Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reason he has not established the Irish Academy for the Performing Arts as promised in the 2002 Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11765/07]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reason the proposal for an academy for the performing arts was abandoned by the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11753/07]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 100 together.

I refer the Deputies to my reply of 13th October 2005 and 6th July 2006 in which I stated that responsibility for the establishment of a third-level Irish Academy for the Performing Arts was transferred from the Department of Education and Science to my Department in 2003. However, no transfer of capital funding for the project occurred. Capital funding is not currently available to me to progress the development of an Irish Academy for the Performing Arts.

It should be borne in mind that in 2003 the Government initiated its first educational Public Private Partnership in the form of its €58.4m investment in the Cork School of Music, part of the Cork Institute of Technology, which has facilitated its development as "a centre of musical excellence locally, regionally, nationally and internationally".