Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome Minister of State, Deputy Canney, to the House.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I am here to speak about a couple of the schemes that receive extraordinarily small amounts of funding, yet do an incredible amount of heavy lifting in terms of arts and culture. We hear a lot of discussion about the importance of Ireland's cultural heritage, how much that is part of the identity we have internationally, how essential it is to our internal identity and the role it plays in society. However, the funding that allows people to engage with culture and allows actual creativity to flourish within our communities is still deeply inadequate.

I am going to highlight a couple of the areas, two schemes that are of particular concern. Under the cultural capital stream E, the stated aim is the enhancement of the existing stock of the arts and cultural centres throughout the country.Since 2023, only €996,876, or less than €1 million, has been allocated to the 32 arts and cultural organisations across the country for their capital stock, or their buildings, resources and facilities. This year, there has been an announcement of €271,400 for eight institutions, including Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford and the Town Hall Theatre in Galway city. Previous recipients have included the Seanchaí Kerry Literary and Cultural Centre, Tuar Ard arts centre in Westmeath, and South Tipperary Arts Centre. I am listing some of these names because these spaces, art centres and small theatres play an incredibly important role in their communities. All the spaces, such as that in Westmeath and the theatre in Manorhamilton, play an incredibly important role in making creativity and cultural practice visible and possible in local communities. It was a revolutionary thing that they were introduced and that they began to flourish. These spaces also play a vital role in facilitating arts performers and artists across Ireland who do not have the option others might have in New York or London, where a production can run for a year. Instead, they may have two weeks here and one week there. They build a circuit around the country that allows them to fund the development of their theatre, art and performances. The organisations have received only €1 million.

The visual artists workplace scheme gets a maximum of €6 million, provided by the Department, for the development of projects. Counties and city councils can apply for funding up to only €300,000 under the scheme. By comparison, the sports facilities fund, overseen by the same Department, was allocated €230 million last year. For the incredibly important arts organisations, we are talking about €1 million, €6 million or grants in the order of tens or hundreds of thousands of euro. I want to know what is happening to reconfigure and really resource this area. Dublin City Council has shown that of the 126 buildings classed as multidisciplinary community and arts centres, such as Axis Ballymun and The Complex, only 11, or 9%, are developed to a standard sufficient to allow for the production or consumption of professional work. They are not at a standard where they can be used. In my reply to the Minister of State’s response, I will give some positive examples but also some of the areas where more work is needed.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Deputy O’Donovan, is unable to be here today due to prior commitments and sends his apologies. He asked me to step in in his absence.

I thank Senator Higgins for raising this important matter and giving me an opportunity to update the House on it. This Government places great value on culture and the arts sector. As outlined in the programme for Government, we recognise that the sector is essential to a well-rounded society, providing opportunities for education, expression and community engagement. A network of cultural infrastructure exists throughout the country, with the majority of the facilities in the ownership of local authorities. Annual support, including programming and revenue supports, is provided for arts and cultural infrastructure by local authorities and the Arts Council.

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is focused on providing capital grant funding to assist development and to maintain these arts and cultural facilities. The cultural capital scheme was originally launched in October 2019 with a fund of €4.7 million. An additional stream of funding, stream E, was launched on 14 June 2023, with a fund of €1.4 million. Stream E of the cultural capital scheme focuses on enhancing the existing stock of arts and cultural centres throughout the country. In line with Government action on climate change, the scheme also welcomes projects that reduce the organisations’ carbon footprint, as well as projects that provide additional capacity for artistic production.

Grants of up to €20,000 are available for not-for-profit dedicated arts and cultural organisations, at an 85% funding rate. Larger grants, of up to €50,000, are available at a maximum grant funding rate of 70%. Local authority-owned facilities are subject to a maximum funding rate of 60%.Since it launched on 14 June 2023, 32 applications were successful and funding of €996,000 has been allocated to date. Some 20 projects have been completed and fully drawn down. This is a rolling scheme and is demand-led with no closing date. It will remain open until the fund is exhausted. The next round of grant awards under stream E of the cultural capital scheme is due to be announced shortly.

