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Press release

Ministers Martin, Byrne and O’Donovan reflect on achievements in 2023

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne, and Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta, Patrick O’Donovan, have underlined their department’s support over 2023 to strengthen and support its key sectors of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Reflecting on the year, all three Ministers outlined key funding and measures which have helped sectors grow and contribute to the Irish economy and Irish society in general.

Minister Martin said:

“My department has continued to support our much-valued sectors, such as Tourism, Culture, the Gaeltacht, Sport, Media and the Arts, through unprecedented challenges. The key supports the government has allotted to these sectors have ensured the vibrant and dynamic development and continued resurgence of Irish arts and culture, tourism, sport and our native language throughout the year.

“We’ve made significant progress around online safety. In March, the new regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, overseeing media regulation and online safety was established. In December, An Coimisiún published the first draft Online Safety Code for video-sharing platform services for consultation. That finalised Code will form part of Ireland’s overall online safety framework, holding online services to account for how they keep people safe online. A national counter disinformation strategy, a key recommendation from the Future of Media Commission, is also well underway. In the autumn there was an online public consultation process with a stakeholder consultation forum held at the end of November. We are on course to publish the Strategy by the end of Q1 2024.”

She continued:

“It has been a challenging year for public service broadcasting following the revelations of corporate governance and control failures at RTÉ. However, the various reviews and examinations which have been put in train, together with its Strategic Vision, will help pave the way forward for rebuilding trust in RTÉ and ensuring that public service values are at the core of its future activities. Putting in place a new funding model is key to ensuring a sustainable future for public service media in Ireland, and will be one of my priorities for 2024.

"Against this backdrop, however, it is important to note the global success this year of Irish productions such as “An Cailín Ciúin” and “The Banshees of Inisherin”. This year’s increase to the cap in the Section 481 film tax relief scheme will ensure that Ireland remains one of the most attractive locations for high-quality, high-value international film and television production. The new Media Fund will also support the wider broadcasting and media landscape, and additional funding provided to TG4 this year has consolidated the development and launch of Cúla4, the first Irish Language TV channel for young people.

“In terms of tourism, Ireland’s largest indigenous economic sector, overall funding of €216 million will enable us to continue to support the recovery of the sector, with a particular focus on areas most impacted by the current displacement of tourism accommodation, and to keep Ireland at front of mind in our key overseas markets. There has also been good engagement with stakeholders on the development of a new National Tourism Policy Framework which I hope to publish in Q1 2024 and which will have sustainability at its core.”

Minister Byrne said:

“2023 was a watershed year for women’s sport, with the Irish team’s participation at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, proving a personal highlight for me. This year, I was proud to introduce a new “Similar Access Rule” for men and women under the Sport Capital and Equipment Programme and the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund, oversee significant progress in respect of the 40% gender balance on boards target, and double the funding for Women in Sport Programmes under Budget 2024.

"I am determined to see our participation levels increased and in order to meet this ambition, I understand the need to have adequate facilities in place. Earlier this year, I was very glad to open a new round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme for applications and more recently, I announced over €37 million in “Top Up” grant allocations to existing projects under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund to assist the delivery of those projects. And in looking ahead, I look forward to seeing a new round of the Fund open for applications in 2024.”

Minister O’Donovan said:

“In my own area of the Gaeltacht and the Irish language, 2023 was a momentous year. In particular, I was proud to increase funding to our Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Líonraí Gaeilge. This increased funding will go a long way towards our aims of preserving the Irish language as a vibrant and living community language in Gaeltacht areas and promoting its daily use outside the Gaeltacht.”

Some of the key measures introduced over 2023 to help support the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media sectors, as well as other major announcements in all sectors under the department’s remit, are outlined below.

Tourism

  • Mount Congreve Gardens reopened following €7 million re-development
  • appointed six new board members and a new chair to the National Tourism Development Authority (Fáilte Ireland)
  • new €3 million surf school opened in Strandhill, Co. Sligo
  • launch by Fáilte Ireland of 4 Regional Tourism Strategies
  • Fáilte Ireland invested more than €6 million in grants to drive digital transformation for hundreds of tourism businesses
  • downstream supports for tourism businesses affected by accommodation displacement announced in Budget 2024
  • continued additional funding for overseas marketing of Ireland as a leading holiday destination
  • work got under way on a new brand collaboration tourism project linking the Causeway Coastal Route and the Wild Atlantic Way - €7.6 million secured in Shared Island funding from 2023-2025
  • €7.75 million in Brexit Adjustment Reserve funding allowed Tourism Ireland to put in place a marketing strategy to retain business from Great Britain, increase the numbers of EU visitors in Ireland to reduce dependence on the Great Britain market and drive greater market diversification
  • €3 million was allocated to Tourism Ireland this year to promote regional access to Ireland in overseas tourism markets through initiatives like the Regional Cooperative Marketing Access Scheme which seeks to encourage new access and maximise the potential of existing services to the regions

