I propose to takes Questions No. 6, 20, 23, 26 and 32 together. The basic income for the arts is a pilot research programme which will inform future Government policy on how best to support Ireland’s artists and creative arts workers. The primary objective of the scheme was to help artists deal with precarious incomes and prevent talent from leaving the sector for economic reasons. It is well established that artists suffer from precarious incomes and the benefits of the arts enjoyed by society are often as a result of unpaid and underpaid labour of artists. This is a chronic ongoing problem. The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact, which is why I announce an extension of six months to February 2026 to allow further assessment of the pilot data and to engage in stakeholder consultation to provide a clear evidence base for the Government to make decisions on the next steps. The BIA recognises of the arts and the role of the creative practice in Irish society. The arts positively impact social cohesion, societal well-being, Ireland’s global reputation and creativity. The BIA has particularly good regional distribution across the country with every county benefiting from the investment and some counties like Leitrim, Clare and Sligo have more artists than would be expected based on their populations bringing much-needed economic investment to those areas as well. BIA support is hugely valued by those artists in receipt of it. It has been the subject of much positive commentary at home and in an international context and makes an important statement about the value placed on the arts in Ireland. I fully appreciate the importance of the BIA and have been clear that I think it should be continued. There has been consistent correspondence to my Department in support of a successor scheme. Much of this support has come through the constituency offices of all colleagues both in government and in opposition. It is therefore clear that there is broad support for a continuation of the BIA. My Department conducted a public consultation which closed on 5 September and over 17,000 submissions were received. Of these, 97% were in favour of the BIA being continued. Consultation is ongoing, including a consultative committee which draws from across Government Departments. I also held a sectoral stakeholder forum on 10 September with around 200 artists, all of whom were in favour of retaining the scheme. The BIA has been implemented as a randomised control trial which consists of two groups of randomly selected people, all of who complete a lengthy survey every six months as a condition of a participant being on the scheme. This represents the largest randomised controlled trial undertaken by the Government, the gold standard for research. Some 2,000 recipients were selected to receive a payment of €325 a week, while a further 1,000 control group members were selected to participate in research. Analysis of the results involved the comparison of averages between the two groups across a very broad range of possible impacts. The same cohorts of recipients have remained on the scheme since 2022 in order to gather accurate comparable data. Due to attrition, the total number now on the scheme is 1,962. The pilot is underpinned by a comprehensive research programme and three impact assessments have been published so far by the Department in addition to independent reports on recipient reviews. It is clear from all of the evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact for those in receipt of it. The data shows that the BIA is having a consistent positive impact across all indicators affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being and deprivation. However, the data also shows that the situation of the control group participants who provide the same data as the recipients but who do not get the weekly payment have significantly deteriorated given the cost-of-living crisis. According to the data the Department has collected, 51% of those who do not receive the BIA live in enforced deprivation compared to 16% of the general population. The BIA is therefore a means of addressing consistent poverty in the sector. The data also shows that at the start of the BIA the median income earned by those on the scheme was €19,200, which is 54% lower than the national annual median of €41,823. At the same time, recipients’ arts-related income increased by on average over €500 a month, while their income from non-arts work increased by about €280.
Sentiment score: 0.26
I will finish reading the reply for the record. Last week I published a cost benefit analysis showing the net fiscal cost of the BIA was just under €72 million over the three years compared to gross cost of €105 million over three years. For every €1 of public money invested in the pilot, society received €1.39 in return. The cost-benefit analysis shows that audience engagement with the arts generated an estimated €16.9 million in social value over the three pilot years and improvements in psychological well-being contributed almost €80 million to total benefits. Dependence on social protection declined, with recipients receiving €100 less per month on average and being 38% less likely to receive jobseekers' payments. The findings of the report on two years of the payment shows that compared to those not in receipt of the BIA, recipients benefited in a number of ways in terms of weekly output. The BIA research has developed a strong irrefutable evidence base that the intervention works and has consistent positive impacts for those in receipt of the payment as well as broader society. No decision on a successor scheme has been made, including potential payment levels, eligibility criteria and so on, but I have made it clear, and am making it clear again this morning in the Dáil, that I am in favour of a permanent scheme being put in place.
