Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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500. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason County Louth, and Drogheda in particular, has been overlooked in the recent €9 million which has been allocated to 56 arts and culture centres around the country. [10316/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I recently announced details of more than €9 million in capital funding for arts and culture centres across the country. This capital scheme is the most significant investment in arts and cultural centres in a decade and will target investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as artists’ studios and creative spaces. This kind of investment is at the centre of what I am trying to achieve through Creative Ireland and the Action Plan for Rural Development. The Arts and Culture Capital Scheme was considerably over-subscribed. The Department received 106 applications in total under Stream 1 and 2 seeking total funding of over €20m with eligible requests for funding totalling over €14.6m. Following the assessment process, 56 projects are being funded.

Of the 106 applications, two were from organisations in Co Louth. Unfortunately both of these applications were ineligible under the terms of the scheme. The Department will however, be happy to engage with each applicant in relation to their specific application. Unsuccessful applicants have also been informed of the Stream 3 small capital grant scheme for arts and cultural facilities which I will be announcing shortly.