Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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156. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on increased investment in arts funding for children and young persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21297/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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TheCreative Ireland Programme, which the Taoiseach and I launched in 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 – Creative Children -to enable every child in Ireland to access tuition in music, drama, art and coding by 2022. My Department officials continue to work with relevant Departments and other stakeholders to develop this plan with a launch timeframe of early Autumn 2017. The Creative Childrenplan will build on work to date in implementing the Arts in Education Charter where my Department continues to work closely with the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Youth and Children Affairs and the Arts Council to deliver the key objectives of the Charter within the wider context now of the Creative Ireland Programme.

The objectives of the Charter have been 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. Indeed, I look forward to attending the next National Arts Day, this Saturday 6^thMay, in St Patrick's College DCU, Drumcondra.

It should be noted that under the Arts Act 2003, primary responsibility for the promotion and support of the arts throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. In Budget 2017, I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council. This will see an increase in the Arts Council allocation in 2017 of €5m, or 8%, and will assist the Council in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025). This strategy places specific emphasis on the need to plan and provide for children and young people.

These initiatives demonstrate the overall commitment of Government to deliver for children as we work in finalising the Creative Children plan