Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
420. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which her Department continues to liaise with local community organisations involved in the presentation of music and drama throughout the country; the degree to which financial support can be offered directly or through the Arts Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35546/23]
View answer421. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which her Department proposes to support cultural projects in the arts and culture sectors in the course of the current year, with particular reference to annual or special events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35547/23]
View answer424. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which her Department continues to fund the promotion of the arts at national and local level directly or through the agents of the Arts Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35550/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 420, 421 and 424 together.
Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council has primary responsibility for the development of the arts in Ireland. The Council works under its 10-year Strategy to address its statutory remit through a policy-driven focus on investment, advice, advocacy and partnership. My Department continues to invest in the development of the arts and artists countrywide with record €130m annual funding for the Arts Council now in place for the third year running.
The Arts Council announced funding of over €9 Million for Arts Centres and Ealaín na Gaeltachta for 2023. The purpose of Arts Centre funding is to invest in and support the infrastructure of Arts Centres required to sustain and develop the arts in Ireland. Arts Centres are where artists and audiences meet and this is a key part of the Arts Council strategy to invest in public engagement. The Arts Council also announced the following allocations;
- €19 million in individual artist awards which includes bursaries across all art forms, artist in residence schemes and new commissions.
- €28 million for arts grant funding, project awards, festivals and touring ensuring that audiences throughout the country can experience the highest quality work.
- Over €4 million for partnerships with each local authority and to Ealaín na Gaeltachta.
- €13 million will be invested in a range of developmental projects including Creative Schools, Creative Places, Creative Europe and Culture Night, and towards the Arts Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion plans.
- €50 million for 107 strategically funded organisations across all parts of the country.
The Creative Ireland Programme is a culture-based initiative within my Department designed to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. Under its Creative Communities initiative, in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, it has allocated over €29 million from 2018 to 2022 to the 31 local authorities to empower and support community-led participation. Creative Communities delivers investment directly into local creative economies through their local authorities, and this includes an allocation to Kildare County Council for 2023.
My role as Minister with responsibility for leading the co-ordination of the Decade of Centenaries Programme is to help ensure that the challenging events of this important and formative period in our history and related themes, are meaningfully, proportionately and sensitively remembered. I have allocated €5 million to support the 2023 commemorative programme to deliver rich and diverse national and local programmes marking the significant centenaries arising in 2023. Many of these investment programmes are delivered through the local authorities.
I also allocate annual funding to support Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann which is the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music both at community and national level. Annual funding is provided to CCÉ for its work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture.
My Department runs a Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme. The Scheme is designed to support local cultural festivals and summer schools which are not in receipt of other central Government monies, and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies.
In addition to the above, my Department is one of the supporters of the St. Patrick’s Festival event in Dublin. Proceeds from ticket sales are invested back into the arts and culture community in Ireland, and into producing the Festival’s Parade and Programme every year. It is estimated around 500,000 people attended the St. Patricks day festival in Dublin city centre this year, not to mention the exceptional crowds that gathered around the country in small towns and villages to celebrate everything it is to be Irish.
The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme is a three year, €105m scheme, involving 2,000 artists and creative arts workers nationwide. Payments of €325 a week for three years to 2,000 recipients began at the end of October last. The pilot will research, over a three-year period, the impact of a basic income style payment on artists and creative arts workers.
This year, I have allocated €6 million towards the implementation of a range of new measures to support the Night-Time Economy, which includes an allocation of €2 million in capital funding for a Soundproofing/Noise Mitigation Grant Scheme for late night venues. The overall allocation will help to develop new ideas and new initiatives, all with the aim of increasing the diversity of events, increasing cultural opportunities and creativity in the Night-Time Economy.
Much of the nationwide infrastructure of venues and arts centres used by the artistic communities was initiated and funded by local authorities. My Department focuses on providing capital grant funding to assist and maintain these arts and cultural facilities. Funding is administered through applications received for specific Grant Schemes. Under Budget 2023, I announced €7m in additional capital funding for artists’ spaces and climate adaptation.
