David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his Department's policy in relation to promoting and supporting drama; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4938/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Government Policy on the Arts is set out in the Programme for Government and will be elaborated further in my Department's Statement of Strategy. 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.

Responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country, including drama, is primarily devolved to the Arts Council. The Arts Council is the principal agency through which State funding is channelled to the arts. Under the Arts Act, 2003, the general functions of the Council include the following:

to stimulate public interest in the arts;

to promote knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts;

to assist in improving standards in the arts.

The Arts Council is a statutorily independent body, funded by my Department and independent in its day-to-day operations, including in relation to its funding decisions. Funding for the Arts Council has increased by over 72% from €47.67 million in 2002 to €82.102 million this year. These are significant amounts of money in any context and have transformed and increased access to the arts and allowed the Arts Council to support artists and arts organisations nationwide. The Government's commitment to the arts is evidenced by these large increases in funding to the Arts Council.

My Department has taken a direct role in relation to the provision of grant-aid for arts and culture infrastructure and has provided over €130m in funding for the capital development of facilities around the country in recent years. The Arts Capital Programme is designed to assist in the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructure, thereby enhancing access to all aspects of the arts throughout the country. The programme has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in the provision of high quality arts and culture infrastructure around the country.

Facilities funded to date include integrated arts centres, theatres, galleries, studios, and creative and performance spaces. In this manner the Department provides the bulk of capital funding for building and refurbishing arts facilities around the country, mainly in the not for profit sector, while the Arts Council provides the ongoing revenue support for many of the facilities. The National Development Plan, NDP, 2007-2013 provided €81 million for the Arts Capital Programme. I intend to announce another round of the programme this year.