Sentiment score: 0.33
I do not know if the Deputy was here for the Priority Questions, but as I said earlier, no decision has been made with regard to a successor. That decision and any decisions on the details of any successor scheme will only be made once there is acceptance of what I have put before the Dáil this morning, which is that the scheme should be continued. The quantum of money available will also be relevant. There is only a week to go to the budget and ultimately, the numbers of people that will be included will reflect the amount of money the Department gets in the Vote in the budget next week.
Sentiment score: 0.12
Sorry, what question are we on?
Sentiment score: -0.08
As outlined in my reply to an earlier question, the operation of the League of Ireland and its academies is fundamentally a matter for the Football Association of Ireland which, like all national governing bodies of sport, is an independent, autonomous body responsible for the organisation and development of its own sport. At present, no specific funding is allocated for League of Ireland academies. However, the programme for Government commits to exploring new mechanisms for the creation of football academies. An additional funding grant of €1 million, which was provided by my Department to the FAI, enabled it to produce the recently published League of Ireland Global Findings Report. The funding also enabled the appointment by the FAI of an academies administrator to support the development of new academy programmes and to track their impact. The Global Findings Report benchmarks Irish football academies against international standards based on an audit of existing academy structures and needs. My Department continues to engage with the FAI regarding this report. A pre-budget submission focusing on academies has recently been submitted to me by the FAI. This will be given due consideration, taking account of the range of requests across the sports sector for additional support and, ultimately, the outcome of the budget process. While the FAI has sought significant State funding to support its academies, it is important to note that sizable financial support has been directed to the FAI and to football more generally over recent years. Over €75 million in State funding was allocated to the FAI between 2019 and 2024, including €30.2 million specifically to support football development and promote participation in football by young people, with the balance in funding comprising Covid-specific and energy supports. Furthermore, significant capital funding has been granted to football projects around the country in recent years, including €48.9 million to FAI-endorsed football stadium projects at Finn Harps, Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers and Wexford FC under the 2024 round of the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, LSSIF, and €76 million to support the development of grassroots football club facilities nationwide under the 2020 and 2023 rounds of the community sports facilities fund.
Sentiment score: 0.37
As I said to Deputy Byrne a while ago, and as Deputy Ó Murchú has acknowledged, the Government has played a role in terms of the supports it has provided to the FAI. We are operating on the basis of a memorandum of understanding, MOU. A significant amount of reform has happened already. Of the 163 recommendations or conditions, 159, or 98%, are either completed or phase 1 of them is completed. The financial situation in the FAI is still challenging. Since the new MOU was signed on 17 December 2024, State funding has been increased to €6 million for the period from 2024 to 2027. The bulk of this will go towards youth field development and grants which are aimed at the grassroots of the game. The MOU also contains 16 recommendations for the FAI, including completion of outstanding recommendations and conditions from the previous MOU, the maintenance of governance reforms introduced under the previous MOU, the provision of information and reports to Sport Ireland to facilitate oversight and a cascading governance reform to affiliates and grassroots. The last recommendation is really important and was also raised by members of the Oireachtas committee last week. We have to have a cascading effect of reform. While there has been quite a considerable amount of reform with regard to numbers at the FAI itself and so on, we now need to see the cascading effect down to into the grassroots, which I know the Deputy will support.
Sentiment score: 0.25
I have not had any engagement with LMETB. The Department or the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, who unfortunately cannot be here today, may well have had some engagement with it. I am not sure about that but I can check afterwards. I do not disagree with what the Deputy said with regard to investment. Every single person who comes in for these questions on sport has a catalogue of things he or she wants implemented. It is not a couple of hundred million euro I would need, but rather a couple of hundred billion euro, which is not practical. Acknowledgement should be given – at least the Deputy did so – that the report which highlighted the League of Ireland’s potential with regard to academies was funded by the State. At the moment, most of the operating costs are being funded by the State. The State entered into an MOU with the FAI in good faith in order to keep the organisation operable because we need an association that can govern football in Ireland and ensure we have teams that can represent the country at home and abroad with distinction. In recent years, that can has been carried by the State and it will be carried for another while. We cannot just glaze over that and say there is no investment; there is substantial investment in this area.
