Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will report on the status and future of the ACCESS programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31684/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Government policy on the arts is set out in the programme for Government and will be elaborated further in my Department's statement of strategy for 2008-10, which is currently being developed. The objective is to encourage and support the strategic development of the arts in local communities, both geographic and communities of interest, for the disadvantaged and for minority groups. In this regard, my Department has taken a direct role on the provision of capital grant aid for the arts and cultural infrastructure throughout the country in recent years.

The arts and culture capital enhancement support scheme, ACCESS, is a key element in the Government's regional arts strategy and has greatly improved access to and participation in the arts for large numbers of people nationwide. The scheme has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in the provision of quality cultural spaces.

Facilities funded to date include integrated arts centres, theatres, galleries, studios, and creative and performance spaces. In this manner the Department provides the bulk of capital funding for building and refurbishing arts facilities around the country, mainly in the not for profit sector, while the Arts Council provides the ongoing revenue support for many of the facilities.

Under the first round of ACCESS, announced in 2001, funding of €43 million was provided to the promoters of 40 arts and culture projects. The majority of these projects were for the provision of new arts centres and most are now open and operational.

The national development plan, NDP, 2007-13 provided €81 million to conclude the first round of ACCESS and to facilitate further rounds. In April 2007 a second round of ACCESS funding was announced and a total of €32 million was offered to the promoters of 67 projects nationwide. The primary focus of the second round of the scheme is the refurbishment and enhancement of existing arts and cultural facilities and it will run from 2007 to 2009. During 2008 my officials will be working closely with the projects which have been offered funding under the second round of ACCESS to enable early delivery of the projects.

I intend to announce a third round of ACCESS next year and am currently considering the timing of such an announcement.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Nobody can deny the capital funding that has been available to the arts in the past ten years and in the local authority of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown there are now two major theatres where there was none ten years ago. They are representative of the proliferation of facilities that has generated a need for further programmes if we are to get value for money from the ACCESS programme. There are hints of an emerging danger around the country because state of the art facilities, including theatres and multipurpose venues, have been built and do not have money for programming. There is no point in constructing a building without realising it must be managed, heated and maintained and that it needs programmes. It is most important that these buildings are well managed.

I spoke last month of the need for Arts Council funding for touring programmes and so on but today I want to focus the Minister's attention on the €40 million that is left in the NDP for funding facilities through the capital programme. That is a lot of money and we need to focus on where these facilities are to be located because representatives of a number of counties have expressed concern to me that every town in those counties has a facility and they are struggling to provide programming. We need to concentrate on growing audiences for these centres.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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As applies to sport, there is general agreement that when one invests in hardware such as facilities and bricks and mortar one must be careful to support the software side also, which includes the talent necessary to manage theatres and artistic facilities. I take the point that we must strike a balance between the capital provision of facilities and investment in the talent, skill and creativity necessary to make them a success, otherwise the capital investment could be wasted.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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There is a suggestion that the Arts Council will only fund facilities where the local authority provides matching funding. I think it unfair that facilities would have to draw down money from local authorities that, after all, do not have a statutory function in this regard. Is this the policy and what is the Minister's view on this?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I do not think such a condition exists as the Arts Council deals with current funding and ACCESS funding is capital funding that comes directly from the Department. As far as I know there is no requirement for local authorities to match Arts Council funding.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I understand but I heard it suggested that may be the case in the future.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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We may have to examine that with regard to ACCESS but it is not envisaged in respect of current funding.