Mr. Michael Rainey:

Senator Cassells is correct. There are huge funding opportunities from Government at present, whether it be the via the rural regeneration and development fund or urban regeneration. We also have a building acquisition measure where we can take derelict properties and provide artists' spaces or facilities or cultural spaces within our towns. There are a mass of planning processes going on in many towns in Ireland under town and village renewal scheme where they are looking at the fabric of the town and how can we build in an artists' space into that vision for the future of the buildings.

While there are lots of capital funding and lost of opportunities, one of the challenges for local authorities is that it is a sustainable model and that when we develop a cultural space or an artists' space, there is still funding there to keep the lights on. One of the challenges we are experiencing as a sector is the existing infrastructure. Where we have theatres, galleries and all kind of artists' spaces, they are experiencing increased costs. Post Covid, there is a reduced footfall and they are coming back to local authorities looking for additional support. That is a challenge, particularly for the smaller rural authorities, in terms of the budget provision. Any expansion of our infrastructure has to be matched by the capacity of local authorities to be fund the day-to-day operational maintenance costs of these units.

Local authority by local authority, there are different budgetary landscapes. Some local authorities are better off than others. Some local authorities are better able to respond to the needs of the arts than others. Then there are obviously conflicting demands on each local authority, whether it is the extent of the urban area that it has to provide for or whether it has a marine environment to provide for. Every budget process in every local authority is different. It is not for me to determine that it is appropriate there is one level of funding for a local authority because there are different challenges within each local authority.

I completely agree with the Senator that there is a major opportunity at present. In the context of the Government's town centre first policy, we look at our town centres, renew them and increase footfall. There is huge ambition in local government in that space. There is only one caveat, namely, that we have to make sure that whatever we are building will be sustainable into the future and that we are not looking at it only in terms of the first year and of somebody cutting the ribbon to open it; we are also looking to the next 35 years.