Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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110. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the roadmap to deliver on the promise to double arts funding by 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39815/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, I greatly welcome the commitment given by an Taoiseach to increase Government spending in the arts and culture sector on a trajectory that will see funding doubled by 2025. My Department and I continue to work with an Taoiseach and all of my Government colleagues towards delivering on this commitment.

A first and very significant step in the delivery process has been Project Ireland 2040which gave recognition to the importance of our culture, language and heritage to our sustainable development over the next decade and beyond.This recognition is underpinned by the commitment by Government to invest €1.2 billion in our culture, our language and our heritage over the 10-year implementation of the NDP.

In April of this year, I was delighted to launch my Department's sectoral Plan - Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027. The plan sets out significant investment on a phased basis over the next 10 years prioritised across 3 areas - €785m for Culture; €295m for Heritage and €178m for our Language.

This level of investment will transform our cultural and heritage infrastructure right across the country and goes a long way towards honouring the commitment to double government spending on arts, culture and heritage.

In terms of current funding, allocations fall to be determined annually as part of the Estimates process. In 2018, total current funding for my Department increased by €11.5m or just under 5% to €248.659m, including an additional €2.8m for the Arts Council; an additional €1.7m across all of the National Cultural Institutions; just under €1m in additional funding for the Heritage programme and an extra €1.4m for the 20 year Strategy for the Irish Language.

Budget Estimates 2019 are due to be presented on 9 October next and I can assure the Deputy of my ongoing commitment to achieving the best possible result for the arts and cultural sector within the parameters set out in the Summer Economic Statement and Mid Year Expenditure Report published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.