Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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764. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she can foresee job creation in rural areas through investment in the arts sector and heritage projects with particular reference to the need to promote historic locations from an educational and tourism aspect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20811/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department works to invest in rural Ireland across all its programme areas. In this regard I secured increases in funding across a range of arts and heritage bodies under my Department’s remit, as well as increases in a number of rural schemes under Budget 2017. These included:

- An additional €5 million for the Arts Council, an 8% increase in its annual budget;

- Boosts in funding for all of the National Cultural Institutions;

- €2 million to allow for the opening of the newly restored historic wings at National Gallery of Ireland and the opening of Killarney House on foot of significant capital investment by the State;

- An increase of €2 million for the Irish Film Board and €1 million for Culture Ireland;

- An additional €1 million to assist the Heritage Council with its work;

- Funding of €5 million for implementation of the Creative Ireland Programme;

- A trebling in funding for the Town and Village Regeneration Scheme (€12m in total for 2017);

- An additional €8 million for National Rural Development Schemes, including  €5 million for the recently re-opened CLÁR Programme; and

€40 million for the delivery of the LEADER Rural Development Programme in 2017.

Much of this investment is being delivered through the recently published Action Plan for Rural Development and Creative Ireland Programme. For example, under the 2nd Pillar of the Creative Ireland Programme - Enabling creativity in every community - each local authority is being asked to develop a Culture and Creativity Plan, reflecting the overall structure and aims of the national strategy for culture and creativity. These plans will be key to promoting heritage and arts assets in every community around the country. To deliver this each local authority has now established a Culture Team bringing together arts officers, librarians, heritage officers, museum curators, archivists and other relevant personnel led by a Director of Services, with a nominated person as 'Creative Ireland Co-ordinator'.

All these initiatives will assist in bringing jobs to rural Ireland.