Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 January 2023
210. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she expects to be in a position to continue to support the arts in the current year at local level by way of a particular scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3915/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of Budget 2023, I provided a number of supports to arts organisations, which includes significant funding for the National Cultural Institutions as well as cultural bodies which we fund directly e.g. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Cork Butter Museum, and a number of others who have similar requirements. It included €15 million to support arts organisations and the National Cultural Institutions with cost of living increases and energy costs, and a funding provision for the Arts Council to support arts organisations within its remit.
My Department also operates a number of annual schemes that are available to local and regional museums and festivals around the country which include
- The Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme.
- The Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme
- The Mobility of Collections Scheme
- The Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme
The Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme provides funding support for small self-contained projects which seek to enhance, celebrate or commemorate the artistic, cultural, musical, film or heritage of the Island of Ireland on a North/South basis. The funding provided under this Scheme must meet a specific cultural need and support the Department in the delivery of its objective to nurture and develop Irish artistic and creative talent and enhance arts access, the national cultural institutions, regional arts infrastructure and cultural tourism countrywide, in cooperation with national and local authorities and other partners. Funding available under this scheme is capped at €15,000.
Projects funded under the Scheme must have a clearly demonstrable North/South element and should seek to make a contribution to enhancing, celebrating or commemorating the artistic, cultural, musical, film or heritage of the whole Island of Ireland.
The Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme which provides funding support for local, regional and specialised museums, to promote the marketing of these institutions through the provision of funding for capital exhibition costs that enhance the exhibition/display facilities within their museums or which promote access to the museum. Funding available under this scheme is on a matched funding basis of 75:25 and is capped at €15,000.
The objective of this scheme is to create a fund to assist local, regional and specialised museums contribute to the fabric and meaning of national and local culture through an exhibition programme for locals and visitors alike. This will allow local and specific interpretations of historical events and their legacy and of the multiple identities and traditions which are part of the Irish historical experience.
This scheme also meets the high level goals of my Department, specifically the goal to enhance arts access and regional arts infrastructure and cultural tourism countrywide, in cooperation with national and local authorities and other partners.
The Mobility of Collections Scheme supports greater regional and local access to material held in the National Collections. The Scheme is designed to fund the transport, cost of insurance and exhibiting costs for pieces from the National Collections to appropriate institutions around the country. The scheme facilitates the display of pieces from the National Collections with specific local and regional interest direct to those communities and facilitates the display of cultural artefacts and relating exhibitions outside urban centres into rural areas.
The Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme is an annual scheme, which is opened to applications from all counties. The scheme is reserved for appropriate not-for-profit festivals, summer schools and other such similar events. Projects funded under the scheme enhance access to the arts, culture and film sectors recognising the social and economic role of these sectors in Ireland. Funding available under this scheme is typically capped at €5,000.
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. Events which are funded by the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland are not eligible.
The projects make a very important contribution to the development and promotion of Ireland's cultural tourism offering, to the benefit of both the domestic and foreign tourist and represent an important component of the delivery of the cultural tourism commitments in the Programme for Government.
The 2022 scheme launched on 28th February and the closing date for applications was 23rd April 2022.It is currently envisaged that all schemes will run again in 2023 and will launch in the first quarter of the year.
The Arts Council also provides financial support to a number of single art form festivals (e.g. theatre, dance, film) and such festivals are supported within the policy context of those art forms. The Council also supports many multidisciplinary arts festivals, meaning those festivals that programme across different art forms, including literature, music, street arts, theatre, visual arts and different areas of arts practice. Their Festivals Investment Scheme, for example, is specifically designed to offer support to local/voluntary organisations to develop arts festivals.
Fáilte Ireland supports local authorities in the development of tourism in their area including funding for capital investment, festivals and events.
