Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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294. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the timeframe for the next phase of the Creative Ireland Programme; the steps that will be taken in the development of the new phase of the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10966/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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In December 2016, a new all-of-government initiative entitled Clár Éire Ildánach/Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022 was approved as a legacy project arising from the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.  The Programme has made significant progress to date to support each citizen realise their creative potential and to mainstream creativity into public policy across government departments through the Programme 2017-2022.

As the Programme approached 2022, a need emerged to provide clarity concerning its future to key Government Departments, Public Bodies including in particular Local Authorities, and key stakeholders and partners in the community and voluntary sector.  The original pillars of the Programme were focused around young people, community, infrastructure, audiovisual production, and the global dimension. Early delivery occurred across a number of these (i.e., infrastructure, audiovisual production, and the global dimension).  Key Departments and Agencies considered that significant scope remains for continuing implementation in relation to young people and communities in the years ahead.  Similarly, there was a recognition of the benefits that arise from a focus on creative industries more broadly; enhanced collaboration and integration across the arts, healthcare and social care sectors; and enabling the cultural and creative sectors to support a more sustainable and inclusive society.

In February 2022, Government agreed in principle that Clár Éire Ildánach/Creative Ireland Programme will continue for a further five years encompassing the period 2023-2027 and will focus on the following pillars: Creative Youth; Creative Communities; Creative Industries; Creative Health and Wellbeing; and Creative Climate Action and Sustainability.  This in-principle decision is intended to facilitate the development of the future Programme details through collaboration amongst departments, public bodies, and key stakeholders.

My  Department is now commencing further more detailed discussions and consultations with key Departments and Agencies across each of the five priority areas to develop strategic objectives for the next phase of the programme.  Wide-ranging consultations with key sectoral organisations and representative bodies including the Boards of Management and leadership of schools will also be undertaken by relevant Departments and Agencies, while a separate consultation for children and youth will be facilitated by Hub na nÓg.

As well as reflecting on the outcomes of evaluations and research undertaken or in progress as part of the current Programme, public consultations across communities in the 31 local authorities will also be undertaken to finalise individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2023-2027.

A final more detailed framework for Clár Éire Ildánach/Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027 is expected to be brought to Government for its agreement in Autumn 2022 prior to its publication, launch and implementation on an all-of-government basis.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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295. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of events and initiatives organised by county as part of the Creative Ireland Creative Communities strand, in partnership with local authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10967/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Creative Ireland Programme is a culture-based, all-of-Government programme led by my department to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. Its core proposition is that participation in arts, cultural and heritage-based activities drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing and achievement.

Under the Creative Communities initiative in the Creative Ireland Programme, my department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provide funding to each of the 31 Local Authorities to enable them to implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022. These Strategies were developed in 2017 following extensive local public consultation and are unique to each local authority, reflecting the breadth of cultural and creative work being undertaken in each area as well as the strategic priorities identified by the local community. Highly innovative, multi-disciplinary Culture and Creativity Teams in every Local Authority support and drive the relevant, locally-agreed, strategic priorities and projects.

Furthermore, since 2018 my Department has also provided each local authority with additional funding to support the delivery of Cruinniú na nÓg - the national day of free creativity for children and young people under 18 years of age. While it is a key initiative of the Creative Youth Plan, the 31 Local Authority Culture and Creativity Teams have been key to its nationwide delivery.

The number of events and initiatives organised by county as part of the Creative Ireland Creative Communities strand (and Cruinniú na nÓg) is listed in Table 1 below; programming by the 31 local authorities is currently underway for 2022. 

In 2021, a strategic review of the Creative Communities initiative led by the Creative Ireland Programme and the County and City Management Association was published. It examined the effectiveness to date in embedding creativity within public policy at local level, and in deploying creativity as a strategy for wellbeing, social cohesion and economic development. While broadly positive in its findings, the review also explored how delivery in collaboration with the 31 local authorities could be optimised in the future. These recommendations continue to be implemented as the initiative looks towards the period 2023-2027.

Table 1

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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296. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a review has been conducted or will be conducted of the initial Creative Ireland Programme to ascertain the most effective aspects of the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10968/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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In December 2016, a new all-of-Government initiative entitled Clár Éire Ildánach/Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022 was approved as a legacy project arising from the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.  I believe significant progress has been made to date to support each citizen realise their creative potential and to mainstream creativity into public policy across Government Departments through the Programme 2017-2022.

The Programme commissioned a range of research and evaluation reports since 2017 to inform policy and strategy development, facilitate decision-making, and to build capacity within the sector.  In light of the diverse nature of the various pillars of the Programme, a more nested and focused approach of research and evaluation has been employed at the level of programme pillar and key individual intervention.  Many of these are published at www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/publications/.

Over 30 interventions are reporting outcomes and evaluations from the first five years of implementation of the Creative Youth plan (including Creative Schools, Creative Clusters, and Local Creative Youth Partnerships).  Furthermore in November 2021, Trinity College Dublin were commissioned to provide an overview of these outcomes and trends, highlight significant gaps in provision, and assist the independent Creative Youth Expert Advisory Group to develop its proposals for future policy development in this regard.

In 2021, a strategic review of the Creative Communities initiative led by the Creative Ireland Programme and the County and City Management Association was published.  It examined the effectiveness to date in embedding creativity within public policy at local level, and in deploying creativity as a strategy for wellbeing, social cohesion and economic development.  While broadly positive in its findings, the review also explored how delivery in collaboration with the 31 local authorities could be optimised in the future.  These recommendations continue to be implemented as the initiative looks towards the period 2023-2027.

Key research continues too in the area of Creativity in Older Age with, for example, Trinity College Dublin and the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing to determine the extent and impact of participation in creative activities by older people.  Similarly, postdoctoral research will develop a framework to explore and assess the contribution of Creative Climate Action projects toward societal transformation in response to climate change.  It will also provide recommendations and guidance for Irish policy-makers concerning how creative interventions might be designed to more effectively encourage climate compatible behavioural change in the future.

While the first 5-year Creative Ireland Programme was envisaged as a time-bound addition to the Irish policy landscape, the second phase of the programme clearly operates in a different policy context.  I am therefore keen that as part of the development process currently underway for the Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027, a set of performance indicators is explored that will form the basis for monitoring the outputs and evaluating the programme’s operation and its impact on Irish society.