First national cultural policy unveiled for the arts

An annual consultation day and a review of existing cultural institutions are some of the proposals contained in the country’s first national cultural policy for the arts.

The document, Culture 2025/Éire Ildánach, is a framework policy document for arts for the next decade. It will now be submitted to an Oireachtas committee, chaired by Peadar Tóibín of Sinn Féin. An implementation plan will be developed in tandem and should be in place within six months.

As part of the plan Minister for the Arts Heather Humphreys has committed to holding an annual cultural consultation day with members of the arts community. The policy also identifies other priorities; one involves reviewing all the key cultural institutions in the State. The department is also planning to carry out an analysis of direct and indirect supports for the arts.

Funding structures will be improved as will investment in the capital infrastructure and in regional and local services. The department also last week announced a €9 million capital investment scheme for arts and culture centres for 2016-2018.

No targets

The department will also look again at how to promote further investment in the cultural sector from businesses. The Minister stressed that any philanthropic boost would be in addition to rather than a replacement of Government funding.

“I want to put culture at the heart of government policy and develop a much more collaborative approach across all sectors,” said Ms Humphreys.

The document contains no specific targets, though these should become concrete in the implementation plan.

Government funding for the arts sector has increased in recent years, though the Minister said it is coming from a low base after years of “taking a hammering” under successive governments.

The National Campaign for the Arts has called on the department to raise its funding from 0.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to 0.3 per cent, which is just half of the European average, according to statistics from the Council of Europe. GDP comprises total expenditure for all final goods and services produced within the country in a stipulated period of time

The Minister has criticised the 0.1 per cent figure as inaccurate, as it does not include local authority expenditure on the arts, exemption tax relief, or expenditure on public service broadcasting and the Irish language. The department will consider setting a target as part of its implementation plan.