Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the capital funding available to help local community based arts and cultural organisations to undertake capital projects, in view of the ACCESS II scheme successful recipients being announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25659/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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On 24th April last, allocations to the value of €32million were made to the promoters of 67 projects nationwide under the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme II (ACCESS II 2007-2009). The ACCESS scheme is designed to assist the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructure, thereby enhancing access to the arts throughout the country. This is the successor to the highly successful ACCESS I scheme, introduced in August 2001, which allocated funding of almost €43 million to 40 projects nationwide.

ACCESS has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in the provision of high quality arts and culture infrastructure around the country. It is expected that ACCESS II will also result in the creation of direct and indirect employment in the arts and in the local economies.

A total of 155 applications were received under the scheme. Funding of the order of €200 million was sought. All unsuccessful applications have been retained on file and will be re-considered should additional funding become available. The ACCESS Scheme includes a community funding strand under which the projects set out in the table were funded since 2001.

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. Any application for capital arts funding received by my Department will receive fair consideration and will be evaluated on its merits.