Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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58. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason for the delay in the publication of the final culture 2025 policy document; the expected publication date of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47851/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In July 2016 I published the draft framework policy document Éire Ildánach/Culture 2025. This underwent a round of consultations, with submissions received from Government Departments, local authorities, and cultural bodies and stakeholders in the cultural sector. The draft framework policy was also submitted to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, who published its 'Report on Culture 2025 – Éire Ildánach, Framework Policy to 2025' in July 2017.

My Department is now in the process of finalising the framework policy, following receipt of the Oireachtas report, and I will then bring it to Government for approval.

As the policy document has now been through 2 rounds of consultation I do not intend to prolong the completion of the policy further. In the meantime of course, the Government has published the Creative Ireland Programme 2017 - 2022 which is the main implementation vehicle for the priorities identified in Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach published in 2016.