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

As the Deputy is aware, in the past six years overall funding to the arts and culture sector has been declining in line with other Government spending. In this climate securing funds for any new initiative such as the inaugural national city of culture presented a significant challenge. In April 2012 the Limerick Reorganisation Implementation Group, LRIG, sent an outline proposal to my Department entitled, Limerick City of Culture 2014, setting out the proposition that the designation of Limerick as national city of culture in 2014 would lead to long-lasting renewal. In May 2012 I received a letter from the LRIG with a further iteration of this document. On 3 July 2012 the Government considered the proposal and the national city of culture initiative was agreed.

During the remainder of 2012 and 2013 Limerick developed a programme of arts and cultural events and plans for 2014. On 15 October 2013 the Minister for Finance announced an allocation of €6 million from the proceeds of the sale of the national lottery to the Limerick national city of culture project. Securing funding of this level, in very difficult economic circumstances, was a major achievement. This allocation was notified ten weeks in advance of the programme starting and 62 weeks ahead of the programme's closure. However, potential funding of that general magnitude had been signalled to Limerick city of culture as early as April 2013 to assist in the preparatory work on the programme.

Up to and including last Monday, 9 June, €1.713 million had been paid to Limerick City and County Council in respect of the national city of culture, in accordance with arrangements put in place in a memorandum of understanding and service level agreement which I signed with the city and county manager. This means that €4.287 million remains to be drawn down. The programme elements to which the local authority has applied this funding are available on my Department's website, as is other information on the arts, culture and heritage programming which is being presented in Limerick this year. I particularly draw the Deputy's attention to the made in Limerick programme which comprises more than 100 grants to arts, culture and heritage practitioners, most of whom are from in and around the city of Limerick. To date, the programme has been very strong and keynote events have met with great critical acclaim. That strength and acclaim would not support any contention that the generosity of the taxpayer support for this initiative was in any way a negative factor. The Deputy will agree on the importance of judging the Limerick city of culture initiative on the quality and success of the programme over the course of the year, rather than any other more peripheral factor.

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