Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Any consideration of a culture card would need to be subject to a full appraisal and regulatory impact analysis and within the context of the Annual Estimates process. In terms of outline costs, Census 2022 identified some 438,491 people in the 18-24 years cohort, which would see a minimum cost of €87.7 million for the provision of a pilot culture and media card scheme to the value of €200 for this group. This does not include the cost of establishing and administering such a scheme.

It should be noted that, my Department actively supports a range of institutions, programmes and initiatives which create opportunities for young people around the country to engage with the arts and culture. The National Cultural Institutions which house the national collections, in particular, are free to access by the public. They also have a range of programmes, events and resources for young people including both in-person and online events and resources.

In addition, through the all-of-Government Creative Ireland Programme based in my Department, the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 provides access to children and young people, from birth to 24 years, to creative, cultural and artistic engagement across all aspects of their lives.

My Department is also investing ambitiously in the audio visual sector, all with a view to growing these sectors and providing new opportunities for younger people to participate in arts, culture and media activities. This group is also considered a key demographic for our work to stimulate the night-time economy.

More generally, I have supported significant investment in the Arts Council to a record level of €134 million which has a mandate to stimulate public interest for all age groups in the arts and to promote knowledge and appreciation of the arts.