Council to enhance support to arts practitioners around the country, on both a small and large scale. The strategic context for the Arts Council’s support of all art forms and arts practice is set out in its strategy Making Great Art Work. This sets out the Council’s plans to lead the development of the arts in the decade to 2025. The strategy prioritises the professional artist, as well as public engagement, and outlines a range of actions that the Council will take to deliver on its vision.