Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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267. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she has provided financial support to the arts nationally in the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38008/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The allocations across my Department are published in the Revised Estimates Volume at www.per.gov.ie. My Department secured additional funding of over €36 million in 2019, an increase of 12% on the 2018 allocation and allowing for total expenditure of some €339 million on culture, language and heritage in 2019. As part of that overall funding I am glad to advise the Deputy that budget figures announced over the last three years in respect of my Departmenthas seen increased financial provision for the arts as  it relates to the Arts Council, Screen Ireland and National Cultural Institutions outlined in the following table.

The additional funding of over €36 million for my Department in 2019 included €21 million in capital expenditure.  This included Arts and culture funding up by €22.6m or 13.5% – comprising €10.6m (7.7%) increase in current funding and €12m (or 14%) in capital. Also included in this was Arts Council funding which was increased by up by 10% to €75m as well as an additional €2 million for Screen Ireland.

Project Ireland 2040 is the Government’s long-term overarching strategy to make Ireland a better country for its entire people. The plan changes how investment is made in public infrastructure in Ireland, moving away from the approach of the past, which saw public investment spread too thinly and investment decisions that didn’t align with a well-thought-out and defined strategy. Alongside the development of physical infrastructure, Project Ireland 2040 supports business and communities across all of Ireland in realising their potential.

€1.2 billion as part of Project Ireland 2040 is broken down as follows:

- €460 million for our National Cultural Institutions.

- €265 million for cultural and creativity investment programme

- €285 million for natural and built heritage

- €178 million for the Gaeltacht. The Irish language and the islands.

A Cultural and Creativity investment programme comprising €265 million will be closely aligned with the cultural infrastructure, creative communities and creative industries pillars of the Creative Ireland Programme.

- €200 million will be invested in our vibrant media production and audio visual industries which will have a positive impact  right across the country

- A €40 million programme of investing in cultural infrastructure across all regions will see support for the maintenance and development of regional arts centres, theatres, regional museums, galleries, archives, multi-use facilities, artist studios etc.

- A €10 million national digitisation investment programme will see national collections digitised over the course of the plan supporting the conservation,  preservation and dissemination of the  national collections;

- Galway as EU Capital of Culture will receive €15 million funding for its cultural programme under the Plan.