James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 363: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will increase funding to the Arts Council and the Irish arts sector to €100 million to ensure growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24799/07]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will increase the funding for the Arts Council in 2007 in order to achieve important targets for the development of the arts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24818/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 363 and 364 together.

As Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism I am committed to securing the best possible funding for the Arts Council and the arts sector generally. The Arts Council's funding requirement for the year ahead will be addressed in the context of the 2008 Estimates. In doing so, the Government must balance competing demands from every part of our economy and society.

Funding for the Arts Council has increased from €47.67 million in 2002 to €80 million in 2007 — an increase of almost 68%. These are significant amounts of money in any context. This funding has transformed the arts, increasing access to and participation in the arts, and has provided an excellent platform for future development. My policy on the arts is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts and make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life. The following table shows the funding provided to the Arts Council between 1997 and 2007.