I am delighted to be here in Killarney today, not least because it gives me the opportunity to acknowledge and salute the enormous contribution made to Irish life by the Fossett family since they began touring in 1875.
Circus is a unique performing art form accessible to all sections of the community on all parts of the island. It is probably the oldest performing arts institution in the country.
Now at 132 years old, Fossett's Circus tours for more than 35 weeks every year, playing to more than 80,000 people - many of whom may never attend any other form of theatre.
They have brought their own special brand of magic to the ordinary people of Ireland. Long before cinema was even invented, touring circus was one of the only forms of live entertainment available outside the main cities. Fossett's has become synonymous with magical childhood memories.
There is not a parish, town or city in Ireland in which they have not performed and scarcely a family in the country that has not experienced their particular brand of theatre. Long before the concepts of touring theatre, audience education or marginalised audience development were heard of, this family was bringing theatre and entertainment to audiences who did not know they were marginalised or under-resourced. These audiences looked forward to the annual visit from what they recognised as their national circus. Fossett's were, and are, theatre of the people.
I was privileged to be in a position to put forward the amendment to the Arts Art 2003, which included circus in the list of arts specifically mentioned in the legislation. That amendment placed Ireland well ahead of most other European countries in recognising circus as an important artform in its own right and not just a subset of theatre. Ireland is lucky to possess a proud circus tradition, which can be traced directly back to the foundation of modern circus itself in 1765, and my intention was to preserve that tradition for future generations.
I believe that, in a world dominated by digital communications, instant news, mobile phones, games consoles and other passive forms of entertainment, circus still has a vital role to play in allowing children to be children. Circus brings out the child in all of us and as such must be treasured and protected. Circus is also very often a child's first and sometimes only experience of live performance.
In making that amendment to the 2003 Arts Act, I was very conscious of the campaign begun in 1973 by the late Teddy Fossett to have circus recognised as an artform. This campaign was continued by his sons, Edward and Robert, in 2002. Their combined efforts have resulted in safeguarding this venerable performing art for many generations to come.
The Arts Act 2003 placed circus in a position, which enabled the Arts Council to develop a policy whereby circus could be resourced and its development assured. I know that many people, in the world of circus and outside, were highly sceptical that this legislative change would make the slightest difference in practical terms. Those people believed, despite the explicit wording of the new Act, that the State would continue to refuse financial assistance to the circus arts.
Well, I have no doubt that our subsequent actions have confounded those sceptics once and for all. The financial support for circus being provided both through the Arts Council and directly by my Department of Arts, Sport & Tourism, is very real, very substantial, and has the prospect, if properly used, of utterly transforming the future of the circus arts here in Ireland.
This Government's philosophy has always been to increase participation in the arts and to make the arts a real option for people throughout the country. As such, arts and cultural projects in Ireland are being provided with over €216m in 2007. A further €1.13 billion has been provided in the National Development Plan 2007-2013 Culture Sub-Programme, €904m of which is allocated to areas under the remit of my Department.
This very significant expenditure will be used to protect and showcase our cultural heritage, support universal access to arts and cultural facilities and also assist the tourism industry and product development in this area. As I have said on many occasions, this unprecedented level of funding truly heralds a renaissance period in the Irish arts and culture sphere.
My Department has also made substantial resources available through the ACCESS scheme to encourage participation in the arts and to facilitate enjoyment of the arts including the national collections. In that context, I was delighted to announce recently the provision of €32m to 67 projects nationwide under the ACCESS II scheme.
Of that figure, I was, of course, delighted to announce the provision of over €2m to 5 projects here in Kerry, which will assist the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructure, thereby enhancing access to the arts throughout the city and county.
A total of €81m has been commanded under the National Development Plan for the ACCESS II scheme, the successor to the highly successful ACCESS I scheme, introduced in August 2001, which allocated over €43m nationwide.
The assistance being given to Fossett's Circus specifically, amounts to €200,000 under my Department's ACCESS II scheme and a further €85,000 from the Arts Council's Capital Grant scheme.
This process is ongoing and the initial funding provided to Fossett's Circus now allows them to develop their artistic aims and ideas to a level, which would not have been otherwise possible. They are now also in a position to reach marginalised audiences who would not have been able to experience their circus before.
The support will also enable Fossett's to preserve and improve the machine behind this large circus. Their touring operation is substantial and expensive. The 750-seater big top, lighting and sound equipment, generators, trailers, lorries and living accommodation all have to be transported from location to location. A circus such a Fossett's is like an iceberg. What the public sees is but the tip and behind the scenes the trucks, generators, living units, compressors, heaters and miles of cables and pipes are hidden from view. They are, nonetheless, vital to the finished product and are in constant need of upgrade and renewal.
Fossett's are an Irish family who have brought entertainment and magic to countless generations of other Irish families for more than 130 years. On behalf of the Irish people I would like to thank them for this and I hope they will continue for many generations to come.
Thank you very much indeed.
[ENDS]