Sentiment score: 0.08
The programme for Government acknowledges that local and national independent broadcasters perform a vital public service and that this should be supported. Radio Kerry is probably one of the stations that will be tuning in this morning. This is being achieved through a range of media schemes for which local, regional, independent and community radio stations and broadcasters are eligible to apply. A total of €6 million was provided in budget 2025 to ensure the continuation of the local democracy and courts reporting schemes, applications for which recently closed and are currently being assessed. Two new schemes have been launched this year. A total of €3 million is being provided for the digital transformation scheme, which was launched in September. It will support media organisations to innovate and transition to the digital information environment. The news reporting scheme will provide €4 million, including a ring-fenced €3 million for the commercial radio sector to support public service content that is underprovided for or at risk of underprovision. This scheme is providing an important avenue of funding in support of the provision of independent and trustworthy news and current affairs content. It will assist in promoting a plurality of voices in our media sector. Applications to the scheme closed last Thursday and are currently being assessed. As recommended by the Future of Media Commission, Coimisiún na Meán is progressing research into current community media supports. This research will help to determine optimal supports going forward and establish the foundations on which a new scheme may be devised. The aforementioned measures are in addition to the Sound and Vision scheme operated by Coimisiún na Meán, which provided funding of more than €22.7 million in 2024 for the production of audiovisual works, of which almost €1.7 million went to commercial radio. More than €600,000 has been provided in 2025 to the commercial radio sector through the scheme. Coimisiún na Meán will monitor the impact of each of these schemes and update them as appropriate in order to ensure they are accessible to the wider media sector and continue to deliver on intended objectives. I understand the importance of ensuring our local and regional radio stations, which are among the most trusted news sources in the country, remain viable and strong and actively contribute to a thriving and diverse media landscape.
Sentiment score: 0.35
Of course, the Chair is no stranger to Live 95 in Limerick. I often come on that radio station on his coat-tails. Deputy O'Donoghue is right about the importance of local commercial radio. It has given a voice to people across the country who would not otherwise have one. Let us be fair about it: until the advent of local commercial radio stations, the only voices heard on the radio in Ireland were Dublin ones. If a regional voice was heard on the radio, it was ordinarily because of bad news, such as something closing down or an atrocity or something. That is not what people want. The misinformation, disinformation and malinformation strategy that we brought to the Government last year is a fundamental plank in protecting our democracy because local radio is trusted. I have a good relationship with the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland. It has met me on a number of occasions and it has a good relationship with the Department. I have outlined the schemes that we have in situ already. The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland is working with and very supportive of those schemes. I hope to be in a position to expand those schemes over the lifetime of the Government with the programme for Government.
Sentiment score: 0.15
In the programme for Government, the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence was identified as an event that could be marked appropriately. This acknowledges Ireland’s unique connection to the story. The anniversary will be led on two levels. On the international front, the commemorative programme will be led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. My Department has been given the responsibility to lead on the programme of national events for America250. Given the contribution of people from the Ulster-Scots tradition on the island to American independence, there is much that can be done on a North-South basis. I have had a number of good conversations with my counterpart Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA, in this regard. The American Presidents’ trail is an initiative that is being considered for inclusion. It is something that I, on the face of it, support. It was brought to my attention by Deputy Timmins along with other examples, including the Ohio Presidential Trail and the Presidential Walking Trail near Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The trails are being considered as community-led commemorative initiatives that could be delivered in partnership with the local authorities. This would be with support from my Department through the annual local authority commemorations grant funding. A draft proposal for the American Presidents’ trail will shortly be shared with the newly formed commemorations advisory committee, which provides independent and expert advice to the State on commemorative matters. As Minister with responsibility for commemorations, I hope to shortly bring a memorandum for information to the Government that will contain the approved events that will form the national programme for America250. Across the island of Ireland, there are many communities that have a proud connection to American Presidents. Through the local authority network, the Department will work with these communities to ensure these connections are shared and remembered. I acknowledge the passing of the deputy chair of the expert advisory group, Dr. Martin Mansergh, in the past ten days. One of his lasting legacies, among so many other contributions to the State, was his dedication, expert guidance and commitment to forging a collaborative path in commemorations that allowed and encouraged everyone to take part, no matter their background, beliefs or standing.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I do not disagree with Deputy Timmins. He will be aware that in the case of the vast majority of those United States presidents prior to 1900 who had ancestors from the island of Ireland, their ancestors came from County Antrim, so there is a North-South dimension to this as well. The Department deals with that. I have had discussions with the Minister, Gordon Lyons. It will also include the Department of the Taoiseach through the shared island initiative. I am preparing to bring forward a memorandum on this shortly. I do not disagree with what the Deputy says about soft power. At the end of the day, people crave an understanding of where they come from. I was at the Ryder Cup at the weekend and it was clearly evident in discussions that every second person I met had some connection to the island of Ireland. It is no coincidence that the vast majority of United States presidents, in particular pre-1900, have had very strong, tangible links to the island of Ireland, with some of their parents born here. That is really important. It is not just the presidents of the United States; three of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence were born on the island of Ireland. That is something the Tánaiste and Minister for foreign affairs is anxious to promote for the events that will take place in the United States in 2026.
