Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his plans and policy to develop and promote the arts at local and national level particularly regarding maintaining and developing interest and facilities in the current economic climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8176/10]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Government Policy on the Arts is set out in the Programme for Government and is 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 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. On Budget Day, the Government allocated €69.15 million to the Arts Council for 2010.

My Department takes a direct role in relation to the provision of grant-aid for arts and culture infrastructure and has allocated almost €200m in funding for the capital development of facilities around the country in recent years. On Budget Day, the Government allocated €16 million for cultural capital infrastructure which will be spend on projects which have been allocated funding under the ACCESS, the arts capital programme.

This Programme is designed to assist in the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructural projects, thereby enhancing access to all aspects of the arts throughout the country. The programme is 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, while the Arts Council provides the ongoing revenue support for many of the facilities.