Dáil debates

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

5:50 pm

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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22. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she will take to address the shortage of affordable studio space for artists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37698/16]

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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We all talk about our visual artists with a sense of national pride and we frequently praise them. Artists cannot live on praise and pride, however, they need investment in facilities. At the most basic level. we need to provide more studio space for artists in which to work. We know from Visual Artists Ireland that some 67% of artists earn less than €25,000 a year. We need to assist them on a very practical level with the provision of additional studio space.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the issue regarding the provision of affordable studio space, particularly as a result of the changing property market. In general, I would consider that local approaches driven by artists, local arts officers and the owners of vacant buildings are best suited to respond to the specific local circumstances involved and provide the most effective outcomes.

However, my Department is also in discussion with the Arts Council, Dublin City Council and the OPW to consider some possible short-term and longer-term approaches to the issue, both in respect of specific issues in Dublin and in the context of wider national approaches. In addition, as part of the Government’s initiative on the north-east inner city, I awarded a grant of €35,000 this year to Fire Station Artists' Studios, Buckingham Street, to assist in providing additional studio space in conjunction with Dublin City Council.

In terms of investment by my Department, I have launched a new €9 million investment scheme for arts and cultural centres to run over the next three years. This will be focused on securing and enhancing our arts and culture infrastructure. The scheme will target investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as artists’ studios and creative spaces. The closing date for receipt of applications was in September and applications received are now undergoing evaluation. Awards will be announced in the near future.

In addition, I will soon be announcing a subset of the scheme, with grants of up to €20,000 for community or voluntary organisations. The details of this funding stream are being finalised and the process relating to applications will open in the near future. I will consider how best this scheme could assist with the provision or enhancement of artist studio space.

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister for that information and those initiatives are certainly welcome. We have seen in recent years, especially as the commercial property market starts to bounce back, that a number of premises, especially in Dublin city, have been lost to the artistic community. I refer to places such as the Broadstone Studios, The Joinery in Stoneybatter and Block T in Smithfield. All those premises have been lost.

If we consider the cities to which our creative artists emigrate, both London and Berlin, for example, have very clear policies on providing space for artists and, in that way, not only do they hugely enhance the artistic and creative atmosphere in the city, they also contribute very significantly towards job creation. We know that 11% of the workforce in Berlin works in the creative field. There is huge potential in this area and we need to further invest in it.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Deputy that there is a need for increased artists' studio space. In respect of rural Ireland, under the town and village enhancement scheme and the rural economic development zones, REDZ, programme, additional art spaces are being made available, and I very much welcome that. The REDZ programme was only announced yesterday. There is space in many of those projects for studios.

In terms of this city, I agree with the Deputy that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get premises for artists and I am conscious of that. The new capital scheme provides for an investment of €9 million, with the provision of €3 million each year for the next three years. It will take some time for the relevant projects to come on stream. This is a six-year programme and, hopefully, we should have another €9 million to invest in three years' time. I have always said that as the economy improves, we will need to invest more money in the arts.

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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Unfortunately, the provision of €3 million a year nationally will not go very far in terms of acquiring premises. Considering the price of premises in the Dublin area, something needs to be done. I acknowledge the work that has been done by the arts officer in Dublin City Council but the problem is that demand is far outstripping supply. We need to look at new ways of bringing vacant buildings on stream, especially those that are in the ownership of the State. Closed Garda stations, closed banks and such places could be brought into use as community facilities for visual artists who are desperately seeking space. The potential is huge in terms of people being able to earn a living working in the arts. We need a Government plan to do that, particularly in the capital, so that we can be very clear about where we are going and that we do not adopt a scatter-gun approach.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The best way to resolve this is to work with Arts Council, Dublin City Council, as the Deputy mentioned, and the OPW. Where they identify vacant buildings that are in public use, there is no reason why these could not be adapted and developed into studio spaces. If suggestions are put forward by the different organisations, I will certainly consider them. As already stated, however, the current capital scheme is closed and the applications are being assessed. When the funding is allocated and work starts on these particular projects, that should provide some extra space.