Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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85. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress on implementing the arts in education charter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4181/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Governmentcommits to the continued implementation of the Arts in Education Charterand my Department is working closely with the Department of Education and Skills and the Arts Council to deliver the objectives of the Charter.

The work of the two Departments and the Arts Council in implementing the Charter is achieved largely through existing structures such as education centres. Good progress has been made to date in terms of launching Ireland’s first Arts in Education Portal, holding National Arts and Education Days and developing Teacher Artist Partnerships through the Education and Training Centres.

In terms of direct support for the arts, this is primarily a matter for the Arts Council and its ten-year strategy - Making Great Art Work 2016-2025- 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. Arising from the significant increase of support of €5m which I secured for the Arts Council as part of Budget 2017, I am pleased to say that Arts Council funding in this area for 2017 has in turn increased from €3.1m in 2016 to €3.7m this year. This is a very clear indication that the Arts Council is prioritising arts participation by young people and children.

In addition to the Charter, the Creative IrelandProgramme, which the Taoiseach and I launched on the 8^thof December, places a special focus on “Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child”. Building on the Arts in Education Charter this will involve the development of an integrated plan to enable every child in Ireland to access tuition in music, drama, art and coding by 2022. My Department will be working with relevant Departments and other stakeholders over the coming months to develop this plan.