Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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47. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she proposes to maximise Ireland's culture at home and abroad, with a view to ensuring maximum benefit therefrom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56687/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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My Department’s Arts and Culture programme aims to promote and develop Ireland’s world class artistic and creative strengths at home and abroad, maximising their societal and economic value for the country, and supporting the Arts, Culture and Creative sectors to continue to develop and expand. Some notable initiatives include:

- The retention of the record €130m funding for the Arts Council in 2023 in recognition of the transformational impact of this funding and to support artists and arts organisations as we look to further develop the sector.

- €35m in 2023 to fund the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme, a three year, €105m scheme involving 2,000 artists and creative arts workers which will support each beneficiary in developing and sustaining a professional arts practice.

- €2m increase in funding for Culture Ireland for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide.

- €7m in additional capital funding for artists’ spaces and climate adaptation.

- An additional €2.5m for the National Cultural Institutions which present and protect the objects and artworks in our national collections.The NCIs have been central to the Decade of Centenaries, telling our important stories through the art and artefacts they hold.

- €6m for a range of initiatives and pilot projects to support a more vibrant and diverse Night-Time Economy.

- I engage with my counterparts in the EU Member States at EU Council meetings to discuss cultural policy development and ensure that Ireland’s perspectives are reflected.

- Dublin is officially designated as a UNESCO City of Literature and Galway as a UNESCO City of Film. These awards are permanent designations helping to promote Ireland as a creative, culturally rich and dynamic country.

- Ireland has been successful in having four elements of our living heritage inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; Uilleann Piping in 2017, Hurling in 2018, Irish Harping in 2019; and Falconry in 2021.

- In 2019, Ireland officially launched its National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which to date comprises over 38 inscribed ICH practices. My Department continues to receive applications to the national inventory on an ongoing basis.