Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Scartaglin (Kerry) Culture and Heritage Centre.

Mr. O'Leary

I am disappointed that the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht did not remain in the House to reply to this matter but I thank the Minister of State for being present.

This matter relates to the urgent need to allocate a grant of £60,000 towards the provision of an arts and culture heritage centre in the village of Scartaglin, County Kerry, to be organised by the Scartaglin Rural Development Committee. This community cultural arts centre will be utilised to the maximum in the promotion of the great tradition of culture, heritage and arts in the east Kerry area. The project includes a large portion of north-west Cork which is also in the Sliabh Luachra area. The area around Scartaglin, east Kerry and north-west Cork is steeped in tradition and its history in music, dance, song and folklore goes back centuries. The people of this area are very proud. I am referring to such people as the late Padraig O'Keeffe, a famous musician and singer of Irish songs who lived during the first half of the century. This area is the homeland of famous poets and writers such as the late Eoin Rua Ó Sulleabhain and Aodán Ó Rahilly. Every year during the August weekend the féile ceoil in Scartaglin attracts traditional musicians and others from Kerry, Munster and throughout Ireland who have a deep interest in culture and history. Many people also travel from abroad to attend this great annual event and it is customary for emigrants to arrange their holidays to coincide with it.

The proposed cultural and heritage centre in Scartaglin must be constructed urgently. The local community has a deep involvement in this project which could not better be proven than by the £25,000 it has raised on a voluntary basis. The outstanding committee is working very hard in collecting money and promoting the centre. All the members of the committee are very annoyed with the Minister and the Department for the extraordinarily long delay in allocating a substantial grant to this project out of EU and State funding. I am surprised that this project was not placed at the top of the priority list for grant aid by the Department. I strongly urge the Minister and the Minister of State to take a personal interest in this project. The best way they can do this is by allocating a grant of £60,000 at the earliest possible opportunity so that work can commence on the centre. When completed, this project will help immensely in the promotion of agritourism in the large catchment area. This proposal was high on the agenda set out in the McNulty report on projects which would enhance the promotion of tourism in County Kerry. I sincerely hope the Minister of State is in a position to announce the allocation of this grant.

Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Mr. Carey)

I thank Deputy O'Leary for raising this matter which relates to an application for grant aid for the development of the Scartaglin-Sliabh Luachra cultural centre. The application was submitted by the Scartaglin Rural Development Committee under the cultural development incentive scheme which I am administering under the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-1999. I welcome the opportunity to outline to the House the position not only in regard to the Scartaglin-Sliabh Luachra project but also in regard to all applications submitted to my Department under the scheme.

The cultural development incentive scheme is designed primarily to assist the four main categories of the visual and performing arts — arts centres, museums, theatres and galleries. Following an invitation for applications under the scheme by way of advertisements in the national press a total of 170 applications were lodged with my Department. The total amount of assistance sought under these applications is £87 million. The total amount available to me under the scheme during the five year period 1994-99 is £19.7 million which, together with the matching funds that have to be provided by successful applicants, will enable a total capital infrastructure of at least £26 million to be put in place during the period to 1999. Having regard to the number and quality of the applications submitted, I decided to designate a total of £14.7 million from the £19.7 million at my disposal under the scheme for allocation to successful applicants from the 170 applications received. The remaining £5 million available under the scheme will be allocated following a second and final call for applications. This call will be made later in the year.

Once the 170 applications had been lodged with my Department I engaged the expertise of a number of State agencies to carry out an examination of them. I asked An Comhairle Ealaíon to carry out a detailed artistic examination of applications for projects such as arts centres, galleries, theatres, etc., and engaged the Heritage Council to assess applications in respect of museum and other heritage-type projects. In addition I engaged the expertise of Bord Fáilte to carry out a financial and marketing evaluation of projects as required. All necessary assessments and evaluations have now been completed in respect of the 170 applications. I also established an advisory committee whose brief, following consideration of all assessments and evaluations, was to make recommendations to me on the projects which I felt merited funding. The advisory committee consisted of eight members representing the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, the Department of Tourism and Trade, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the Heritage Council, the County and City Managers' Association and the General Council of County Councils.

Last February the advisory committee made its first recommendations to me based on applications received from the priority zones, comprising nine counties and centres of excellence, comprising four cities, as identified in the Comhairle Ealaíon arts plan. As a result of these recommendations, I approved in principle the funding of eight projects under the scheme. The projects approved by me in February will involve total capital investment of almost £8 million, with grant offers of £5.649 million.

Following its recommendations in February the advisory committee considered the 162 remaining applications, including that received from the Scartaglin Rural Development Committee. I am pleased to inform the House that the committee has recently submitted its recommendations to me on the projects which it considers merit funding from these applications. I am at present considering the committee's recommendations and I hope to be in a position to announce my decision on the Scartaglin and all other projects in the near future. I must make it clear at this point that the total amount of grant aid available to me for distribution among successful applications from the 162 projects I am now considering is £9.051 million. Deputies will appreciate from this figure that some very difficult decisions will have to be made in selecting the projects to which funding will be offered.