Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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67. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Creative Ireland Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40528/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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On 8 December 2016, the Creative Ireland Programme was launched as the Government's Legacy Programme arising out of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and as the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach.

The Creative Ireland Programme is a high level, high ambition, 5-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022 (building up to the centenary of the foundation of the State) which aims to place creativity at the centre of public policy. The programme is being led by my Department in partnership with other Government Departments and Agencies, local authorities, the third level sector, arts and culture organisations (including the National Cultural Institutions) and relevant NGOs. The launch document for the programme identified ten actions for 2017, under five specific pillars:

- Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child

- Enabling Creativity in Every Community

- Investing in our Creative and Cultural Infrastructure

- Ireland as a centre of Excellence in Media Production

- Unifying our Global reputation

There has been significant progress in relation to the delivery of the ten actions identified for 2017 as follows:

1. a national plan to enable every child in Ireland to access tuition in music, drama, art and coding.

My Department is in the process of drawing up a five year plan for the period 2018 to 2022 in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Arts Council. This will be launched later this year.

2.A Culture and Creativity plan in every county

Each of the 31 local authorities has produced a 2017 Creative Ireland Plan and is in the process of drawing up a more detailed 2018 Creative Plan setting out a five year plan for local creativity.

3.A Culture Team, Director-led, configured to local needs in each county.

Culture teams based on local needs have been established in all 31 local authorities.

4.Cruinniú na Casca programme

The first Cruinniú na Cásca - Irelands new national culture day - was launched on Easter Monday with the theme "Inclusion and Diversity". Consideration is now being given for approach to the Cruinniú in 2018.

5.The Departments of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Social Protection will work together to devise a mechanism to assist self-employed artists who have applied for Jobseekers allowance

A pilot scheme in relation to this measure was launched in May by both Departments.

6.A plan for the development of each National Cultural Institution to 2022

These plans are currently being finalised.

7.A five year capital investment programme for the culture and heritage sector.

Work is progressing on the preparation of this plan.

8.An industry wide, long term plan, for Ireland as a global hub for the production of Film, TV Drama, and Animation.

Work is progressing on the preparation of this plan in the context of an economic study of the industry commissioned by my Department, the Irish Film Board, the Department of Communications, Environment and Climate Action and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Employment.

9. A unified international identity and communications programme for Ireland.

This programme is underway. On 17th March the then Taoiseach launched a new portal website for Ireland - Ireland.ie - which has since been liked/viewed/shared more than 2m times around the world.

10.A new Creative Ireland Forum conference to showcase the best national and international thinking will have taken place.

This forum is planned to take place in December

My Department, together with its other partners, is now in the process of drawing up plans for 2018 and beyond in respect of the five pillars of the programme