Nicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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750. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures taken by his Department in conjunction with the Arts Council to protect the State's investment in regional arts infrastructure, particularly in the midlands region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38272/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The Government's policy on the arts is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, to increase access to and participation in the arts, and to make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life.

As the Deputy will be aware, primary responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels, throughout the country is devolved to the Arts Council. The Council is funded by my Department and is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations, including funding decisions. In 2013, the Arts Council will receive an allocation of over €60.6 million in current, capital and EU Presidency funding. Details of all funding provided by the Arts Council to arts practitioners, arts groups and venues, including arts centres, are available on the Council's website at . In a wider context, the Arts Council support of a range of arts forms is set out in its strategic overview document entitled Developing the Arts in Ireland: Arts Council Strategic Overview 2011-2013 . In this strategy document, which is available on the Council's website, its work and key strategic principles that inform its funding decisions are laid out.

I have outlined below a range of ways in which my Department and relevant bodies within its remit are supporting cultural and heritage initiatives in conjunction with local groups and communities. These include the following listed cultural tourism initiatives that have been whole or partly funded by my Department:

- St. Patrick's Day celebrations ();

- Music Day ( );

- Culture Night ( );

- the Arts Council Festivals and Events scheme, which supports some 150 small arts festivals in towns and villages throughout Ireland each year;

- Arts Council funding of arts centres and venues around the State, as well as the Council's s funding of touring and dissemination of high-quality work in all disciplines through the national network of arts centres and venues;

- the Arts Council's partnership with local authorities and Arts Officers throughout the country;

- the work of the Council of National Cultural Institutions and other cultural venues in organising a wide range of activities supported by my Department;

- Comhaltas Ceoltoírí Éireann, which is funded by my Department to support their work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music;

- cultural and heritage events being held under the auspices of The Gathering;

- web-based projects being developed by my Department to promote greater appreciation and understanding of Ireland's heritage for residents and visitors alike; and

- other collaborative work with bodies and groups such as the Arts Council, the Heritage Council, the Irish Heritage Trust, Comhaltas Ceoltoírí Éireann and Music Network.

My Department also operates a philanthropic initiative for arts and culture organisations. This initiative is designed to encourage philanthropy, sponsorship and endowment of the arts from private sources. Now in its second year, the initiative has proved very successful with total funding of over €1 million made available for arts projects last year. Full details can be found on my Department's website at .

Despite the limited financial resources available, my Department continues to invest in arts capital infrastructure. This year my Department's capital budget is €3.3m. A full list of capital projects supported in the last 3 years is available on my Department's website at .

Within the current economic constraints, investment in the arts, heritage, culture and creative sectors is more important than ever, having regard to the employment intensity of these sectors. While I know the Deputy appreciates the funding difficulties facing all Departments at this time, she can be assured I remain committed to securing the best possible level of funding for these sectors.