Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will support a matter (details supplied). [32987/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is the Government's responsibility to ensure that the arts and culture are well funded and placed at the centre of policy making in Ireland. To this end funding for the Arts and Culture sector has increased significantly in recent years. Funding for the Arts and Culture, which includes the Arts Council, the Film Board, Culture Ireland, the National Cultural Institutions and the capital arts infrastructure programme ACCESS (Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme) and the National Gallery is approximately €220m in 2008.

As Minister for Arts 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 2009 Estimates. In doing so, the Government must balance competing demands from all other sectors of our economy and society. Funding for the Arts Council has increased from €47.67m in 2002 to €81.6m this year –an increase of over 71%. 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.