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Culture, Sport and Heritage

The Challenge

The spheres of sport, arts and culture have long been a distinctive part of the fabric of Irish life. In a sense they constitute an important part of who we are as a people. As a country we are proud of our sporting and cultural achievements, whether at a professional level, where our sportsmen and women and artists, writers and musicians continue to excel on the international stage, or at the amateur level, where the culture of volunteerism is a testimony to the spirit of community that is still alive and well in Irish life.

Nonetheless there is a sense that the sporting, cultural and recreational aspects of life are increasingly under threat. As our material prosperity increases many of us have less time for sporting, artistic and recreational pursuits.

This is particularly evident in the arts. For a country which prides itself on its musical, literary and artistic heritage, we have extremely low participation rates in cultural pursuits in comparison to our European counterparts. A recent Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Commission, estimated that one in three Irish people never attend a gallery, a museum or a play, or sample a variety of live music.

The picture appears to be brighter for sport. In 2003, for example, Irish people attended more sports events per capita than any other country in the EU15. Half a million of us regularly play sport, while 400,000 volunteer as coaches, match officials and referees.

Yet, for all the enjoyment and benefits we derive from sport in Ireland, we could do better. Our elite athletes do not receive enough financial support. The standing of sports and PE in our schools is abysmal. Private sector leisure has overtaken public provision at local level, making participation in some sports dependent on income. Clubs around the country can find it hard to make ends meet, let alone invest in new facilities..

Like the arts and recreation, the public value of our shared heritage has been downgraded over the past ten years. Our heritage and natural environment belong to all of the people of Ireland, including future generations. We believe that our common culture and, language and heritage should be protected, not painted as obstacles to progress.

We are also aware, however, that as well as preserving the past, we need to keep a firm eye on the future. As a country we need to be prepared for the huge shifts in the cultural landscape which are set to take place in the coming years, particularly in the area of digital broadcasting.

Space for culture and recreation has been crowded out in modern Ireland. We believe that it is time to redress the balance.

Ireland can do better Labour in government will put sport, arts and culture at the heart of the national agenda. We will provide the support, financial or otherwise, to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to partake in the cultural and sporting life of the nation.

What Labour will do

The Arts

Art, music, literature and drama are regularly dismissed as being the preserve of the elite. Labour wants to challenge that perception. We believe that everyone, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to engage with the arts. Thus we are proposing a comprehensive and properly resourced cultural strategy, which will promote artistic excellence as well as ensuring greater access to arts and culture for all our people. A key aim of our strategy is to improve the quality of and opportunities for education in the arts so that all children and young people can maximise their creative potential.

We will:

• Create a designated Arts section within the Department of Education which will ensure good practice in teaching of the arts at both primary and secondary level. A review of the curriculum, particularly in primary schools, and ensuring that objectives within the curriculum are being met.
• Provide vouchers for music lessons at primary level to ensure where practicable, 30 hours of free tuition by qualified teachers is available to all students during one designated year.
• Ensure minimum guaranteed funding for the Arts Council, to be administered on a contestable basis within a multi-annual framework, and resources to implement outstanding policy commitments.
• A designated government fund for local arts development to bring local funding eventually to a level equivalent with central government funding.
• Coordinated strategies for Youth Arts development between relevant government departments and agencies, such as the Arts Council, the Department of Education and local authorities.
• Develop an initiative for bringing international arts and culture of the highest quality into this country.
• A National Endowment Fund for the Arts to help artists 'buy time' to train, to experiment or to think.

The spheres of sport, arts and culture have long been a distinctive part of the fabric of Irish life. In a sense they constitute an important part of who we are as a people.

Sport

Sport has a vital role to play in every society. Labour recognises the immense community, health and economic benefits of sport and will make the advancement of sport and recreation a central part of its policies in government. We see sport as an essential part of building a better Ireland for hardworking families and communities. As with our arts policy, we believe that the key to promoting a healthier and fitter society is to start at a young age. Thus one of our key commitments will be to enhance the role and profile of physical education in our schools.

