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

I was faced with the same challenges as every other Minister. Cuts were commensurate across all Departments but I tried to minimise, over the past three budgets, the cuts to the Arts Council. The Arts Council allocates funding that I give. It makes the decisions on who gets funding and it is a matter the Deputy can bring to the attention of the Arts Council. There is an arm's-length approach that prevents me from interfering with the Arts Council allocation.

Regarding future applications for designation as a national city of culture, there is strong interest already including from Deputy Halligan's city, Waterford. An injection of €6 million into a city is an enormous boost for the arts organisations and the arts community. Apart from the €6 million this year, a further €2 million has come in from the Arts Council and other national cultural institutions. That amounts to an injection of €8 million for Limerick and as well as private funding. There has been a very good response to the call for private funding in Limerick. I can see a major boost to the arts in Limerick, in the region and in the country because of the designation of Limerick as a city of culture.

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