Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the support he provides towards newly established youth art projects; if his Department supplies advice on best practice for developing youth art initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17674/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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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 all facets of national life. It is my belief that the arts are critical to the health of society, to enhancing the life of local communities and to giving expression to place and identity.

I recognise that the benefits of the arts for the individual are greatly increased if exposure to the arts takes place during a person's most formative years and, for that reason, it is important that the arts be embedded in our education system. For this reason also it is important that initiatives aimed at involving children and young people are prioritised.

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; and

to assist in improving standards in the arts.

In 2008 the budget for the Arts Council is €82.102 million. The Council will disburse €4.6million of these funds to young people, children and to education — in and out of school. €3.9m of this is allocated to organisations and projects that focus on work exclusively with children and young people. A further €700,000 will be provided to festivals, venues, local authorities and to education programmes of the Arts Council's clients that offer programmes to children and young people as part of a wider remit. Taken together these figures represent a 26% increase on 2007.

In addition the Department has provided funding for the Creative Engagement arts projects in schools. The initiative is run by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals.

Last year, a special sub-committee of the Arts Council produced the Arts in Education Report. I have yet to study this report in fine detail and when I have received a report from the Interagency Group on Implementing the proposals in it, I will pursue the issue as a matter of priority.

In recent years, the Ark Cultural Centre for Children has been awarded €1,387,738 in Capital funding by the Department. In 2001, a grant of €1,269,738 was made towards the project, in 2007, the Ark was awarded €118k towards the purchase of equipment for the theatre, workshop, gallery and office, and front of house works.

In addition current funding of €100,000 was awarded in 2006 towards the 2007 EU Year of the Child, and a further €100,000 was awarded in 2008 towards the 2008 EU Year of Intercultural Dialogue.