Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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530. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details of her visit to the Irish Arts Centre in New York on 11 January 2019; and if there will be a follow-up on the visit. [40974/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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On 11 January I visited the Irish Arts Center, New York and was given a detailed tour of this important capital development project which will contribute significantly to enhancing Ireland's global presence, in line with Global Ireland 2025. I met with Board members and the executive of the Irish Arts Center to discuss progress on the project and attended an evening event hosted by Paul Muldoon, one of the Cultural Ambassadors I appointed in early January.

The January visit also included a meeting at the Irish Consulate General in New York with Irish Cultural Centres from across the US to discuss the Government’s Global Ireland 2025 initiative and the ambition to double Ireland's Cultural footprint globally.

During a follow up visit on 14 June 2019, which coincided with my participation in a Bloomsday event at the United Nations, I witnessed the placing of the final steel structural beam in the new center. The new facility will provide a modern flagship 21st century platform for established and emerging Irish artists across a range of disciplines to reach New York and U.S audiences, including our large diaspora in the US . I received a further update on progress on the project from the Center's Executive Director on 4 October.