The Business Plan sets out what DCAL aims to achieve in this financial year and sets out the Department’s strategic framework for coming years in line with the Programme for Government 2011-15.

The Business Plan also includes a revised Mission Statement for the Department: "To promote social and economic equality, and to tackle poverty and social exclusion, through systematically promoting a sustainable economic model and proactively targeting meaningful resources at sectors of greatest inequality, within areas of greatest objective need, in the wider context of effectively developing tangible opportunities and measurable outcomes for securing excellence and equality across culture, arts and leisure, and a confident, creative, informed and healthy society in this part of Ireland.”

Welcoming the publication of the business plan, the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Carál Ní Chuilín said: “DCAL is not merely about culture, arts and leisure, in isolation. Rather it is a department for the economy and a department of equality.

"My Department is committed to delivering targeted public resources, in particular, for those sectors and groups in our society facing greatest inequalities within areas of greatest objective need.

"Culture, arts and leisure are important facets of sustainable economic growth, as well as vital tools for the promotion of equality. Our goals will be excellence in achievement underpinned by equality in outcomes.

"With a renewed and sharpened focus on excellence and equality, and access and participation, the entire DCAL family must now ensure the transformation of our delivery models in order to swiftly deliver genuine and long-standing social and economic improvements across the North.”

The Business Plan is available from DCAL Website.

http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/media-centre/news-departments/news-dcal/news-dcal-090813-minister-welcomes-publication.htm