Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Funding across the public service, including that which could be provided for investment in culture and the arts, was severely impacted on by the economic crisis. However, since my initial appointment as Minister with responsibility for the arts, I have succeeded in securing increased funding for the sector year on year. The allocation for the Arts Council in 2016 is €60.1 million, an increase of 6% in the past two years. The allocation for the Irish Film Board in 2016, at almost €14.5 million, shows an increase of 3.6% from last year.

In terms of capital investment, in January I announced a new €9 million investment scheme for arts and cultural centres to run over the next three years, focused on upgrading the existing stock of such centres around the country. The funding is being made available as part of the capital investment framework 2016 to 2021. Significant refurbishment and expansion projects are also planned or under way at a number of the national cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Ireland, the National Archives of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland.

A Programme for a Partnership Government contains an important commitment to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve. I will be engaging with my colleagues in government and the Oireachtas to seek to advance this commitment in the context of the forthcoming Estimates and budgetary processes.

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