Sentiment score: 0.29
The Deputy's summing-up properly reflect his sentiments and what he is trying to achieve. My Department and I will work with him over the coming months in advance of bringing forward a memorandum to the Government to see how his views can be best represented in that.
Sentiment score: 0.32
The issue of repatriation and restitution is an important one, especially in the current global context. While my Department is not engaged directly with institutions in other countries regarding the restitution and repatriation of cultural heritage, it is represented on the advisory committee on the restitution and repatriation of cultural heritage. This committee was established to advise the Government on issues relating to the restitution of historically and culturally sensitive objects in Ireland. The advisory committee is chaired by Sir Donnell Deeny, an expert in this field of work, and is ably supported by the Heritage Council, as secretariat. The committee comprises a number of independent experts, including representatives from the national cultural institutions, key Departments, the Heritage Council, as well as the wider museum, claimant and academic sectors. Further information about the membership of the advisory committee can be found on the Government's website as well as on the Heritage Council's website. The advisory committee is tasked with developing policy advice and national guidelines on the restitution of cultural heritage objects in Ireland that may have been illegally or unethically elicited or traded. This approach is grounded in the research and evidence of best practice internationally and the committee has been working hard on reviewing this research and conducting research within our own collecting institutions. Through its work, the advisory committee will also provide guidance on related matters, including provenance research, to cultural institutions and other bodies that have responsibility for managing historic collections. Progress is well under way on this work. I received a very comprehensive report on the work of the committee from its chair earlier this year. I was greatly impressed at the detailed work programme being undertaken by the committee into this sensitive policy area and its progress across the various programme strands. I also recently met with the director of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, on these matters to assure the committee of my support for its work. I take this opportunity to thank the members of the committee and the Heritage Council for their continued support in this. I look forward to the outcome of the process.
Sentiment score: 0.30
That is a two-way street, because there may very well be items in Irish institutions, which is something that is also of concern to me, that predate the foundation of the State or may have found their way into State collections by way of benefactors. We have to be conscious of that as well. In my time, for instance, as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, I was very keen to make sure that any of the public buildings under the State's care and managed by the Office of Public Works did not in any way have artistic representation or any sort of presentations that were connected directly to slavery or the trade in human beings. The OPW conducted a very comprehensive body of work at the time and it was able to conclude that none of the State's buildings were in any way involved or had an attachment in any way, for want of a better word, to the remembrance and celebration in some cases, warped and all as that may be, of the trade in human beings. On the point Deputy McGuinness makes, it is a two-way street and we have to be conscious of what potentially is within our own stores as well. Obviously, the Heritage Council has a role in this and I will engage with it further.
Sentiment score: 0.39
In an Irish context, universities are independent entities. As a former Minister for further and higher education, I know they really take pride in their independence. I would encourage them to exercise their independence proportionately and to reflect on what they have in their archives and on display. Universities, including Irish ones, should ask themselves whether the items they have on display are in keeping with the process of repatriation. Ultimately, that will be a matter for the governing authorities of universities, in the same way the issue the Deputy raises is a matter for the governing authority or its equivalent in Cambridge University. I am not sure if Deputy McGuinness is on the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, but I am a former member of it and it is a very good vehicle to get issues like this raised by him or one of the Deputy's party colleagues who is a member of that assembly. It might also form part of a topic of discussion because there may very well be items in Irish museums and universities that could find themselves being repatriated to somewhere in Wales, Scotland or England. As I say, it has to be a two-way street.
