Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019
9. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding streams which will be made available to redevelop a theatre (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8672/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Briery Gap has been closed since the May 2016 fire and the cultural heart of Macroom and the wider area has been hard hit. While there are temporary measures in place to try to facilitate some services, there is a cultural void in the absence of the theatre and the cinema. I have raised this issue with the Minister previously. It is going to be expensive to redevelop the Briery Gap. There is significant local funding, with almost €1 million allocated by the county council, but national funding, however, has been very poor. It comes to only 6% of the overall cost of the redevelopment. Will the Minister outline what kind of funding streams will be available?
The recent arts and culture capital scheme is focused on the refurbishment and enhancement of the existing stock of arts and cultural facilities throughout the country. To date, funding of €10.214 million has been allocated to 134 projects under three complementary grant streams. This is the most significant investment in cultural infrastructure in a decade with funding provided to a range of facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as artists' studios and creative spaces. A substantial grant was allocated before to the facility to which Deputy Aindrias Moynihan refers. A full list of all successful projects is available on my Department's website for his information.
Due to the exceptional circumstances in the case to which the Deputy refers, my Department was supportive of assisting with the reconstruction of this building, under the above mentioned scheme. My Department offered to provide funding of up to €250,000 to Cork County Council, in principle, to assist with restoration and enhancement of the Briery Gap. That funding offer was dependent on clarity concerning all reinstatement issues, including the contribution from insurance, and subject to acceptance by the council of the conditions attached to this funding.
I understand, however, that the council's reinstatement proposal is significantly more ambitious than the available finance and the council has been in ongoing engagement with officials in my Department regarding the project and the funding shortfall. The council may also have other options open to it to close the funding gap. My Department will maintain contact with council in this regard. My grandfather was born outside of Macroom and it is a place close to my heart. We only have certain resources available to us, however. Project Ireland 2040 has given explicit recognition to the importance of our culture, language and heritage in general. It sets out significant investment on a phased basis over the next ten years, including €40 million to secure existing investment in arts and culture infrastructure nationwide and to ensure a regional balance.
There is an ambitious programme to redevelop the Briery Gap and it will cost up to €4 million. Substantial funding has been put in place from a number of different sources but there is still a gap of about €1.5 million. We need somebody with deep pockets, such as the Government, to bridge a gap of that size. The county council has already committed more than €1 million to the project. The €250,000 made available by the Department is positive but it is still only 6% of the overall cost. Additional funding is needed. We understand an arts and cultural capital scheme is being discussed. Is that scheme in place? How much funding is available for the scheme?
Project Ireland 2040 is far away and we have been without the theatre and the cultural centre for several years already. Realistically, we need to move on this faster than 2040, 2030 or even 2025. Is there a scheme in place at present from which the Minister is considering funding? What kind of moneys are available in that scheme? Does the Minister have an active proposal for Briery Gap? There was great disappointment locally when the rural regeneration scheme did not provide any funding and we need to see if there is another active scheme from which the Minister might consider funding this project.
We provided €250,000 before to the Briery Gap from the arts and cultural capital scheme mentioned by Deputy Aindrias Moynihan. That was due to the exceptional circumstances. There is no question of the merit of this theatre. It is unfortunate that the insurance did not cover all the costs and that there is a gap. It is a community arts and cultural facility which included a 200-seat theatre space and associated sports facilities, as well as a public library and an exhibition space on the ground floor. It has been operating as a theatre since 2000.
I will be opening the capital scheme again shortly and I am sure the Briery Gap will be in a position to apply. It will be a competitive process requiring a combination of funding sources to bridge the existing gap. We also gave other capital funding to the Briery Gap, including €30,000 under the ACCESS II scheme in 2007 for health and safety works and other equipment. It also got €10,000 in 2013 under the small capital grants scheme for the purchase of carpets and I know that funding was drawn down.
I thank the Minister for confirming she will be opening a scheme. How much will be available to distribute to places such as the Briery Gap? Have there been applications already? We are being told locally by party colleagues that funding has already been committed for Briery Gap and that it is on the way. Will the Minister confirm that or is somebody else approving arts funding on this project? Will she also clarify how much will be able to distribute through that new scheme when it is up and running? Given the gap in funding is about €1.5 million, and the council has already put in substantial funding, what scale of funding would the Minister expect to be distributing through those schemes? Sums of €30,000 and €250,000 are positive but when a job costing more than €4 million is being undertaken, we need a commitment of more than just 6% from the Government.
I assure Deputy Aindrias Moynihan that no funding commitments have been given in respect of this particular scheme. From experience to date, the Department has noted better value for money from providing smaller grants to organisations. When a new round opens, therefore, the maximum grant most likely will be in the region of €200,000 to €300,000. It is most likely, however, that a smaller capital scheme for amounts up €50,000 will be announced. We are in the process of elaborating and expanding on that scheme. I already mentioned some of the funding Briery Gap has received in the past. I also know that under the Department's philanthropy leverages scheme, Briery Gap received €2,500 for the production of "Titanic: Message in a Bottle" in 2012. The organisation again applied in 2013 and received another €2,000 towards the all-Ireland transition year drama festival. It is an important cultural venue and I am aware of that.
