Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

94. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the main policy initiatives undertaken by her Department since 27 June 2020; and her main priorities for 2021. [2094/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Since the formation of the new Government in June 2020, my colleague Minister Jack Chambers and I have worked with stakeholders from across the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media sectors to advance an ambitious policy, legislative and programme agenda.  This work has taken place against the challenges presented by COVID-19 both in terms of how we have been able to progress this agenda, as well as needing to respond to the very real difficulties which COVID presents to the sectors within my Ministerial remit.

In terms of legislation, I have recently published the general scheme for the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill as well as working with Minister of State Chambers to move the Official Languages (amendment) Bill 2019 to Committee State in the Dáil.  These are two critical pieces of legislation which will safeguard our citizens, protect and enhance our media, as well as fostering the use of the Irish language within the public sector.  I will continue this important work in 2021. 

My Department has also, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, progressed a number of important policy initiatives.  We are currently finalising a Roadmap for the Creative Industries, in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and have significantly advanced the preparation of an Interim Action Plan for Sustainable Tourism, both of which will be published in 2021.  This latter document will also help advance our work in the preparation of a new Sustainable Tourism Plan, a key deliverable under the Programme for Government. Cross-Government, we are engaged in the development of the National Economic Plan and the Review of the National Development Plan which will also be published this year.  I have also established a Night-time Economy Taskforce to examine ways of enhancing experiences and supporting economic opportunities in our cities and towns which will report this year.  In September, I launched jointly with the Taoiseach, the Future of Media Commission to ensure that Irish society has a well functioning public service media.My Department has also initiated a public consultation on the designation of major events for free to air broadcast to ensure that key cultural, sporting and other events may be enjoyed by all. 

As part of our COVID-19 response, I oversaw the reporting by the Tourism Recovery and Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforces.  These taskforces were established to look at the impact of COVID on these sectors and to map the recovery of the sectors post-pandemic.  I established an oversight group for the delivery of the Tourism Recovery Taskforce report and I am pleased that significant elements of that report have already been delivered with the balance due for delivery in the coming 24 months.  I am also looking at oversight structures for the Arts and Culture Taskforce Report to ensure that the sector is supported beyond the current pandemic and its resilience enhanced in the medium-term.

My tenure in 2020 saw a number of new programme initiatives including new rounds of the Sports Capital Programme and Sound and Vision with additional funding announced in December 2020.My Department has, despite the challenge of COVID-19, also progressed the language planning process with a number of new language plans approved and the first Gaeltacht Service Town announced by Minister of State Chambers.  2020 also saw the first awards under the Cultural Capital scheme which will offer opportunities for people to engage with the arts and culture across the country, once it is safe to do so.

This year is an important year for the Decade of Centenaries commemorations programme and, despite the limitations COVID places on us, we continue to deliver on that programme.  I recently announced funding for local authorities which continue to play an important part in reflecting on our history as part of the Decade of Centenaries.

Internationally, my Department is engaged in implementing actions under Global Ireland, and I recently had the pleasure of announcing the appointment of new cultural officers to enhance our international footprint.  I continue to work as part of the North-South Ministerial Council and note the successful engagement at the last meeting of the Council on the tourism sector, which I chaired, and on the languages sector, chaired by my colleague Minister of State, Jack Chambers T.D..  The ongoing impact of Brexit remains an issue for the Department.  I continue to work as part of the wider Government engagement to mitigate against impacts across our sectors, not least in terms of the development of the National Economic Plan.

In addition to all of the above, my Department has put in place a number of policy initiatives, grant schemes and programmes to tackle the specific challenges faced by the arts, cultural, tourism and sports sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

In 2021, I will continue to progress the policy initiatives established in 2020.  Also, my Department will continue to expand the delivery of our Creative Ireland programme including through the innovative Arts and Ageing initiative with IMMA announced late last year, the wider Creativity in Older People programme and the Creativity in Schools initiatives in partnership with the Department of Education. A further 164 schools will participate in the Creative Schools initiative in 2021.

Since June 2020, my department has delivered an unprecedented package of supports for those sectors as part of the July Stimulus package and as part of Budget 2021 which saw a package of €1.08bn agreed for my Department.  Over the past months, we have supported some areas worst affected, including tourism, live performances, helping artists to continue to create and we have funded our sporting bodies, helping ensure championships and games still went ahead.  Despite all the challenges, our sectors have also continued to make an important contribution to physical and mental well-being which has been so important in these difficult times. 

Further details on the work done to date, supports provided and planned are set out in the statement which Minister of State Chambers and I published on our Department’s website on 30th December.

This provides a mere snapshot of some of the work undertaken by my Department since my arrival in 2020 and is against a backdrop the myriad of challenges presented by COVID-19.  I am currently working with my officials to finalise a new Statement of Strategy for the Department which will align with the Programme for Government, the National Economic Plan and other key Government policies.  It will set the policy, programme and legislative direction for the Department for the coming three years.  I intend to publish the Statement of Strategy shortly.