We will:

• Make PE an exam subject for the Junior and Leaving Certificates, giving it points status for third level entry in the latter.
• Put the Irish Sports Council, to be renamed Sport and Recreation Ireland, at the heart of the public policy system, giving it an enhanced coordinating role in respect of capital and current expenditure by central government and its agencies, including local government.
• For the elite amateur sector Labour proposes the establishment Gradam, an all-island scheme similar to the Aosdána scheme that has been such a success in the arts and culture sector.
• Ensure a permanent home for the Community Games.
• Sport and Recreation Ireland will be given a formal role in the local government planning process, representing the cause of community and amenity development in the planning and zoning system.
• Sport and Recreation Ireland will also partner local authorities, OPW, Coillte and Waterways Ireland to further develop outdoor activity facilities such as treks, walks, cycle ways etc on an integrated local, regional and national basis.
• Introduce legislation to address the issue of access by hill walkers to upland areas, indemnifying landowners from liability for injury experienced by strangers entering on lands where they have not been invited.
• Provide funding to schools to upgrade their PE and sporting facilities, where appropriate in association with local sporting bodies.
• Funding will also be made available for the provision of specialist sport and physical activity teachers for all primary schools, initially in those schools in the most underprivileged areas.
• Introduce after-school and holiday sports schemes for students.
• Support and develop minority sports and recreational activities to ensure that all aspects and interests of our population are addressed.

Heritage

Our heritage and our natural environment are precious assets. Ireland's historical heritage is integral to our national identity and crucial to tourism and recreation; our economy is dependent on the natural environment. Both must be preserved and protected. Heritage and environmental conservation have been cast by the present government as inhibitors of progress, economic growth and development. This is a short-sighted and simplistic view and an inappropriate basis for the conduct of environment and conservation policy.

We will:

• We will strengthen the legal protection afforded to the cultural heritage of the people, including its archaeological, architectural, monumental, industrial, artistic and scientific heritage. We will ensure that newly discovered heritage objects, which shed light on our common heritage and history, would belong to the people. We will also seek to incorporate a commitment to intergenerational justice into legislation concerning environmental sustainability and our shared heritage.
• The duty of care for heritage and conservation out of the Ministry of the Environment, Heritage and Local government, will be transferred to our proposed Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment. Responsibility for conservation of the environment and heritage should not co-exist with responsibility for infrastructure.
• The Labour Party is opposed to the building of a motorway through the Tara-Skryne valley. We accept that the M3 is necessary to relieve commuter congestion and that it should be built in three sections. However, the section through the Tara-Skryne valley should be re-routed to avoid the destruction of our Celtic heritage.
• We are particularly concerned at the possibility of major development being attracted to the area around the motorway, which would contribute further damage to Tara and its environs. Labour in government will work to prevent such development taking place.
• We will incorporate ecosystem services and economic and social benefits into the cost-benefit analysis and environmental impact assessment of infrastructural projects.
• We will enhance environment and heritage education in our schools.

Labour in government will put sport, arts and culture at the heart of the national agenda. We will provide the support, financial or otherwise, to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to partake in the cultural and sporting life of the nation

Broadcasting

Public service broadcasting is a vital public service and resource that is essential in any working democracy. However, Irish public service broadcasting is in danger of being rendered obsolete by the 'digital age'. All EU member states are to have completed the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting by 2012. However, under the outgoing government Ireland has made very little progress towards this target. The next government will have to face the significant challenge of keeping public service broadcasting technologically and practically relevant in the digital age. If not, we are in danger of creating a 'digital divide' between those who can access new technologies and systems, and those who cannot.

We will:

• Ensure a comprehensive digital broadcasting changeover strategy - including choice of platform(s) - is developed as a matter of urgency.
• Guarantee that the digital switchover will be achieved equitably and ahead of the EU deadline of end-2012.
• Legislate to conserve the RTÉ Authority as a public corporation and the provider of free-toair public service broadcasting services on radio, television and 'new media'.
• Review the role of RTÉ as the state's public broadcasting corporation in light of the challenges posed by the increased diversity of Irish society and the digital changeover.We are committed to maintaining the integrity of public service broadcasting.
• Conduct a public consultation on the existing television license fee and alternative funding formulas for public service broadcasting in the light of technological convergence, such consultation to be completed and acted upon within 12 months.
• Require the RTÉ Authority to review the current structure of its broadcasting operations and examine possible new, free-to-air public broadcasting services including public affairs broadcasting (i.e. parliamentary broadcasting, coverage of Northern Ireland and European affairs) in the light of the change-over to digital.
• Require that the Authority's free-to-air public services are provided across all relevant platforms.
• Mandate RTÉ to provide a number of periods of children's programming during the day when there would be no advertising and work at European level towards a ban on advertising aimed at children
• Create a new framework for the allocation and management of all radiospectrum (whether for broadcasting or other purposes). This would distinguish between Reserved spectrum (set aside to meet public interest, social and cultural objectives of government, including public broadcasting goals) and Commercial spectrum. The latter would be rights-based, assigned or allocated through market mechanisms with spectrum going to its highest value use.
• In the context of digitisation and technological convergence, decide whether the Authority's subsidiary company, RTÉ Networks, will remain with the Authority or taken into separate public ownership.
• Establish a policy-formulation, supervisory, management and regulatory regime, institutions and rules appropriate to the mixed economy in broadcasting and radio communications, technological convergence and digitisation.
• Insist that RTÉ programmes are broadcast in the UK.

