Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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191. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the Programme for Government commitment to examine the introduction of youth culture pass; if there is any progress on its implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34977/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As committed to in the Programme for Government I propose to examine the introduction of a youth Culture Card and its potential to enhance interest in the arts among young people. My Department has not yet commenced the formal engagement in the primary assessment of modalities, scope, and reach for a Youth Card scheme given other priorities in recent months. However, I am committed to ensuring that this work does commence in the coming period.

It is important to ensure that any initiative provides access opportunities for all young people and represents an effective and efficient use of resources. With advice from my Department, other relevant departments, the National Cultural Institutions, and stakeholders in the arts sector, The participation of young people is crucial to fostering creativity and advancing the arts throughout Ireland. The introduction of a Culture Card could contribute significantly to this goal.

Research regarding arts and cultural participation among children confirms the benefits to children when they engage in the arts in their early years, and also indicates that patterns of participation in the arts are set from a very young age. My Department already actively supports a range programmes and initiatives which create opportunities for all ranges of young people around the country to engage with the arts and culture with little or no further participation cost to the public which includes:-

Creative Ireland’s Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 aims to embed creativity into the heart of children and young people’s lives. Through a cross-government partnership between this Department, the Department of Education, the Department of Children Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Affairs, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Arts Council, a combined inter-departmental budget allocation of over €10 million in 2025, including an allocation through the Government’s Shared Island initiative, will provide creative opportunities for 0-24 year olds. With a particular focus on ensuring access for children and young people that are seldom heard and at risk of disadvantage, programmes include Local Creative Youth Partnerships (LCYPs). There are currently LCYPs based in 7 Education and Training Boards across the country. They aim to provide out-of-school creative and cultural activities for young people by bringing together the whole local infrastructure. The target audience for all LCYP programmes are children and young people in local communities (within the ETB’s geographical remit) in ‘out of school’ settings with a particular focus on previously less served cohorts. An eighth LCYP will be established in 2025 following a recent call-out to the remaining ETBs.

Cruinniú na nÓg’s annual day of creativity for children and young people up to 18 years of age, took place on 7th June this year in collaboration with all 31 local authorities and 3 strategic partnerships, with all events free to attend, with over 1000 events took place across the island of Ireland.

The Creative Youth Nurture Fund awarded 9 projects over €700,000 in 2023, and this is running until 2025, to engage with specific cohorts of seldom heard children and young people in a creative experience in which their voice is central.

The Creative Youth on a Shared Island dimension of the Creative Ireland Programme, has allocate over €1 million for 2024-2025 supporting 6 projects to bring children and young people from across the island of Ireland, engaging in creative writing and storytelling, song-writing, parade, theatre and more.

Post-primary schools and Youthreach Centres engage in Creative Youth programmes such as Creative Schools, Creative Clusters, Creative Engagement and BLAST, bringing enhanced access to arts, culture and creativity in education.

In addition to the allocation above, the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 also supports, through funding from the Department of Education, Music Generation’s National Music Education Programme which has been allocated €6.9 million in 2025.

My Department also supports several programmes and initiatives through the National Cultural Institution. For example, the Department has provided funding to the National Cultural Institutions to digitise and archive a large amount of it content and collections, which is available online for all ages to view and study, and a lot of this material was developed and rolled out during COVID.

Furthermore, each of these organisations also have a range of programmes, events and resources for young people including both in-person and online events and resources.

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. Access and exposure to the arts from an early age can establish a lifetime interest and a fulfilling appreciation and I will welcome all contributions to the considerations around the potential for a youth Culture Card.