Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have one final question for the Minister. The capital investment in regional arts centres around the country is a welcome development. My experience, which I have expressed before, is that while these buildings have infrastrucutral deficits, the main deficits are staffing and running costs. As the Minister knows, even in the Garage Theatre in Monaghan, the ETB staffs it. That is the big downfall of any of these fabulous arts centres in that they have the best of facilities but do not have the staffing and the funds to employ the people to run them, programme them and so on. Many of these arts centres are run through CE schemes and various other temporary schemes. There is no continuity. Are there any plans to roll out funding to staff these centres given that we have them?