Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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56. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a schedule of the amount of funds, beneficiary of funds and use of funds released by his Department under the per cent for art scheme in each of the past five years to date in 2023, in tabular form. [23587/23]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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dThe Per Cent for Art Scheme is a Government initiative whereby 1% of the cost of any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development, subject to maximum limits, can be allocated to the commissioning of art projects and acquisition of artworks. The mechanisms for the implementation of this policy originated in the Public Art Research Project Steering Group Report to Government (1997), which was subject to Government Decision (S29498, May 1997). Since 1997 this scheme has been made available to all capital projects across all government departments. 

In 2019, the Government raised the funding limits  that  had  been  in  place  since  1997,  thereby  significantly  increasing  the  budgets  available  for investment in public art and artists in Ireland. In line with the PER CENT FOR ART SCHEME GENERAL NATIONAL GUIDELINES – 2004, the OPW may pool funding for projects to facilitate greater flexibility in the use  of  funds  and  to ensure  that  a  range  of  artworks  are  available  to  meet  a  diverse  range  of  client requirements. 

The OPW has responsibility for management of the most widely distributed public art collection in the State with over 90% of c. 13,300 artworks on display in over 400 locations across the country. The State Art Collection includes both historical and contemporary paintings, original prints, sculpture, fine art and decorative objects, music, and poetry.

A summary table is provided below of OPW expenditure on Percent For Art funding received between 2019 – end April 2023: 

The expenditure listed above does not include ongoing projects which started prior to 2019.

A detailed breakdown of the figures above is included in the attachment to this PQ.