Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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18. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide an update on the planned arts capital programme promised in the programme for Government. [64150/25]

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I applaud the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach's efficiency in the Chair. I thank the Minister for taking this question. It concerns the proposal in the programme for Government to develop an arts capital scheme. Will the Minister provide us with an update?

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As I have previously outlined to other Deputies, the programme for Government contains this commitment because we believe culture and arts are essential to a well-rounded society and provide opportunities for education, expression and community engagement. A network of cultural infrastructure exists throughout the country, the majority of which is in the ownership of local authorities.

Annual support, including programming and revenue, is provided to the arts and culture infrastructure by local authorities and the Arts Council. The Department focuses on providing capital grants funding for artists' development and to maintain arts and cultural facilities.

In the budget, the Department was allocated €6 million for a new programme of capital funding for arts and culture organisations across the country in line with the commitment in the programme for Government. The Deputy will be aware this scheme was one of the key recommendations of the Oireachtas joint committee report published in July 2024, when he was Leas-Chathaoirleach. This will see much-needed capital supports for communities, including funding for essential equipment for organisations such as amateur drama groups and musical societies. The Department is in the process of designing the scheme, including the setting-out of the eligibility criteria. This will need the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation before it can be launched. It will also need to be brought to Government. In the interim, under stream E of the cultural capital scheme, grants of up €20,000 are available for not-for-profit dedicated arts and culture organisations at 85% of the funding rate. Larger grants of up to €50,000, as I said to Deputy Aird, are provided under stream E, at a maximum grant funding of 70%. Local authority-owned facilities are subject to a maximum of 60%. This is a rolling scheme that is demand-led and full details are available.

Another cultural capital funding scheme available from the Department is the €6 million pilot artist workspaces scheme launched in June 2024. Under this scheme, local authorities are invited to propose projects which enable them to provide additional artist workspaces in their regions on a sustainable basis and produce workspaces which are fit for purpose. Funding of up €300,000 is available for densely populated local authority areas and €150,000 for others.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The sports capital programme has been incredibly successful at providing support for sport within our communities. I welcome the Government's continued commitment but we have not placed the same level of investment in arts and cultural facilities in our organisations. I appreciate the point about stream E but, as the Minister pointed out, the maximum grant available is €50,000. In a capital programme, that is not a huge sum. I am thinking of a number of places in my constituency, including Gorey Little Theatre, KMH in Kilmuckridge, St. Brigid's Hall in Carnew and Tinahely's Courthouse Arts Centre. Arklow, for instance, does not have a dedicated arts centre. That sum will not go very far towards that. In the same way as we have a sports capital fund that works successfully, we should introduce an arts capital fund. It is a clear commitment in the programme. I know the Minister is supportive of it but we need to roll it out as quickly as possible.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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That is exactly what we are doing. We are starting with a small amount because we want to test the water and get an understanding of how the scheme will work. When sports capital was introduced fadó, fadó, it started at a very small level. When I was Minister of State in the Department the last time, in 2016, the amount available for sports capital was paltry compared to what is available from our Department now - north of €250 million. We need to start somewhere. This is a small scheme. If we are inundated with demand, which I expect we will be, it will strengthen my resolve to increase the amount available in next year's budget. It is capital and not current so it has to be approved under the NDP. We have to see first who the interested parties are. The scheme has not been designed yet but I expect that when I bring proposals to Government, it will be levelled at the local authorities in the first instance to be the applicants because this is work they should be doing anyway. This should be assistance rather than subvention.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome that. Will the Minister outline a rough timeline for that? He talks of local authorities but not all venues are local authority-run or have local authority input. Many venues for amateur drama or the arts are run on a community or voluntary basis. It is about the process of application and capacity-building in the sector. Does the local authority have to be involved? I appreciate the scheme is not fully designed but will the Minister outline his intentions in that regard?

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We will take a supplementary from Deputy Brennan on this.

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I am here again to speak about sports capital and arts capital. It is hugely welcome but I have asked - and I have the Minister's ear red on this - that areas that have not been supported before be given priority. The town of Arklow has 16,000 people but no venue to put on a show and no town park. These areas must be helped. I welcome the work the Minister has done to date but ask him to please prioritise Arklow and other towns like it throughout Ireland.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I agree with both Deputies. Whether it is arts or sport, we will prioritise areas with growing and burgeoning populations but without facilities. I am going to be very critical of local authorities again. Local authorities have in many cases allowed houses to be built all over the place and done very well out of development levy contribution schemes. Where has the money gone? We have to be honest. In many cases, the Government is being asked to plug holes created by local authorities. They have built thousands of houses, which we need, but amenities seem to be secondary to many local authorities across the country. You cannot build houses without building communities. I am anxious that whatever scheme we introduce is not an alternative to the local authorities doing their jobs. While many community groups across the country have taken on the initiative for it, this is in primary legislation as, first and foremost, a responsibility of the local authorities. In many cases, they have abjectly failed to do their job, walked away from it and made it the Government's responsibility. Meanwhile, many of them are sitting on huge cash reserves from development levy contributions. We have to ask some difficult questions of our local authorities as well.