The Irish Language

There must be a dramatic and fundamental change in the State's approach to the preservation and revival of the Irish language. Considerable resources continue to be invested in the teaching of Irish, yet the use of Irish has been declining since the foundation of the State.

Despite this clear failure of policy there is no clear, strategic plan for the future of the language. Furthermore, there is little meaningful dialogue between the State and the citizen on key unresolved issues, including possibility of widespread bi-lingualism.

Debate on these issues is urgently needed, but it must be open, generous and tolerant. We need to make a choice about the role of the Irish language in Irish society. At present, the real choices are being made by the people themselves. Usage is in decline in the traditional Irish speaking areas, especially among the young, but interest in its use is growing elsewhere, as demonstrated by the expansion of Irish-medium schools.

The vocabulary and idiom of the language have been adapted to the demands of contemporary society and culture. Irish language broadcasting has proven a great success, notably TG4 established by a Labour Minister, Michael D. Higgins.

Our objective in government is to stimulate a broad debate about the future of Irish as a spoken language and to use this as a foundation for future policy. It will be our aim to reform the approach of the State to Irish so that the efforts of communities and voluntary organisations are re-enforced by adequate funding and encouraged to flourish by a positive support. Our aim will be to raise the status of Irish as a vernacular and to re-enforce its role in cultural and academic life.

We will:

• Establish a Forum on the Irish Language involving all sectors of society and the relevant stakeholders.
• We will seek as early as possible a report from each Public Body named in the Schedule to the Official Languages Act 2003 and require it to outline its programme on the Irish Language, its success in achieving policy objectives and details of the resources committed to achieving them.

Education

We will:

• Actively support those parents wishing to have their children educated through Irish.
• Remove administrative obstacles to the establishment and development of gaelscoileanna and gaelcolaistí and to ensure that they have adequate resources in terms of buildings, teachers and facilities.
• Examine how Irish language literacy can be improved in Gaeltacht schools and gaelscoileanna.
• We will introduce a range of measures to improve the teaching of Irish in English medium schools.
• Explore the development of a new Irish curriculum for primary and post-primary pupils who are native speakers of Irish and those who are attending Irish-medium schools.
• Encourage, and financially support, expansion of the gaelcolaistí.
• Tackle the crisis regarding the number and quality of teachers capable of teaching through Irish.
• Encourage third level institutions to expand the range of courses given through Irish and insist that Departments of Irish are properly funded and maintained.
• We will examine the possibility of reestablishing an Irish language teacher training college.

Launch a project on the "Recovery and Rediscovery of Our National Heritage" with the aim of editing, translating and publishing the vast store of material in Irish and Latin contained in the manuscripts housed in libraries at home and abroad.

Retain and expand the Departments of Old and Middle Irish and Medieval Latin in the universities and, along with the School of Celtic Studies, charge them with this task.

Fund the collection and publication of folklore and song as part of our heritage project.

Teanga na Gaeilge

Caithfear athmheasúnú bunúsach a dhéanamh ar chur chuige an stáit maidir le caomhnú agus athnuachan na Gaeilge. Leantar d'acmhainní suntasacha a infheistiú i dteagasc na Gaeilge, ach mar sin féin tá laghdú ag teacht ar úsáid na Gaeilge ó bunaíodh an stát.

Cé gur léir gur tharla cliseadh polasaí níl plean soiléir, straitéiseach ar bith beartaithe do thodhchaí na teanga. Lena chois sin, níl mórán d'idirphlé idir an stát agus an saoránach maidir le príomhcheisteanna nár réitíodh, lena n-áirítear an fhéidearthacht dátheangachas forleithéadach a bheith ann.

