Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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788. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the creative schools arts initiative; if this will be expanded to include fee-paying schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11480/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027, supporting schools to put the arts and creativity at the heart of children’s and young people’s lives. Since 2018, Creative Schools has supported schools over 2 years to develop and implement a bespoke Creative Schools plan. Each school participating in the initiative is provided with an operating grant of €4,000 in total over the two years and access to a trained Creative Associate, a school coordinator and voice of the child training. Since 2018, over 1,150 schools have participated in the programme.

Creative Schools is led by the Arts Council, in partnership with my Department and the Department of Education. Access to the initiative is open to all Department of Education recognised primary and post-primary schools, Special Schools and Youthreach centres in the Free Education Scheme that have not already participated in a previous round of Creative Schools. Currently, fee paying schools cannot apply. Creative Schools has increasingly focused on prioritising provision to schools where there is a risk of disadvantage, reflecting the Creative Youth Plan’s objective to “strengthen equity of access to creative activities for the most seldom heard children and young people.”

Of the 183 schools that commenced the programme in September 2024, 54 were based in DEIS schools and 7 were based in Youthreach centres. In 2022, the programme welcomed 4 schools attached to Special Care Units or Children Detention Centres, providing them with greater allocated time with a Creative Associate and an increased grant. Similarly, Youth Encounter Project schools commenced the programme in 2023 and, given the particular needs of the young people within them, were also offered enhanced supports.

Alongside the awards programme, the Creative Schools team also delivers Creative February which is open to all schools in Ireland to participate and celebrate creativity.

Creative Schools 2025 is currently open for applications from 25 February 2025 with a deadline of 8 May 2025. The list of schools that participate each year in Creative Schools is available here on the Arts Council website: www.artscouncil.ie/Arts-in-Ireland/Creative-Schools/Creative-Schools-by-year/