Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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701. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will report on her Department's involvment in Creative Ireland. [18286/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach and I launched the Creative Ireland Programme/Clár Éire Ildánach 2017 – 2022 on 8 December 2016 as the Government Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016 and as the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, the draft cultural policy which I published in July 2016.

This is a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. The Creative Ireland Programme embraces the whole cultural sector, bringing together all those involved in the arts, film, broadcasting, visual arts, cultural heritage, the Irish language and Gaeltacht, with Government Departments and State agencies.

The core proposition of this programme is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing and achievement. The programme is based on five pillars:

- Enabling the creative potential of every child

- Enabling creativity in every community

- Investing in our creative and cultural infrastructure

- Establishing Ireland as a centre of excellence in media production

- Unifying our global reputation

In Budget 2017, I secured €5m to commence the implementation of the Creative Ireland programme which includes an ambitious plan to deliver 10 major initiatives by the end of this year. Further details of these initiatives are available on d.ie

Delivery of the Programme is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on the Arts, Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands chaired by the Taoiseach, and a Senior Officials Group led by the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach and comprising senior civil servants from relevant Departments.

Within my Department, I have responsibility for the Creative Ireland Programme, which is being delivered through a dedicated Creative Ireland Programme Project Office. Officials in the Project Office work in partnership with existing agencies, local authorities, culturalinstitutions and State bodies to deliver the Programme .