Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the drafting of a new per cent for art scheme has been initiated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2272/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question 44676 of 9th December 2008. As outlined in that reply, the Per Cent for Art scheme, when launched, was accompanied by a set of Guidelines to assist with its implementation. The Guidelines included a commitment to review the scheme and this process is now underway.

The review of the working and implementation of the Per Cent for Art Guidelines has been undertaken through an Inter-Departmental Group, chaired by my Department, since September 2007. This group, which is representative of a wide range of Government Departments and agencies with construction budgets, as well as the Arts Council and the Local Authority Arts Officer Association, has been active in working to revise and achieve an agreed and constructive set of guidelines.

As referred to in my reply of 9th December 2008, the Public Art Advisory Panel, convened by the Arts Council is currently liaising with the Interdepartmental Group so that the revised guidelines can be agreed, finalised and published. The public art website; Publicart.ie, is at an advanced stage of construction and is expected to be launched in the first half of this year.