Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 October 2018
219. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the investment plan timelines for regional cultural infrastructure in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41558/18]
View answerProject Ireland 2040 has given explicit recognition to the importance of our culture, language and heritage to our sustainable development over the next decade and beyond. This recognition is underpinned by the unprecedented commitment by Government to invest €1.2 billion in our culture, our language and our heritage. Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018-2027 sets out the Government’s objectives for capital investment in Ireland’s culture, language and heritage. The plan includes a provision of €40 million to ensure a regional balance and secure existing investment in arts and culture infrastructure nationwide. In this context, the Department will work with local and regional authorities.
In terms of investment in County Wicklow,under the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018, two organisations in County Wicklow were successful and have been allocated funding. These were Mermaid County Wicklow Arts Centre and Tinahely Courthouse CLG t/a The Courthouse Arts Centre. Both organisations have been active in drawing down their funding and this will continue into 2019. This Scheme will make a huge difference to each of the individual organisations and my Department is already seeing good outcomes and receiving positive feedback. My Department is currently giving consideration to new round of grant funding under Arts and Cultural Capital Scheme to be announced in the near future.