Sentiment score: 0.28
The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. The Department is working to deliver on this and is engaging with relevant stakeholders in relation to future funding, including for securing of a new mandate from the Government to continue funding at an enhanced level while ensuring an adequate legal basis and compliance with state aid rules. In due course, I will seek the Government's approval to progress legislation to affect the funding to provide certainty to the network post 2025. An amount of €10 million per annum is being provided over a three-year fixed period from 2023 to 2025 to An Post. An Post then disperses this funding across the post office network, with all contractor post offices benefiting from the Government funding with the objective of securing the stability of the network. The funding is being paid monthly for each 12-month period. To date, over €25 million has been claimed by An Post for the network. The current funding provides time and space for An Post to accelerate the transformation and commercialisation of the network to ensure a relevant, commercially viable network delivering more services to citizens and small businesses. An Post is a commercial semi-State body with a mandate to act commercially. An Post has statutory responsibility for the State's postal service and the post office network. Decisions relating to the network, including decisions relating to specific post offices are operational matters for the board and management of the company and are not ones in which I, as Minister, have any function. Similarly, the terms of the postmasters’ contract with An Post are a matter between the postmasters and An Post. Any negotiations are a matter for both parties directly.
Sentiment score: 0.26
The issue the Deputy raised regarding urban post offices and mail delivery is not a purely urban phenomenon. Unfortunately, we have interruptions in rural services as well. The Deputy might send me the details. While I do not have any role with An Post, I will certainly forward the details to the company. While the Deputy is not suggesting this, as I said in response to a previous question, An Post does not operate on the basis of sentiment. An awful lot of people are bemoaning the fact that post offices are closing. In many cases, they are closing because of the economic inviability. There could be 300 or 400 people turning up to a public meeting. How many of those people use the post office? Postmasters cannot be paid to hang out over a counter and keep people in chat. They have to make a living. Unless people go in and use a post office, the post office becomes unviable. That is not just a rural phenomenon; it is also an urban one. To echo what the Deputy said, we have a use-it-or-lose it policy. Unfortunately, in the reality that we are in at the moment with EU state aid rules, if people do not use their local post offices, then the post offices in many cases will close.
Sentiment score: -0.06
If the Deputy sends me those details, I will arrange to do that. One thing I have a concern about, which I have previously raised, is that there is an obvious rush and everyone wants to see this rush around digitisation of public services, and that is a good thing. However, every time we take a letter out of the hands of An Post, there is a gap in where the company has to find that money. Over the past number of years, we have taken millions of letters out of the hands of An Post through various digitisation schemes, which have been looked for and welcomed in this House and pushed by people. That is all very well and good, but it has a knock-on consequence. We are not in a position where we can subsidise the postal service under EU state aid rules, as I outlined. Every letter that comes out of the hands of a postman has a knock-on consequence. While An Post is making great strides in parcel delivery, my hope is that it continues in that vein. Postal services across Europe have changed and they are going to change more, and we also have to accept that reality in Ireland. We have to be prepared to accept it. People cannot have a mail service without there being an increase in the price of stamps at the same time. Those two things do not make sense. I appreciate that the Deputy is trying to inject a bit of honesty into this debate, because for too long the postal services in this country have been politicalised to the point of being dishonest.
