Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 November 2015
8. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the support his Department will provide to Dublin City Council as part of the council's efforts to secure city of culture status for 2020; and the estimated benefits a successful bid would have on the city's tourism industry. [39267/15]
View answerWhat support will the Minister and his Department give to Dublin City Council as part of the council's effort to secure the city of culture status for 2020, and what are the estimated benefits it would bring?
The European capital of culture programme is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Two cities are designated as capitals of culture each year. In 2020, an Irish city will share the designation with a Croatian city. A number of cities are competing for the designation in Ireland and it would be inappropriate for my Department, a national Department, to make funding available to any one city given that they are all competing against each other.
How could we decide which city to fight for? I cannot win. Whether Dublin, Cork or Limerick-----
Or Galway.
-----all our cities are full of good culture. We are pressing for whatever city and I am not sure how the Minister will gauge it. Perhaps he would indicate how he would make such a judgment or how he would see it. Much is happening in our city. Moore Street is being redone and the iconic buildings there are being brought on stream. While it is a pity we do not have the whole battlefield site, many good things are happening. I am concerned about Dublin city. There have been reports of a shortage of hotel places in the city. If it is the case, it must be examined. Whether Dublin, Cork or otherwise, we must ensure there is quality accommodation.
For the record, the cities applying are Dublin, Limerick, Galway and a combined bid from Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford. If I did not acknowledge all of them, I could be in difficulty with some of my colleagues, as would the Deputy.
We want to acknowledge all of them. I believe an announcement of the winner will be made by next July. I understand that a pre-selection phase in relation to all of this will take place in Dublin Castle this week. The winner will receive support from the Exchequer in order to make sure its candidacy is as successful as possible. While I have my own personal hope in this regard, I wish everyone involved the best of luck. Regardless of which candidate wins, it will get the full support of the Department and all of its agencies.
