Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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934. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the arts rich schools programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27182/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Creative IrelandProgramme,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 Charterto include the delivery of arts rich schools, making the arts a key part of school life across the country. 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 to include non-mainstream education.

Arising from the significant increase of support of €5m which I secured for the Arts Council as part of Budget 2017, I am pleased that the Arts Council decided to increase funding in this area for 2017 from €3.1m in 2016 to €3.7m this year. I am also providing an additional €70,000 to the Arts Council to assist in the expansion of the Teacher Artist Partnership this year. This funding is being provided under the Creative Ireland Programme.

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