Sentiment score: 0.28
The Government is committed under the programme for Government to enhancing supports for the increased use of the Irish language. The provision of content by the independent production sector has been a key element of public service broadcasting in Ireland for many years. In particular TG4, as a publisher broadcaster, commissions the vast majority of its content from the independent sector and, as such, plays a significant role in supporting and nurturing the sector, especially the Irish language creative sector. Government support to TG4 has increased from €37.2 million in 2020 to €60 million this year. This has enabled TG4 to increase the content it commissions and, as a consequence, increase its investment in and support for the independent productions sector, particularly in the Gaeltacht. The Sound and Vision scheme continues to provide essential support for the independent production sector, including for independent Irish language productions. In 2024, the Sound and Vision scheme awarded over €7 million in funding support to Irish language or bilingual productions, with approximately 30% of the overall funding provided. In 2025 so far, this figure amounts to €5.5 million, or 39%. A total of €6.5 million in funding was awarded in the latest round of Sound and Vision, with €2.9 million or 46% of this going to support Irish language or bilingual productions. The general scheme of the broadcasting (amendment) Bill provides that funding schemes supporting the production of public service content shall allocate a minimum of 25% of funding in support of Irish language content production. The Future of Media Commission recommended that Coimisiún na Meán conduct a comprehensive review of Irish language media services. The review is being undertaken by Coimisiún na Meán. I await its findings to see how it can inform continued growth in the provision of Irish language content across the media sector. I fundamentally believe in supporting the Irish independent production sector and productions in the Irish language, as is reflected by the many ongoing supports provided to the sector through funding from Coimisiún na Meán and Screen Ireland as well as the section 481 film tax relief.
Sentiment score: 0.53
Tá an ceart ag an Teachta. Beidh an Bille a raibh mé ag caint faoi os comhair na Dála go luath. Coimisiún na Meán has a very important role in this in terms of making sure that ultimately the policy objectives of the Government are going to be adhered to. I have enunciated the responsibilities it has with regard to grant assistance and things like that. We have a very ambitious plan around the Irish language, I think that is fair to say in general terms. The funding to TG4 has almost doubled. It is not just TG4, however. Looking at the screen industry and Screen Ireland in particular, supports were given to "An Cailín Ciúin", for instance, and that is just one. The Film Fleadh in Galway during the summer showed a number of small productions that had been supported under section 481, such as a scale uplift I was recently able to provide for, to make sure the Irish language is not only seen on television through TG4 but also on the large screen. The potential is immense. At the moment, there is a kind of athbheochan na dteangacha éagsúla san Eoraip agus is í an Ghaeilge an ceann is tábhachtaí domsa.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I have met the streamers on a number of occasions now in the United States and online with regard to making sure the infrastructure is appropriate and adequate here in Ireland for production of television, trí mheán an Bhéarla agus na Gaeilge. As the Deputy rightly said, there has been a major uplift in the number of Irish-language productions in the last number of years and we want to continue that. We have a physical infrastructure now in terms of the stages, including in my own and the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach's area with Troy Studios as well as in Wicklow and Dublin, where the number of productions has skyrocketed over recent years, in no small way due to the work of Screen Ireland, the supports that have been put in place through section 481 and the scale uplift recently. We are hoping that through the programme for Government over the next number of years regional uplift will be given. It was given previously, probably at a really bad time in the context of Covid and everything else. It is something I would certainly like to revisit. Is iad na ceantair Ghaeltachta na ceantair ina mbeidh an seans acu an cos seo a chur chun cinn.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I welcome and support the publication of the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. The Department’s obligations, and those of bodies under its aegis, are contained under pillar 3 of the new strategy and include implementing Sport Ireland’s disability inclusion in sport statement and commitment to action, encouraging the production of accessible audiovisual content, embedding universal design and accessibility, addressing barriers, providing for an increased and richer participation of disabled audiences and creators in arts and cultural events nationwide, and enabling equal participation in the arts by disabled artists and arts workers. The disability lead and associated grants are funded through the overall budgetary allocations that my Department provides to the various agencies and bodies under my remit. With regard to the overall funding provided to such grants, my Department provided funding of €1.868 million in 2024 to the Arts Council to support artists and persons with disabilities to access services. In addition, in 2024, €22.7 million in funding was provided to the Coimisiún na Mean Sound and Vision scheme for the production of audio and audiovisual content. To date in 2025, €13.4 million has been provided. A key objective of the scheme is to encourage inclusivity and accessibility, which is achieved through support for programmes with access services like subtitling, audio description and Irish sign language. With regard to sport, there are a range of funding supports for persons with disabilities. While some funding is direct, most of the funding is part of a wider programme of expenditure and is subject to annual budgetary adjustments. To complement this strategy, I recently published an overview of supports provided by my Department to persons with disabilities and this is available on my Department’s website. This includes supports across the range of Government functions. I am committed to the delivery of goals and actions agreed by my Department for the culture, communications and sport sectors, as outlined in the strategy, and my officials will continue to engage with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality over the lifetime of the strategy.
