Well-being Indicator for Language and Culture

Full Transcript:
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The second report on Ireland’s well-being framework was published at the beginning of this month. It mirrors very closely the OECD Better Life Index, which is excellent in many respects but largely silent on questions of language and culture. Does the Minister see a role for a specific dimension within the framework that could deal with language and culture, as is the case in corresponding New Zealand and Welsh well-being frameworks?

Deputy Catherine Martin

Ireland’s well-being framework is the result of a programme for Government commitment to develop a set of well-being indices to create a well-rounded, holistic view of how Irish society is faring. The overarching vision for the framework is enabling all our people to live fulfilled lives now and into the future. The framework is a cross-government initiative, which is led by the Department of the Taoiseach and jointly sponsored by the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform.

The second report on Ireland’s well-being framework, Understanding Life in Ireland: A Well-being Framework, was published on 2 June. This report sets out an updated well-being framework for Ireland, which has 11 dimensions of well-being as well as sustainability and equality as cross-cutting themes.

With regard to language and culture, which were raised by the Deputy, Ireland’s well-being framework is similar to comparative international well-being frameworks. The 11 dimensions allow for a multidimensional approach to monitoring Irish society and the consideration of language and culture takes place across a number of the dimensions. Cultural identity and language issues are considered as part of the dimension entitled civic engagement, trust and cultural expression, which includes an aspect of cultural expression, identity and non-discrimination. This dimension explores a person’s rights to express his or her identity, for example, activities relating to specific groups such as traditional Irish communities, including Gaeltacht communities, as well as the cultural practices and expression of migrant or new Irish. It also includes the ability to express one’s culture or identity or celebrate one’s native language, placing a particular emphasis on the Irish language.

In addition, individual cultural participation is recognised as part of personal time in the time use dimension. Similarly, the social aspect of participating in community groups like artistic or creative groups and sporting clubs is captured in the community and cultural participation aspect of the connections, community and participation dimension.

The role of culture and language in the assessment of our collective well-being is very important to me. In this context, the Deputy may be interested to know that officials in my Department have begun early research with a view to developing a sectoral well-being indicator set relating to arts, culture, creativity, sport and language over the coming months. Such indicator sets will allow more detailed analysis of specific sectors with linkages to the high-level well-being dashboard which, by nature, cannot cover every area in detail.

Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh

I understand there is only one measurable indicator in the cultural expression dimension. I want to give the Minister the Welsh context as a counterpoint because I believe there is scope for this to be improved and strengthened within our well-being framework.

Some of its measurable indicators are the percentage of people who agree they belong to an area; the percentage of people who volunteer; the percentage of people attending or participating in arts, culture or heritage activities at least three times a year; the percentage of people who speak Welsh daily and can speak more than just a few words of Welsh; the number of people who can speak Welsh; the percentage of people participating in sporting activities three or more times a week; the percentage of museums and archives holding archival heritage collections meeting UK accreditation standards; and the percentage of designated historical environment assets that are in stable or improved conditions. If we built these into our well-being framework, it would give the Minister’s Department a very powerful set of levers to achieve progress in artistic and cultural dimensions across society.

Deputy Catherine Martin

I firmly believe that culture and language are vital for our well-being in Ireland. This was clearly demonstrated particularly with regard to culture during the Covid-19 pandemic, and I will continue to make this clear to my colleagues in the Government. The Deputy referred to Wales. A key lesson, too, is that it is an iterative process requiring patience, commitment and planning, as the embedding process takes time. For example, in New Zealand, which the Deputy referenced in his initial question, there is the inclusion of a specific, additional dimension on culture related to the demography of the country and the Maori culture specifically. In the case of Ireland’s well-being framework, culture, both in terms of identity and participation, has been explicitly integrated into the dimensions of well-being. My officials and the Department are currently giving detailed consideration to how we can use data to allow us to measure well-being. I am grateful for the Deputy’s contribution and for his ideas with regard to what is being done in Wales. That is something my officials are looking at too. We have to identify indicators across the sectors in my Department for capturing data that will assist us in measuring well-being for evidence-based policy development.

Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh

I know it is an iterative process, but it is certainly easier to get in at the ground floor on these things. If we establish the space for this particular dimension of our well-being framework, I believe we can expand from that. I try to explain this idea to economists, who do not very often pick up on it. I try to explain to them that if they do not understand that the progress of Oulart-The Ballagh in the Wexford senior hurling championship plays quite a large role in my father-in-law’s sense of well-being, they do not quite understand the country in which I live. Similarly, if they do not understand the importance of James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney, Martin Hayes, U2 or even, God help us, Westlife, they are not really understanding that there is more to life than those things that economists like to measure. The Minister said that we should have a well-rounded and holistic view. I strongly believe that cultural and linguistic dimensions are essential and intrinsic to that well-rounded and holistic view.