Dáil debates

Thursday, 25 April 2013

4:25 pm

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans for the future of the percentage for arts scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19251/13]

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, a Government decision of 1997 approved the inclusion in the budgets for all Exchequer-funded capital construction projects of up 1% as funding for an art project, subject to an overall cap of €64,000. The current guidelines on the per cent for art scheme were drawn up in 2004 to set out how project managers are to operate the scheme and to provide a common national approach to its implementation. My Department has responsibility for the promotion of the per cent for art scheme but does not provide funding or a budget for it.

The scheme does not operate on the basis of there being a specific public art fund from which moneys are drawn down to undertake or to commission works of an artistic nature. Rather, under the terms of the scheme, such works are factored into and funded from the budgets of the capital projects in question by the relevant Department or public body undertaking the project. It is a matter for each project promoter or commissioning body to maintain details of such expenditure.

When the per cent for art scheme was launched it was accompanied by guidelines to assist with its implementation. It is now well-known and embedded in all public infrastructure works. The public has become familiar with the works of art on our roads, but there are also art works resulting from the scheme in place in schools, hospitals and arts and culture buildings. Public art is not confined to sculptures; it has also resulted in performances, new writings and compositions. There is no doubt that the visual impact of this scheme has been overwhelmingly positive. I consider that the scheme should continue.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his encouragement for the scheme. I wish to avail of this opportunity to ask the Minister in these difficult times to request his Department to engage more actively with other Departments to ensure that this scheme is taken up.

While the Minister is correct to mention art works by our roads and in schools, it has become a feature of life recently that the NRA and local authorities supervising water and sewerage works and schools development projects do not always ensure the percent-for-art scheme has been used. In some cases, developers of the initiatives in question were not even conscious that the percent-for-art scheme was still available.

The scheme encourages collaboration between artists and local communities. Public art must be developed and created with local ownership in mind. It is only by the Minister's Department ensuring that sponsoring Departments are active in promoting the scheme as an ideal that maximum use will be made of it.

4:35 pm

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy acknowledged, my responsibility is for the capital works carried out by my own Department. I will ask my Department's Secretary General to write to other Departments to ensure that they operate the scheme as they are obliged to do. Irrespective of the Department involved, it is obliged in respect of its capital projects to put aside 1% of the total cost of a project to provide for a painting, sculpture or performance.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister's positive response. Does he have any plans to review the 2004 guidelines, which were the last such guidelines on public art projects issued to sponsoring bodies?

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Nobody has requested that to date. Now that the Deputy has mentioned it, I will raise the matter also. Generally speaking, the guidelines have operated successfully. As a result, we have seen a proliferation of art nationally, some of which one might be impressed with while questioning others. A great many artists have benefited considerably from the percent-for-art scheme. Artists are going through a very difficult period currently and a commission represents two to three years' worth of wages for many. The scheme is very important to artists and they value it highly. I will take both Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's requests on board.