Vol. 383 No. 8
asked the Taoiseach if his Department will make funds available through the national lottery to the Arts Council to enable them to make a payment to the Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick which is due to close in a month's time because of its accumulated deficit; and if his attention has been drawn to the enormous contribution made by this arts centre to the cultural life of Limerick and the mid-west region generally.
5.
asked the Taoiseach if he will provide moneys from the national lottery through the Arts Council for the Cork Theatre Company which is in jeopardy; and the action he proposes to take to ensure that adequate funds are available to the Arts Council of 1989.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 5 together.
I am fully aware of the excellent work which is being done by both the Cork Theatre Company and the Belltable Arts Centre. The financing of these facilities is primarily a matter for the Arts Council which, out of its increased funding, raised the grant to the Cork Theatre Company from £15,500 in 1985 to £60,000 in 1988 and raised the grant to the Belltable Arts Centre from £16,000 to £40,000 in the same period.
Is the Tánaiste aware that the Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick has received a total of £10,000 from the national lottery since its establishment; that the Arts Council have no funds whatever from which they can give it any further support; that as a result of the inability of the Arts Council to fund touring theatres that theatre, in common with others in the provinces, now has difficulty in attracting companies who can play in it; that as a result its cumulated deficit has increased considerably and that it now has had to give notice that it will have to close at the beginning of December if some funds are not forthcoming from the national lottery? In those circumstances, will the Tánaiste make arrangements for some reasonable payment to be made to avert what will be a catastrophe in artistic terms, bearing in mind that if the theatre closes unfortunately it may never re-open again?
I will certainly have another look at this. However, the fact is that there has been a substantial rise in the grant, year in year out. From 1985 to 1988 there was a lift from £16,000 to £40,000. I will have the matter examined, as suggested by the Deputy, because we are naturally anxious to help the Arts. However, it cannot be open-ended.
Will the Tánaiste agree that this theatre has been run very efficiently down the years and that there has been no waste of money? Will he agree that the fact that it has been able to survive for eight years with an accumulated deficit of only £70,000 is a great credit to it? Surely the lottery funds are available for this type of purpose, if for no other?
Lottery funds have been diverted to this project via the Arts Council. Lottery funding, and funding from the Arts Council, have played a major role in rehabilitating a number of art and theatre projects of this type and they stand up to scrutiny under any criteria. However, I will have the case made by Deputy O'Malley examined.
Arising from the Tánaiste's reply to Question No. 5, I should like to ask him if his reply refers to the action proposed to be taken to ensure that adequate funds are available to the Arts Council for 1989. In the Estimates the budget for the Arts Council was cut back by 13 per cent. Is the Tánaiste aware that the Director of the Arts Council has said that they cannot fund any body or guarantee any funding for any festival next year until they have restored to them the money they need for their year-toyear running? Will the Tánaiste say if he is aware of that statement and when it is proposed to restore the funding from the national lottery to the Arts Council, something that is of great urgency?
That matter is under examination along the lines suggested by the Deputy but it is premature at this stage to say what the outcome of the examination will be. The Cork Theatre Company has received substantial help over the years by the Arts Council. I understand the Deputy's concern.
When does the Tánaiste expect the examination to be completed?
It will be just a matter of weeks.
(Limerick East): In conection with the Belltable Arts Centre, I should like to know if the Tánaiste is aware that the better theatre companies are now not willing to put on productions there because the management are unable to underwrite the cost of production. Is the Tánaiste aware that consequently the theatre is unable to trade its way out of the difficulties? In the examination which the Tánaiste promised to Deputy O'Malley, will he look at the possibility of underwriting individual production costs so that the theatre can trade out of the difficulties it is in at the moment?
That is a point that appeals to me. I will take note of it and ask that the matter be considered along those lines.
