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

I think it was a Visual Artists Ireland survey recently which indicated that young artists throughout the country are earning about €17,000, and that income is very precarious. One of the things we can do to assist them is to provide subsidised living accommodation, or subsidised workshop or gallery space. That is why the Limerick Arts Office is to be particularly praised for the work done in Limerick city. What sort of funding did the Department make available to that project? Would the Minister consider engaging with NAMA in respect of its many properties, especially in the cities and the larger urban centres? I suspect that such engagement could lead to similar developments taking place whereby residential units and workshop and gallery space could be acquired to assist the arts community. Such an initiative would be worthwhile.

See this speech in context