Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 July 2018
321. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason funding for public artworks as part of the town and village renewal scheme 2017 has been withdrawn; his views on whether funding invested in the arts also supports the regeneration of rural towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29540/18]
View answerIt was originally envisaged that a number of public Art Works would be supported as part of the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. However, the primary focus of the scheme was to support projects that could demonstrate an economic benefit for small towns and villages and their hinterlands. There was a substantial level of demand for projects of this nature and given the limited resources available under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2017, all funding was allocated to projects directly supporting this regeneration objective. However, some of the approved projects included an element of public art works.
I fully acknowledge that investing in the Arts contributes to the regeneration of rural towns and villages; it also supports community development in rural areas.
One of the Pillars of the Action Plan for Rural Development focuses on Fostering Culture and Creativity in Rural Communities. A key objective of this Pillar is to increase access to the Arts and to enhance cultural facilities in rural communities. The Action Plan includes a number of commitments in this regard which fall under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gealtacht.
Progress reports on the delivery of the Action Plan commitments are available on my Department's website at https://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/rural-development/rural-development/.
