Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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282. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to a small fringe festival (details supplied). [6305/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Arts Council is the statutory body charged with supporting and developing the arts in Ireland and is independent in its funding decisions under Section 24(2) of the Arts Act 2003. In such circumstances neither I as Minister, nor my officials can intervene in the Council's funding decisions .

The Arts Council has appeals procedures that can be found at www.artscouncil.ie/Funding/Appeals-process/.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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283. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of theatre and festival groups or events that have received funding under the small arts festival and experimental events grant scheme 2022 for the production of plays; and the number that have not received funding for same. [6306/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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My Department has a range of schemes to which theatres, festival groups and events can apply for current and/or capital funding. My Department does not, however, have aSmall arts festival and experimental events grant scheme.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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284. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the collections storage requirements of each of the cultural institutions which sit under the cultural institutions unit within her Department; her views on the quality and capacity of the collections storage facilities across these institutions; if there are plans in place to deal with deficits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6492/22]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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285. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has considered a holistic plan to address the collections storage needs of Ireland’s cultural institutions; the considerations that underpin the strategy which the cultural institutions unit are considering with regard to long-term collections storage, bearing in mind scale of collections, environment footprint, cost and public access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6493/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together.

My officials continually liaise with the National Cultural Institutions and my Department is fully briefed on the challenges that the NCIs face with respect to collections storage. Under the National Development Plan, my Department's sectoral plan - Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 - 2027 - provides for the investment of €460m in the capital redevelopment of the National Cultural Institutions over the period 2018 to 2027.

Under this plan it is intended to upgrade and extend the institutions’ buildings and facilities in line with international museum standards and to provide for enhanced collection storage facilities, along with expanded learning and exhibition spaces, visitor facilities and other needs identified by the NCIs.

These projects are being planned, implemented and evaluated in line with the Public Spending Code and best practice guidance outlined in the Capital Works Management Framework published by the Office of Government Procurement. While the majority of these capital projects are moving through preliminary stages, a number of projects are at implementation stage or are nearing implementation stage. When the capital projects are complete it is expected that this investment will fully address any deficits in relation to storage.

My Department engages with the OPW on a regular basis with regard to the implementation of this plan and the possibility of shared storage arrangements is being considered as part of this process.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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286. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the requirements for a long-term plan to house and make accessible the national collection which is held in the care of the National Museum of Ireland; the efforts that are in place at the level of her Department to identity a solution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6494/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I am aware of the requirement for a long-term plan to house the national collection which is held in the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) and my Department has been engaged with both the NMI and the Office of Public Works (OPW) in relation to this matter.

As set out in the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997, the NMI relies on the OPW for the provision of all premises and building management needs, including storage for a collection of 4 million objects.

The NMI's principal storage space is based at the Collections Resource Centre (CRC) in Swords and the lease on this building is in place until 2030. My Department is engaged with the OPW and the NMI to identify an appropriate long term solution for the storage of the NMI's collections. A Project Working Group has been established to develop a Strategic Assessment Report, as per the requirements of the Public Spending Code, which outlines the key objectives and rationale for the CRC and puts forward potential solutions as a series of options. It is intended that this work will be completed in 2022.