Culture and arts

  • funding of €782,000 for the Safe to Create Programme including €300,000 for Minding Creative Minds
  • new films and podcasts launched as part of Mná100 under the Decade of Centenaries programme
  • appointed new board members to the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland
  • funding of €6.1 million for the 2023 Creative Ireland Programme Creative Communities initiative across all 31 local authorities
  • two new appointments to the Board of the Abbey Theatre
  • commencement of the National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) (Amendment) Act 2023
  • major US trade mission to boost investment in Ireland’s film industry, tourism and culture to coincide with Ireland’s historic Oscar Night
  • funding of €6.6 million for Culture Ireland, its highest to date, for the promotion of Irish arts globally, with a further €885,000 announced subsequently
  • €2 million investment in a special initiative to promote contemporary Irish arts and culture in Germany in 2024
  • programme for the final year of the Decade of Centenaries published
  • launched new Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 for children and young people
  • planning granted for the major redevelopment of the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork
  • research programme into Basic Income for the Arts published its first findings
  • €100,000 support for Mullingar Fleadh Cheoil 2023
  • up to €1 million in funding for local museums and galleries to support the Night-Time Economy
  • Ireland at Venice opened at the Venice Biennale
  • National Famine Commemoration took place in Milford, Co. Donegal
  • Markievicz Award 2023 recipients announced
  • new committee on the representation of women’s stories in the National Cultural Institutions and to consider a potential women’s museum announced
  • €2 million grant for a new visual, performance and community arts centre in Offaly
  • Cruinniú na nÓg 2023, a day full of youthful creative energy, featured over 700 events nationwide
  • new funding and plan to support cultural organisations to reduce carbon emissions
  • establishment of a new expert committee on the restitution and repatriation of culturally sensitive objects in Ireland
  • €5.8 million funding announced for creative, cultural and artistic initiatives under the new Creative Climate Action Fund II

Gaeltacht

  • €200,000 in funding for Seachtain na Gaeilge’s Ciste Spreagtha
  • €910,000 for Irish language publishing and the development of Ulster Scots
  • interim board appointed to Údarás na Gaeltachta and new permanent board members appointed
  • signalled support for new Irish language radio service after new research pointed to strong interest among younger audiences
  • €3.72 million fund for the promotion of the arts in the Gaeltacht
  • €518,259 for Conradh na Gaeilge’s 'Gluaiseacht' project
  • commencement of key Sections of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021
  • Cathair Saidhbhín recognised as a Gaeltacht Service Town with €560,000 fund approved
  • additional 20% increase in funding for Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Líonraí Gaeilge
  • €600,000 funding for Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta in Donegal
  • nomination of a new Coimisinéir Teanga, for appointment to the role by President Higgins

Sport

  • €24 million investment in high-performance sport
  • doubling in annual funding for Women in Sport programmes
  • significant progress made in respect of 40% gender balance board membership target
  • successful joint bid by Ireland and UK joint to host the EURO 2028
  • €35 million allocated under the Sports Energy Support Scheme
  • new round of Sports Capital and Equipment Programme launched
  • over €37 million in top-up allocations under the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund and new round to open in first half of 2024
  • new Similar Access requirement for men and women under Sports Capital and Equipment Programme and Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund
  • €500,000 in additional funding for Women’s and Girls’ soccer in recognition of Women’s World Cup
  • launch of new template National Code of Conduct for Irish sport
  • National Digital Database for Sport & Recreation Amenities – “Get Ireland Active” – launched
  • new chair and two new board members appointed to Sport Ireland
  • planning permission secured for National Velodrome and Badminton Centre
  • dedicated OFI and athletes building, “The Long Barn” opened on the National Sport Campus

Media

  • new action plan for the implementation of the Future of Media Commission Recommendations
  • multi-stakeholder Working Group established to develop a National Counter Disinformation Strategy
  • formal establishment of Coimisiún na Meán and appointment of Commissioners
  • 144 radio, TV and community broadcast projects secured over €7.5 million through Sound and Vision Scheme
  • new Irish-language channel for young people, Cúla 4 launched
  • 32 radio stations secure €2.4 million for media literacy, gender equality, diversity, inclusion, and building communities
  • external independent reviews into RTÉ announced