James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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58. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to increase the provision of affordable workspaces for artists and creative practitioners in County Cork. [17290/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Late last year, a new €4.7m capital investment scheme was launched for arts and culture centres across the country. Applications were invited for the Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022 and the closing date was in January. The Scheme focuses on enhancing the existing stock of arts and culture centres that operate as not-for-profit organisations throughout the country and that have a clearly defined arts and culture focus.

This scheme has a particular emphasis on the reduction of carbon footprints to dovetail with the Government’s action on climate change. The Scheme builds on the success of the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 which saw grants allocated to 134 organisations in 26 counties to refurbish and enhance their facilities. This funding is provided from a €40m capital investment allocation for local arts and culture infrastructure contained in Project Ireland 2040 “Investing in our Culture, Language & Heritage 2018-2027'. There were three schemes with

* Stream Aoffering grants up to €50,000 for small enhancement/expansion/ refurbishment projects which may involve construction works to arts and culture facilities and/or upgrading of equipment.

* Stream B will offer grants from €50,000 up to €300,000 for larger enhancement /expansion/ refurbishment projects involving construction works to arts and culture facilities.

* Stream Cis a separate scheme aimed at the upgrading of visual artists’ workspaces. Applications for this Stream were managed by Visual Artists Ireland.

While Stream C is dedicated to artist's' workspaces, applications were also allowed under Streams A and B in respect of artists' workspaces. It is hoped that the results of the scheme will be announced over the coming months.

The Arts Council operates a number of schemes and initiatives which have been established for the particular support of visual arts, including the Visual Artists Workspace Scheme. This scheme is funded by the Arts Council and is administered on its behalf by Visual Artists Ireland. The purpose of the Visual Artists Workspace Scheme is to support artists’ workspaces throughout the country to provide the best possible working environment for visual artists and, where feasible, to enable a level of subsidy for the artists working in these spaces. I understand that under this scheme, Visual Artists Ireland invites applications for grants of up to a maximum of €40,000 towards running costs such as light, heat, rent, artists’ development programmes, administration and/or appropriate salary costs. A small proportion may be directed toward essential maintenance and equipment expenditure. Practical information in relation to the Visual Artists Workspace Scheme may be accessed on the Visual Artists Ireland website.