Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

340. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to outline her views on the necessity to ensure that funding for the arts is distributed equally across the regions and whether specific areas (details supplied) are not receiving an adequate or equal supply of such funding. [17163/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The issue of the geographical spread of funding for the Arts is a relevant one in term of access and participation. There are many factions which impinge on this including population density, the location of major venues, the headquarters of national artistic bodies and the role of local authorities and other local factors.

My Department has a role in providing capital funding and in this regard I recently announced a new €9 million investment scheme for arts and cultural centres to run over the next three years focussed on upgrading the existing stock of arts and cultural centres around the country. My Department is finalising the guidelines and application forms in relation to the scheme which I intend to open for applications very shortly. These guidelines will provide that the issue of geographical spread may be considered in terms of grant approvals.

Most of Government's funding for the arts is allocated to the Arts Council to which I allocated a total of €60 million in 2016. The Council is statutorily independent in its funding decisions. Information on the Arts Council's funding schemes, funding decisions and reasons for those decisions is available for each county through its decisions database at the following link:- .

The Arts Council is aware of the issue of geographical distribution of support and in its latest Strategy Document - Making Great Art Work - it incorporates a Spatial and Demographic Goal under which includes actions regarding:

- The provision of advice to Government about the spatial and demographic considerations which should inform national cultural policy, including capital development;

- the development of the Arts Council’s strategic partnership with local government and with individual local authorities;

- the inclusion of spatial and demographic measures within the ‘public engagement’ criteria that inform the Council’s investment strategy and funding decisions; and

- working with others to ensure a robust evidence base for arts planning and investment, drawing on spatial and demographic knowledge and analysis.