Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government contains a number of commitments relating to creative and cultural infrastructure. First, with regard to national development plan investment in our national cultural institutions, the Department is working closely with the OPW and the national cultural institutions to progress delivery of major capital redevelopment projects through the infrastructure guidelines. Just last week, I announced the commencement of the construction of the National Archives project, while the Crawford Art Gallery redevelopment went out to tender on Friday. I officially opened the new lecture theatre at the National Library of Ireland on 9 May.

The National Concert Hall development has completed the preliminary business case stage and planning permission has been received for the first stage of the development. Planning for the remainder of the project will be lodged in the coming months. The design team has been appointed for the Natural History Museum project and the Abbey Theatre project is currently being reviewed as part of the external assurance process set out under the infrastructure guidelines. Projects at the Chester Beatty, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the National Museum in Kildare Street are all in various stages of development of their preliminary business cases.

With regard to affordable workspaces for artists and creative practitioners, I will provide capital funding towards the provision of artist workspaces under a scheme, which I will be launching shortly. Local authorities will be invited to propose capital projects for artist workspaces that are fit for purpose, design focused, accessible and affordable. Funding will be made available for projects that focus on the delivery of infrastructure to increase availability and access to artist workspaces throughout the country. As an initial step in advance of that wider launch, the Department and Dublin City Council are developing a €9 million capital works programme that will see 60 artists provided with turnkey workspaces and opportunities to use performance and gallery space and flexible office workspaces.

The agent of change initiative and the issue of meanwhile use and matters relating to planning are primarily the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. In relation to the work of my Department, however, they are being considered within the context of the report of the night-time economy task force and are being progressed by the implementation group responsible for overseeing the actions within that report.

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