Arts Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Ceisteanna (1297, 1298, 1299, 1300, 1301, 1302, 1303)

Finian McGrath

Ceist:

1389 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if she will support the funding for the arts in this year’s budget as a matter of priority. [32402/10]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

1390 Deputy Alan Shatter asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if she will maintain existing levels of funding for agencies involved in the arts including the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland, to protect local authority arts funding and to make appropriate new funding available to the arts and cultural sector so as to build on our cultural and tourism potential and maintain and contribute to the creation of additional employment in the arts. [32453/10]

Deirdre Clune

Ceist:

1392 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the funding provided from 2006 to date in 2010 to agencies for the promotion and development of the arts in tabular form; her plans for the future funding of these agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32496/10]

Dan Neville

Ceist:

1394 Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the total sum of money allocated to the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland in 2010; if she will give a commitment that the same amount of funding will be provided in 2011 to each of these three organisations; if she will also make significant new funding available to the arts and cultural sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32551/10]

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

1395 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if she will ensure that the forthcoming budget will maintain existing levels of funding to all agencies for the arts including the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland; if she will protect local authority arts funding and make significant new funding available to the arts and cultural sector, in order to build on our cultural tourism potential. [32787/10]

Damien English

Ceist:

1396 Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her views on maintaining existing levels of funding to agencies for the arts, including the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland; if she has carried out a cost benefit analysis to the State of maintaining funding levels for such groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32812/10]

Charlie O'Connor

Ceist:

1409 Deputy Charlie O’Connor asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport her response to the national campaign for the arts which aims to promote one of our most valuable assets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33245/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1389, 1390, 1392, 1394 to 1396, inclusive, and 1409 together.

Since 2006 my Department has invested over €962m in the arts, culture and film sectors and the allocations for each year are shown in the following tabular statement.

I am committed to supporting the crucial constituent sectors of arts and culture and the Government will continue to fund those sectors within limited available financial resources. Decisions regarding funding, whether within my Department's Vote or on the part of other relevant Departments will, however, have to be taken in the context of the ongoing Estimates and budget preparation process and in the light of the target aggregate Exchequer savings to be achieved for 2011. In this context, I should like to acknowledge the concerns raised by the recent Campaign for the Arts and to reaffirm my commitment to maximising the place and status of the arts in society.

My policy on the arts, culture and film sectors reflects Government Policy in this area as set out in the Programme for Government. This policy is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts, make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life, and maximise the potential for cultural tourism. I will endeavour to maximise funding for these sectors, commensurate with their centrality to our economic and social well being.

Arts, Culture and Film Expenditure

	Subhead	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
		€000s	€000s	€000s	€000s	€000s
D1	National Archives	37	54	41	52	66
D2	National Archives	1,619	1,751	2,153	1,813	1,654
	National Archives	1,656	1,805	2,194	1,865	1,720
D3	IMMA	8,835	8,272	8,241	7,317	6,671
D3	Chester Beatty Library	3,083	3,208	3,459	3,083	2,714
D3	National Concert Hall	3,927	4,090	3,894	3,478	3,105
D3	Crawford Gallery	1,174	1,980	1,988	1,753	1,579
D4	Cultural Projects	7,098	6,680	6,974	5,317	4,420
D5	Cultural Infrastructure	20,346	38,094	35,021	17,842	16,491
D6	Culture Ireland	2,327	4,202	4,748	4,550	4,083
D7	Arts Council	82,310	83,000	81,620	73,350	68,649
D8	National Museum	19,842	18,332	19,017	15,415	15,125
D9	National Library	11,817	12,702	11,875	10,742	9,348
D10	Irish Film Board	19,426	22,159	23,189	20,340	19,272
	Total Vote 35	181,842	204,523	202,219	165,052	153,177
V33	National Gallery — Vote 33	9,351	12,611	12,466	10,903	10,416