Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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238. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there will be an extension of a new Creative Ireland programme beyond 2022. [47798/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Creative Ireland Programme 2017 to 2022 is a culture-based, all-of-Government initiative led by my department. Its core proposition is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing and achievement. The Programme seeks to support each citizen - whether individually or collectively, in our personal lives or in our institutions - to realise our full creative potential, by encouraging, facilitating and supporting collaboration.

To this end, and under the guiding principles of creativity, collaboration and transformation, the Programme has sought to:

- promote understanding and appreciation of the value of creativity in all its forms;

- engage and influence decision-makers to embed creativity across public policy; and

- support and enable participation in creative industries.

The Programme is based around five pillars

I. Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child

II. Enabling Creativity in every Community

III. Investing in our Creative and Cultural Infrastructure

IV. Ireland as a Centre of Excellence in Audiovisual Production

V. Unifying our Global Reputation.

Through the Creative Ireland Programme, my Department has worked in partnership with various Departments and agencies to deliver significant progress in each individual pillar. Investments have focused on supporting both direct engagement with creativity – such as in schools, local communities, industry – as well as deploying creativity as a way of engaging with broader societal issues – such as health and wellbeing, social marginalisation, isolation, intercultural dialogue, climate action and biodiversity loss.

My Department has been actively engaging with officials across a number of Government Departments as it reflects on the Programme's strategic direction, potential opportunities to deepen collaboration, and possible future priorities. Acknowledging the all-of-Government nature of the Programme, it is my intention to bring proposals to Government shortly which will set out the progress of the Programme to date and include a consideration of the Programme's future beyond 2022.