Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé buíoch den Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. I tabled this question in the context of two important developments - two significant speeches made by the President, Michael D. Higgins, in Paris recently, one at UNESCO and other in the Pompidou Centre where he talked about the importance, not least at a time of recession, of investment in the arts and culture and also the very disappointing development in Limerick where the Belltable Arts Centre has gone into liquidation, having provided a superb service on a regional basis for the people of the greater Limerick area during the past 32 years. Given that we are agreed that the network of arts centres developed across the country during the past two or three decades has brought the arts to the people in a very meaningful way and made a range of arts activities accessible to people in rural and provincial Ireland in a way that would not have been otherwise possible, will the Minister provide assurances that in respect of the Belltable Arts Centre, some initiative can be taken to ensure the arts centre will be open in 2014 when Limerick becomes the Ireland's first city of culture? Will he also assure us that there will be continued investment in the other network of centres across the country?

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