Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the arts benefited to some extent, perhaps in the university sector. Basically, in this country approximately half a billion euro is available through philanthropic means on an annual basis, of which the arts generally get just 0.6%. As for total funding for the arts, approximately 3% comes from philanthropic sources. I am trying to create a culture here of philanthropic giving towards the arts and this is succeeding to an extent. In addition, I am trying to encourage organisations to seek such funding and a number of initiatives have taken place over the past two years, as I have outlined here. However, my Department also supports the Business to Arts organisation. It has a highly creative scheme called Fund It and a number of initiatives have resulted therefrom, as Business to Arts is doing really good work in this regard. I also am very encouraged by the efforts being made by organisations such as, for example, the National Archives, which last year succeeded in getting one quarter of a million euro from the Wellcome Trust, which was very important for it. I am encouraging the national cultural institutions, as much as possible, to seek funding from philanthropic sources. For example, representatives of the Abbey Theatre visited the United States recently, as did representatives of the National Concert Hall. These institutions are looking at possibilities for their projects, as is the National Gallery. Overall, a culture is developing within the national cultural institutions and in cultural organisations across the country towards trying to attract philanthropic contributions.

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