Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
Encyclopedia
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is a department
of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to contribute to the economic, social and cultural progress of Irish society and the enrichment of its quality of life through promoting sustainable tourism
; encouraging excellence in sporting and artistic achievement; facilitating greater access to sport and the arts; and preservation of Ireland's cultural inheritance. It is led by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht who is assisted by one Minister of State
.
, Dublin 2. The department also has offices in South Frederick Street in Dublin and in New Road, Killarney
, County Kerry
. The departmental team consists of the following:
The Department is responsible for funding important Irish cultural institutions like
and organisations such as:
Over the years its name has changed several times, however, the role of the department has remained the same. The department has been known as the following:
Department of State (Ireland)
A Department of State of Ireland, is a department or ministry of the Government of Ireland. The head of such a department is a Minister of the Government , often called a 'cabinet minister' or 'government minister' which should not be confused with Minister of State which is a junior non-cabinet...
of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to contribute to the economic, social and cultural progress of Irish society and the enrichment of its quality of life through promoting sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the...
; encouraging excellence in sporting and artistic achievement; facilitating greater access to sport and the arts; and preservation of Ireland's cultural inheritance. It is led by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht who is assisted by one Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
.
Departmental team
The official headquarters and Ministerial offices of the department are at 23 Kildare StreetKildare Street
Kildare Street is a well-known street in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland close to the principal shopping area of Grafton Street and Dawson Street, to which it is joined by Molesworth Street. Some Irish government departments have their offices on this street but it is most famous for Leinster...
, Dublin 2. The department also has offices in South Frederick Street in Dublin and in New Road, Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. The departmental team consists of the following:
- Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan-Club:Deenihan had much success at club and divisional level with his local teams. At under-age level he won an under-14 North Kerry Championship with Finuge in 1963. Five years later in 1968 he won an under-16 North Kerry Championship with the famous Listowel Emmet's club...
, TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
- Minister of StateMinister of State (Ireland)A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
for GaeltachtGaeltachtis the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
Affairs: Dinny McGinleyDinny McGinleyDenis "Dinny" McGinley is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Donegal South West constituency since February 1982. He was appointed Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs by Taoiseach Enda Kenny on 10 March 2011.-Background:McGinley was born and brought up in...
, TD
- Minister of State
- Secretary General of the Department: Con Haugh
Overview
In carrying out its mandate the department undertakes a variety of functions including:- formulation, development and evaluation of policy and structures to promote and foster the practice and appreciation of the creative and interpretative arts and to encourage the development of the Irish film industry
- enabling the national cultural institutions to preserve and protect Ireland's moveable heritage and cultural assets
- formulation, development and evaluation of sport policy
- overseeing major sports projects
- facilitating the continued development by the tourism industry of an economic and environmentally sustainable and spatially balanced tourism sector
- creating an environment enabling the National Cultural Institutions to flourish through the provision of financial resources and an appropriate policy framework
The Department is responsible for funding important Irish cultural institutions like
- National Gallery of IrelandNational Gallery of IrelandThe National Gallery of Ireland houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street. It was founded in 1854 and opened its doors ten years later...
- National Library of IrelandNational Library of IrelandThe National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
- National Museum of IrelandNational Museum of IrelandThe National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
and organisations such as:
- Culture IrelandCulture IrelandCulture Ireland is the Irish State Agency established to promote and advance Irish Arts internationally. It was set up in 2005 and is funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs. Its budget for 2010 was €4.083m...
- Arts Council of IrelandArts Council of IrelandThe Arts Council of Ireland was founded in 1951 by the Government of Ireland to encourage interest in Irish art and channel to funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations...
(which also acts as the "Cultural Contact Point" to access EU cultural programme funding) - Heritage CouncilHeritage CouncilThe National Heritage Council is an organisation created by the Irish government to "propose policies and priorities for the identification, protection, preservation and enhancement of the national heritage."...
History
The Minister for Economic Planning and Development was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1977. The title was renamed Minister for Energy by order in 1980 and again in 1993 the title changed to Minister for Tourism and Trade. Several more title changes occurred, the current title was created on 23 March 2010.Over the years its name has changed several times, however, the role of the department has remained the same. The department has been known as the following:
- Department of Economic Planning and Development (1977–1980)
- Department of Energy (1980–1981)
- Department of Industry and Energy (1981–1983)
- Department of Energy (1983–1993)
- Department of Tourism and Trade (1993–1997)
- Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation (1997–2002)
- Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism (2002–2010)
- Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport (2010–2011)
- Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (2011–present)