Sentiment score: 0.43
While I might not be able to give the Deputy an answer with regard to trains, I certainly hope my colleague the Minister for Transport will. Generally with regard to venue accessibility, the Deputy makes a very good point. As somebody who has photosensitivity myself and is precluded from going into a lot of different places because of lighting schemes and the like, I know unfortunately what it is like to have a disability that precludes me from doing things that some people take for granted and just get on with. It can be very debilitating, there is no doubt about it. It means that participating in cultural activities which I would love to be in a position to do, and which I was criticised by The Irish Times for not being able to do - thanks, The Irish Times - is something I am acutely aware of. In the next round of grants I will be making available, particularly the first round of arts capital grants, I will have a particular emphasis on the issue of disability access, and also in the area of sports capital, which we have done for the last number of years. We have been very keen to bring inclusivity around the area of disability to the fore and will be continuing with that.
Sentiment score: 0.38
I certainly will. The point was raised earlier and we had a good discussion on the basic income for the arts. The Deputy will be as familiar with this as myself but one of the groups of people who are particularly hardest hit are disabled artists. We want to make sure that any replacement we bring to the scheme, which is currently on a pilot basis, does take into account - if we get the resources from the budget next week - the severe impediments and severe hurdles that people with disabilities have on top of being an artist. Having a disability and being an artist in this country at the moment is quite difficult and we want to try to be able to recognise that.
Sentiment score: 0.04
In July 2025, the first strategy action plan for creative arts and health was published as a joint policy document by the Department and the Department of Health. This is a key milestone in a policy partnership that began in 2020 in response to Covid. The plan aims to create a framework that can address the intersectoral and structural issues necessary to embed arts and health in a systemic way in Ireland in order to realise the potential of participation in creative and cultural activity as a positive health behaviour. The vision of the plan is that people living in Ireland have access to creative and cultural activity as part of a holistic health journey throughout their lives, supporting better health and well-being outcomes and enriching the creative and artistic landscape. Funding for the arts and health under the plan includes over €2 million from my Department for the creative health and wellbeing in the community scheme to support collaboration between Creative Ireland and healthy Ireland teams in the local authorities. The key focus of this initiative is supporting better mental health through participation in creative and cultural activities. Under the auspices of the plan, a number of innovative actions are being progressed, including the next iteration of the Traveller health and wellbeing through creativity scheme; the development of arts and health training for medical undergraduates; and support for the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing in Trinity College Dublin to provide further research evidence for the benefits of participation in creative and cultural activity. The Department and the Department of Health have also co-funded a music in nursing homes scheme, through which local authorities bring professional musicians with musical performances to residents. The benefits of sport and physical activity to physical and mental health are well proven. In partnership with the Department of Health under the healthy Ireland fund, Sport Ireland delivers a wide range of projects and programmes designed to increase the population's participation in sport and physical activity through the network of local sport's partnerships, recognised national governing bodies for sports and other relevant sporting organisations. Through initiatives such as Get Ireland Active and Get Ireland Walking, the outdoor swimming infrastructure scheme, and the physical activity for health programme, we are addressing key health challenges and breaking down barriers to participation in sport.
Sentiment score: 0.59
I could not agree with the Deputy. It is appropriate that his question has landed just as the Minister for Health has landed to the Chamber because this is an initiative that both Departments work on. The Minister and I are due to visit some nursing homes in the not too distant future to see the work that has taken place between the Department of Health and Creative Ireland. The Deputy is right. It is important that people are given a stimulus regardless of their age. Age should have no bearing on whether they participate in sport or cultural activity. Age should be no impediment or barrier to doing that; neither should someone's place of residence or their mobility or disability. The disability strategy I referred to goes a long way to that but we still have a lot of work to do in this space and in the collaboration between Sport Ireland, Creative Ireland, the HSE, my Department and that of the Minister for Health over the next number of months and years. We have ambition in this space. If Covid taught us anything it is that we cannot just leave our elderly with a radio, to be looked at through a sheet a glass. That is not stimulus and is not what anybody wants for anybody who is in an institution. They might be well looked after but there is more to life than that.
Sentiment score: 0.04