Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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61. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the plans he has to advance further subsidised living space for artists in our cities, similar to the scheme established in Limerick; if he is concerned at the increasing financial pressures facing Irish artists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44502/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The development of St. John's artists' apartments at St. John's Square, Limerick, was project managed by Limerick City Council and grant aided by my Department under the arts and culture capital enhancement support scheme, or ACCESS II. The development consists of eight apartments which provide accommodation and studio space for artists. Similar projects were grant aided under the ACCESS II scheme, in Athlone, County Westmeath, and two in Dublin city. The grants were made following a call for arts capital projects in 2006 and 2007 and were selected along with more than 70 other projects from in excess of 150 arts and culture projects. I have no plans at present for any new major arts and culture capital grant scheme similar to the ACCESS II scheme. My Department had a small capital grants scheme available this year that offered support to 29 projects. The maximum amount available under this scheme was €10,000.

The organisation with primary responsibility for artists' welfare is the Arts Council. Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations and neither I nor my Department has a role to play in its executive or funding decisions.

My Department has also provided funding for a number of other capital projects in Limerick. These included the Belltable, Limerick City Gallery of Art, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Daghdha Dance and the Hunt Museum. The total investment in arts and culture infrastructure was in excess of €6.2 million, which will greatly assist in the delivery of a world-class arts and culture programme next year when Limerick hosts the first Irish national city of culture. The Government has allocated €6 million towards this historic year, which I anticipate will provide significant employment opportunities for artists in Limerick over the coming months.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I think it was a Visual Artists Ireland survey recently which indicated that young artists throughout the country are earning about €17,000, and that income is very precarious. One of the things we can do to assist them is to provide subsidised living accommodation, or subsidised workshop or gallery space. That is why the Limerick Arts Office is to be particularly praised for the work done in Limerick city. What sort of funding did the Department make available to that project? Would the Minister consider engaging with NAMA in respect of its many properties, especially in the cities and the larger urban centres? I suspect that such engagement could lead to similar developments taking place whereby residential units and workshop and gallery space could be acquired to assist the arts community. Such an initiative would be worthwhile.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The grant from our Department was €384,000, which is substantial. I opened the apartments and I got a very positive response from the artists concerned. They now can rent space in the city, whereas previously they had to pay high accommodation costs there. Work space is provided with the apartment, where they can do some of their backup work in their own apartments.

Calls were made in the past to engage with NAMA. There was general engagement, although I am prohibited by legislation from direct engagement. The Abbey Theatre acquired a major property from NAMA, which will now ensure it will have the footprint on which to build a new Abbey when it can afford it. The Lighthouse Cinema also represented a very positive engagement with NAMA as well, and now that cinema is very successful. I am sure there are other examples, but these are two very important examples. NAMA is also involved in Moore Street and I hope that, in time, with the co-operation of Dublin City Council, the owners and NAMA, we can get a satisfactory resolution to ensure we have a proper interpretative centre and monument on the street to honour the people of 1916.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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I agree with the position in respect of NAMA when it comes to living spaces. I am encouraged by the Minister's reply on College Green, but his failure to secure that property two years later is quite disappointing. Can the Minister look at the properties within his own Department? I did an analysis of Údarás na Gaeltachta buildings at the start of this year, and over half of them in Donegal are lying vacant. Can the Minister look at making vacant properties in his Department available to those within the arts who need the space in order that we can encourage the arts, following the reduction of funding that has taken place in recent years?

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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If the Deputy has a list of buildings, he should bring them to my attention. I am not aware of these particular buildings. At one stage it looked like the State would own more than 50% of the College Green building, but now it is 15%, so we are in a much different position. We are continuing discussions with the authorities.

Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent)
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The Deputy heard what the Minister said. If he has a list of the buildings, please provide them to the Minister.