Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will outline financial supports given to arts centres on a county by county basis in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13147/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, primary responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The council is funded by my Department and statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations, including funding decisions. Details of all funding provided by the council for arts practitioners, arts groups and venues, including arts centres, are available on the council's website at www.artscouncil.ie.

My Department's direct role in the funding of the arts relates in the main to the provision of capital funding. In Ireland there is no formally accepted definition of an arts centre, but it could be assumed to be a space which provides theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performances, workshop areas or arts educational facilities. During the years capital funding has been provided for many projects which now provide such facilities.

Details of funding provided by my Department for such facilities in the years 2010 and 2011 are available on my Department's website at www.ahg.gov.ie. An equivalent list of funding for 2012 and 2013, to date, is included in an appendix to this reply which will be circulated in the Official Report. The appendix also includes details of some current funding, including the philanthropy initiative, paid by my Department to arts organisations in 2012.

Capital Payments* from Cultural Infrastructure and Development Subhead in 2012

* Figures are subject to audit.

Current Payments* from Cultural Infrastructure and Development Subhead in 2012

* Figures are subject to audit.

Philanthropy Scheme Payments* from Cultural Infrastructure and Development Subhead in 2012

* Figures are subject to audit.

Capital Payments* from Cultural Infrastructure and Development Subhead in 2013

* Figures are subject to audit.

Current Payments* from Cultural Infrastructure and Development Subhead in 2013

* Figures are subject to audit.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Tá mé buíoch den Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. I tabled this question in the context of two important developments - two significant speeches made by the President, Michael D. Higgins, in Paris recently, one at UNESCO and other in the Pompidou Centre where he talked about the importance, not least at a time of recession, of investment in the arts and culture and also the very disappointing development in Limerick where the Belltable Arts Centre has gone into liquidation, having provided a superb service on a regional basis for the people of the greater Limerick area during the past 32 years. Given that we are agreed that the network of arts centres developed across the country during the past two or three decades has brought the arts to the people in a very meaningful way and made a range of arts activities accessible to people in rural and provincial Ireland in a way that would not have been otherwise possible, will the Minister provide assurances that in respect of the Belltable Arts Centre, some initiative can be taken to ensure the arts centre will be open in 2014 when Limerick becomes the Ireland's first city of culture? Will he also assure us that there will be continued investment in the other network of centres across the country?

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his question. The Arts Council has primary responsibility for the funding of centres across the country. Because my predecessors in the Department made a huge investment in the Belltable Arts Centre, obviously we are very concerned about what is happening. Together with my officials, I will do everything possible when the current process is completed to ensure the centre will again be used as both a performing and visual arts centre. It is situated in the middle of Limerick city. I was in Limerick only last Monday and visited places such as Moyross and South Hill where there are some thriving arts communities and I was very encouraged by what I saw. The arts community was strong in pointing out that there were no facilities in the centre of town where the Belltable Arts Centre was located and in which the Daghdha Dance Company had a performing area. I agree with the Deputy that it is very important that the Belltable Arts Centre function again as an arts centre. My Department and I, together with Limerick City Council, will certainly do everything possible to ensure that will happen. It is very important that it should happen.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I am impressed by the Minister's reply, for which I thank him. I am reassured by what he said and sure we will have an opportunity to return to this matter again. In the light of what has happened in Limerick, has the Minister had any engagement with the Arts Council or is it surveying arts centres across the country to ensure other centres will not find themselves in the same situation as the centre in Limerick? Furthermore, is he aware if the Arts Council provides any financial or management training for the boards of arts centres? It is essential that boards have the necessary skills to ensure the centres are made as financially viable as possible.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The Arts Council funds the various centres based on applications made to it. A centre would have show that it had the capacity to operate and due diligence would be applied to all centres. I will convey what the Deputy has said to the council. As a country, we have made a huge investment in arts centres throughout the country during the past 20 years. The total investment, including current and capital funding, made in the previous ten years prior to my coming into office amounted to nearly €1 billion, a huge investment. It is important that we ensure these centres which were provided mostly with funding provided by taxpayers will remain open, that there will be a proper programme in place and so on. I take the Deputy's point and will convey his question to the council on it providing a service for the centres to ensure they are administered properly and cognisant of the financial arrangements necessary to ensure their viability.

I will convey the question the Deputy raises about the Arts Council provision of a service to the centres to be sure that they administer them properly and that they are cognisant of the financial arrangements and so forth to ensure their viability.