Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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400. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has examined proposals to facilitate on a national basis the use of vacant retail premises by exhibiting artists, based on successful schemes such as (details supplied) which uses empty retail units to support local artists. [11691/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the issue regarding the provision of affordable studio space, particularly as a result of the changing property market. In general, I would consider that local approaches driven by artists, local arts officers and the owners of vacant buildings are best suited to respond to the specific local circumstances involved and provide the most effective outcomes.

However, my Department is in discussion with the Arts Council, Dublin City Council and the OPW to consider some possible short-term and longer-term approaches to the issue, both in relation to specific issues in Dublin and to wider national approaches. In addition, as part of the Government’s initiative on the North East Inner City, I awarded a grant of €35,000 this year to Fire Station Artists' Studios, Buckingham Street, to assist in providing additional facilities in conjunction with Dublin City Council.

In terms of investment by my Department, I recently announced details of more than €9 million in capital funding for 56 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.

Eight of the grants relate to artist studios and creative spaces amounting to a total of €850,000. A full list of full list of organisations to benefit from funding under Stream 1 and 2 of the Creative Ireland Arts and Cultural Capital Scheme 2016-2018 is available on my Department's website.

Furthermore, I will be announcing a new small capital grants Scheme in the coming weeks which will be geared towards providing grants of up to €20,000 to not-for-profit organisations with a defined arts and cultural remit. Organisations with artists' studios will also be eligible to apply under this new scheme.