Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 January 2022
139. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if extra funding for an institution (details supplied) in County Carlow to offset losses in recent years due to the pandemic will be provided for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2518/22]
View answerPrimary support for the arts, including organisations such as that referred to by the Deputy, is delivered by the Arts Council. In 2021, the Government allocated a record allocation of €130m to the Arts Council. The Arts Council is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003.
All grants issued by the Arts Council are published on the Who we funded section of the Council's website available at this link www.artscouncil.ie/funding-decisions/?&Fund=Arts%20Centre%20Funding&Year=2020&Location=356#search
The details of the significant level of funding provided to the institution in question is published. Also shown is that the grant allocated in 2021 by the Arts Council was an increase on its 2020 grant.
The Council also has in place a number of new and enhanced funding programmes introduced in response to COVID-19. One of these is an Emergency Stabilisation Fund to provide once-off financial support to Strategic Funded and Arts Centre Funded organisations that are in need of emergency grant aid. Over 2021 the Arts Council provided funding for 12 organisations that protected them from closure, with €1.7 million from the emergency stability fund. Over €8 million was awarded through the agility award to over 1,800 individual artists, and €4.3 million was awarded in a capacity building support scheme funding for 248 organisations.
Recent decades have seen the development of a nationwide infrastructure of institutions such as that referred to by the Deputy including a range arts centres, many of which are funded by local authorities and supported through capital schemes largely operated by my Department. Support provided to these arts centres by local authorities is critical to ensuring that a stable and vibrant network can be maintained. Capital funding schemes operated by my Department continue to be focused on enhancing this existing stock of arts and culture centres throughout the country.
In response to COVID-19, my Department opened a capital stream (Stream D) of funding specifically for capital adaptations or equipment necessary to assist arts and culture organisations in re-opening. To date, €977,000 has been allocated to 104 arts and culture organisations with €818,000 of this paid to 100 organisations.