As highlighted by the Senator, the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, is acutely aware of the shortage of affordable creative spaces around the country. His Department currently operates a pilot artists' workspaces scheme for local authorities. This scheme is open and accepting applications. Under the €6 million funding scheme local authorities are invited to propose projects that can accommodate and address the demand for artists' workshops in their regions and produce workshops that are fit for purpose, design focused, accessible and affordable. Funding of up to €300,000 is available for densely populated local authorities. Funding of up to €150,000 is available for less densely populated areas. The scheme has also no closing date and will remain open until the scheme is fully exhausted.

Since it launched in June 2024, there has been one grant awarded to Limerick City and County Council for €221,356. However, the Department has recently received six applications under the scheme. These are currently being assessed and the Minister hopes to make an announcement on these in the coming weeks. This funding will address the critical shortage of performance and workspaces for artists throughout the country.

I would like to inform the Senator that in 2023 the Department of Culture, Communications and Sports allocated Dublin City Council funding of €3 million as part of the Space to Create programme, towards the provision of artists' workspaces in a number of city centre locations. These projects are currently being progressed. Dublin City Council was allocated this amount for the Space to Create programme because, as Ireland's capital city, it has the largest population. As such, it would also have a higher population of artists in need of workspace.

The Senator may be aware that in budget 2026 the Department was allocated €6 million for a new programme of capital funding for arts and culture across the country in line with a commitment in the programme for Government. This will see much-needed capital supports for communities, including funding essential equipment for organisations such as amateur drama groups and musical societies. The Department is in the process of designing the specifications for this scheme, including setting out the eligibility criteria. Depending on demand, it is the Minister's intention to seek an increase in next year's budget.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Before I call the Senator to respond, I welcome to the Visitors Gallery a group of students from Cistercian College Roscrea, who are guests of Senator Maria Byrne. The guys are turned out amazingly well in their jackets and shirts. I also welcome Ms Marceline Coady and Mr. Seamus Hennessy. They are all very welcome. I hope they enjoy their stay.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I am concerned about the mention of demand-led. We know the problem is that there is a capping of very low amounts such as €20,000 or €150,000. We know about that demand, so it is not really demand-led because it is not actually matching the need that is there.

I acknowledge what the Minister of State said in relation to the Dublin City Council partnership. In fact, it has a positive example in the FLUX studios in Chatham Row, for example, where the council owns a space providing affordable workshops for artists and space for workshops, exhibitions and performances and indeed an anchoring place for cultural groups. However, we need far more of that. Perhaps the Minister of State might update me on the Liberties cultural campus, which we heard was to come online in a similar way. What is the progress on that? In terms of demand-led, I am making this demand but also it should not be solely a demand. This should be something driven by the Department as a positive for society and for culture. As has happened across many previous governments, the Department should look to fund and create these spaces because when the spaces are created, the possibilities open up and the artistry and creativity emerge. That is what genuinely leads to a creative society, where everyone can both see and participate in culture, rather than having so many people competing for such small amounts of money.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I thank the Senator. I realise her obvious passion towards this subject matter is true and genuine. This Government places great value on culture and the arts sector. As outlined in the programme for Government, we recognise that they are essential to a well-rounded society providing opportunities, education, expression and community engagement.Across the country, there is a network of cultural infrastructure, with the majority in the ownership of local authorities. Annual support, including the programming and revenue supports, is provided. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is focusing on providing capital grant funding to assist to maintain these arts and cultural facilities, with the infrastructure as opposed to the running costs. It is important to the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, that he and his Department support this investment in these facilities, both in Dublin and around the country. As I said earlier, two capital streams are currently open, stream E of the cultural capital scheme and the arts workspace scheme, and there is a separate partnership with Dublin City Council.

The new scheme for arts and culture organisations that was announced in the budget will build over time, similar to the way that sports capital funding has developed. That is where the Senator will see the thresholds increased, especially with the costs of construction increasing. I will ask the Minister to come back to him on the query about the Liberties, because I do not have the answer here. While it is demand led, it is important that all organisations engage. Hopefully we will see stronger support in the thresholds going forward.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State and the Senator. The Minister of State is staying with us. I thank him for his time. I appreciate it, as does the House.