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

The development of St. John's artists' apartments at St. John's Square, Limerick, was project managed by Limerick City Council and grant aided by my Department under the arts and culture capital enhancement support scheme, or ACCESS II. The development consists of eight apartments which provide accommodation and studio space for artists. Similar projects were grant aided under the ACCESS II scheme, in Athlone, County Westmeath, and two in Dublin city. The grants were made following a call for arts capital projects in 2006 and 2007 and were selected along with more than 70 other projects from in excess of 150 arts and culture projects. I have no plans at present for any new major arts and culture capital grant scheme similar to the ACCESS II scheme. My Department had a small capital grants scheme available this year that offered support to 29 projects. The maximum amount available under this scheme was €10,000.

The organisation with primary responsibility for artists' welfare is the Arts Council. Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations and neither I nor my Department has a role to play in its executive or funding decisions.

My Department has also provided funding for a number of other capital projects in Limerick. These included the Belltable, Limerick City Gallery of Art, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Daghdha Dance and the Hunt Museum. The total investment in arts and culture infrastructure was in excess of €6.2 million, which will greatly assist in the delivery of a world-class arts and culture programme next year when Limerick hosts the first Irish national city of culture. The Government has allocated €6 million towards this historic year, which I anticipate will provide significant employment opportunities for artists in Limerick over the coming months.

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