Tá gá práinneach ann le díospóireacht ar na ceisteanna seo, ach ní mór go mbeadh sé oscailte, macánta agus fulangach. Caithfimid rogha a dhéanamh faoi ról na Gaeilge i sochaí na hÉireann. Faoi láthair, is iad na daoine féin atá ag déanamh na fíor-roghanna. Tá laghdú tagtha ar úsáid na Gaeilge sna ceantair ina labhraítear Gaeilge go traidisiúnta, go háirithe i measc daoine óga, ach tá suim in úsáid na Gaeilge ag fás in áiteanna eile, mar a léirítear le leathnú na scoileanna trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Rinneadh gluais agus cor cainte na teanga a oiriúnú d'éilimh na sochaí agus an chultúir nua-aimseartha. Tá éirithe go an-mhaith le craoladh na Gaeilge, go háirithe TG4 a bhunaigh Aire Saothair, Michael D. Higgins.

Is é ár gcuspóir sa Rialtas ná díospóireacht leathan a spreagadh faoi thodhchaí na Gaeilge mar theanga labhartha agus é seo a úsáid mar bhonn do pholasaí amach anseo. Is í ár n-aidhm ná cur chuige an stáit maidir leis an nGaeilge a leasú sa dóigh is go ndéanfar iarrachtaí pobal agus eagraíochtaí deonacha a athneartú trí mhaoiniú imleor agus go ndéanfar iad a spreagadh chun teacht i dtreis trí thacaíocht dhearfach. Is í ár n-aidhm ná stádas na Gaeilge a ardú mar theanga choiteann agus a ról sa saol cultúrach agus acadúil a athneartú.

Déanfaidh Páirtí an Lucht Oibre an méid seo a leanas:

• Fóram a bhunú ar Theanga na Gaeilge ina mbeidh gach earnáil sa tsochaí agus gach geallsealbhóir ábhartha bainteach.
• Chomh luath agus is féidir lorgóimid tuarascáil ó gach comhlacht stáit atá ainmnithe sa Sceideal le hAcht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003 agus éileoimid air breac-chuntas a thabhairt ar a chlár ar Theanga na Gaeilge, a rath maidir le cuspóirí polasaí a bhaint amach, agus sonraí ar na hacmhainní sainaitheanta chun iad a bhaint amach.

Oideachas

Déanfaidh Páirtí an Lucht Oibre an méid seo a leanas:

• Tacaíocht ghníomhach a thabhairt do na tuismitheoirí siúd ar mian leo go bhfaighidh a bpáistí a gcuid oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge.
• Fáil réidh le bacainní riaracháin maidir le bunú agus forbairt gaelscoileanna agus gaelcholáistí agus a chinntiú go bhfuil acmhainní imleora acu i dtéarmaí foirgneamh, múinteoirí agus saoráidí.
• Tús a chur le hathbhreithniú beart chun feabhas a chur ar theagasc na Gaeilge i mbunscoileanna agus scoileanna dara leibhéal atá trí Bhéarla.
• Scrúdú a dhéanamh ar an mbealach ar féidir feabhas a chur ar litearthacht na Gaeilge i scoileanna na Gaeltachta agus gaelscoileanna.
• Scrúdú a dhéanamh ar fhorbairt de churaclam úr sa Gaeilge do dhaltaí bunscoile agus iarbhunscoile ar cainteoirí dúchasacha Gaeilge iad agus iad siúd a théann ar scoileanna Gaeilge.
• Spreagadh, agus tacaíocht airgeadais, a thabhairt do leathnú na ngaelcholáistí.
• Dul i ngleic leis an ngéarchéim maidir le líon agus caighdéan na múinteoirí atá ábalta teagasc trí Ghaeilge.
• Scrúdú a dhéanamh ar bhunú de choláiste oiliúna do mhúinteoirí Gaeilge.
• Institiúidí tríú leibhéal a spreagadh chun raon na gcúrsaí atá ar fáil trí Ghaeilge a fhairsingiú agus éileoimid go ndéanfar Rannóga Gaeilge a mhaoiniú agus a choinneáil i gceart.
• Tionscadal a lainseáil ar "Athshlánú agus Athfhionnadh ár nOidhreachta Náisiúnta" agus í d'aidhm aige eagarthóireacht a dhéanamh ar an stór mór ábhair i nGaeilge agus i Laidin atá sna lámhscríbhinní sna leabharlanna anseo agus thar lear agus é a aistriú agus a fhoilsiú.
• Rannóga na Sean-Ghaeilge agus na Meán-Ghaeilge agus Laidin na hÉireann a choinneáil agus a fhairsingiú sna hollscoileanna agus, in éineacht le Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, an tasc seo a thabhairt dóibh.
• Maoiniú a thabhairt do bhailiú agus d'fhoilsiú an bhéalóidis agus an amhráin mar chuid dár dtionscadail oidhreachta.