Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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12. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of times the legacy committee of Galway 2020 has met; the membership of the committee; the terms of reference of the committee; the reports published to date; the engagement her Department has had to date with the committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37931/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for her Question.I was delighted to be in Eyre Square in Galway yesterday evening to officiate at the launch of the detailed programme for Galway 2020. The Programme which is built around the ancient Irish calendar will commence with a spectacular opening ceremony on 8 February and will be a year-long celebration of street spectacle, exhibitions, readings, classical concerts, dance, schools’ projects, children’s events, the Irish language, musical performances, digital encounters, live art, theatre, circus, funambulism, public art, heritage, food, sports, sheep, folklore, our islands, our people, imagination and creativity.

The Performance Development Agreement under which Government support was granted to Galway 2020 provides for the development of legacy themes which are to be delivered according to agreed milestones and discussed at quarterly report and monitoring meetings.

The legacy sub-committee of the board of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture was proposed and set-up at a board meeting in July 2019. The terms of reference of the committee is to advise the board on the best model to deliver on legacy of Galway 2020. I have been advised that the legacy sub-committee of the Board of Galway 2020 has met once since being established and has reported back to the most recent meeting of the Board. No formal reports have been published as of yet

The current membership of the sub-committee is as follows. This may be supplemented with other expertise in due course.

- Chair of Board of Galway 2020, Arthur Lappin

- Galway 2020 board member, Mayor Mike Cubbard

- Galway 2020 board member, Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath

- Galway 2020 board member, Chief Executive of Galway County Council, Kevin Kelly

- Galway 2020 board member, Ivonka Kwiek

- Galway 2020 board member, Chris Greene

- Galway 2020 board member, Claire McColgan

- Galway 2020 board member, Catherine Cullen

- Galway 2020 board member, Caroline Loughnane.

On 11 September last, senior officials from my Department met with the Chair and Chief Executive of Galway 2020 for a general update on the project in advance of the launch of the Cultural Programme on 18 September, and to complete the quarter two monitoring meeting for this year. Legacy plans and the work of the legacy sub-committee was one of the items discussed at the meeting, and my Department and Galway 2020 agreed to engage further on the work of the legacy sub-committee as it progresses.

It should be noted that legacy plans have been, and will continue to be part of the normal quarterly monitoring meetings between the Department and Galway 2020, as well as an agenda item at regular meetings between the Department and the Chief Executives of Galway City Council and Galway County Council.