About Us

In Northern Ireland it is the Government Department responsible for arts and creativity, museums, libraries, sport, inland waterways and inland fisheries, linguistic diversity, archives, and for advising on National Lottery distribution.

The Department also draws on the expertise of the Education and Training Inspectorate.

Our Core Divisions

The work of the Department is divided into four core divisions.

Culture: - responsible for arts and creativity; inland waterways; language policy; architecture and the built environment policy

Sport, Museums and Recreation: - responsible for policies on  inland fisheries libraries, museums, sport and lottery; and Northern Ireland's involvement in the  2012/13 Games Legacy.

Corporate Services: - responsible for issues relating to accounts and accountability, internal financial matters; governance support ; economic services; freedom of information; personnel issues; the day to day running of the department; media relations; Minister's Office & Permanent Secretary's Office;  statistics and research.

PRONI: - The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is the official archive for Northern Ireland.  It aims to identify and preserve records of historical, social and cultural importance and make them available for the information, education and enjoyment of the public.

Our Minister

Carál Ní Chuilín is the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure for the North of Ireland. Carál began her political career as the elected Sinn Feín representative for the Oldpark ward in North Belfast in 2003.

In addition to being a life-long political activist, Carál has a particular interest in human rights, housing, community development and the Irish language. Carál was born and bred in the New Lodge area of Belfast, where she still lives.

Our Permanent Secretary

Peter May has joined the Department on temporary promotion to Permanent Secretary.  A profile of the Permanent Secretary is attached here

Our Departmental Board

The work we do is organised and monitored by a Departmental Board.  This is chaired by Permanent Secretary,  and includes Deputy Secretary, Cynthia Smith, the Directors of our four Divisions, Arthur Scott (Culture); Mick Cory ( Director Sport, Museums and Recreation); Deborah Brown (Corporate Services), Aileen McClintock  (PRONI); John West (Independent Board Member ); and Marie Mallon  (Independent Board Member ).

The Departmental Board meets on a monthly basis to examine and take forward the Department’s strategic aims and objectives, manage Departmental resources and monitor performance objectives.  It also sets the Department’s standards and values, maintains a transparent system of prudent and effective controls, assesses and manages risk and leads in organisational development.

Our Vision and Mission

The Department’s vision is of ““A confident, creative, informed and healthy society”."

The DCAL mission is “to deliver economic growth and to enhance the quality of life in Northern Ireland by unlocking the full potential of the culture, arts and leisure sectors”.

Our Values

Dedication - to excellence and making a difference.

Caring - about our customers, business partners, each other,our work, and the environment.

Ability – professional, knowledgeable, creative.

Leadership – which inspires.

Our Service Standards and Complaints Procedure

Our standards follow the Northern Ireland Civil Service Customer Service Principles. ,

You can obtain a copy of our Service Standards and Complaints Procedure here (373KB)  If you would like a copy in another format or language please write to Minister's Office & Permanent Secretary's Office , Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Causeway Exchange,1-7 Bedford Street,Belfast,BT1 7FB.  Alternatively you can request a copy by telephone (028) 90258825; by textphone (028) 9052 7668 or by email dcal@dcalni.gov.uk.

Our Resources

DCAL has a staffing level of 301 staff employed in a wide range of grades and disciplines, both administrative and professional.  

The Department's opening budget position for 2013/14 is £150.72 million (£116.8 million resource and £33.92 million capital). The Department has been allocated a further indicative budget of £180.64million (£106.31 million resource and £74.33million capital) for the final year of the current CSR period - 2014/15 Budget Allocations for 2013/14 – 2014/15

Click here to view the DCAL budget 2011-2015.

Our Sponsored Bodies'

DCAL supports a wide range of sponsored bodies including the Armagh Observatory, the Armagh Planetarium, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Libraries NI, , National Museums Northern Ireland, , the Northern Ireland Museums Council , Northern Ireland Screen, Sport Northern Ireland and the World Police and Fire Games. DCAL also co-sponsors (with its Irish counterparts) two North/South Implementation Bodies, Waterways Ireland and the Language Body, comprising Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency.