Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total amount of grant aid provided under ACCESS I and II for the development of a new museum in County Sligo; the total estimated capital cost of the museum project; where the balance of the funding is to be sourced; the current status of the museum project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12586/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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In August 2001, an amount of €2.9 million was allocated to Sligo County Council from the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme (ACCESS I), as a contribution towards the construction costs of a proposed new purpose-built county museum.

For a number of reasons the project did not go ahead. The grant was withdrawn in December 2008, following a meeting between Sligo County Council and officials of my Department. The monies were reallocated to other projects. These included The Model - an alternative project put forward by Sligo County Council. A further grant was made to The Model from ACCESS 11 and it received a total of €3.4 million from my Department. That project was completed and the centre is now re-opened.