Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the arts funding for Carlow in 2023; and what funding is for the visual arts centre in Carlow. [23670/23]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Creative Ireland Programme funding in 2022 supported the delivery of 28 creative projects throughout the County of Carlow. In 2022, I allocated €142,809 (includes a contribution from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage - €32,258) to Carlow County Council under Creative Communities to support their programming and delivery of creative initiatives as part of their implementation of their Culture and Creativity Strategy. A further €29,939 was provided to Carlow County Council to support the delivery of Cruinniú na nÓg on 11th June 2022 – the national day of free creative activities for children and young people under 18 years, at local level.

An additional €100,000 was provided to Carlow County Council to deliver initiatives under the Creativity in Older Age Scheme. The funding was provided to the Borris Lace Exchange and The Long and Short of It. Borris Lace Exchange was a creative exchange project collaborating with Borris Lodge Nursing home, Borris Lacemakers Group, Borris Men’s Shed and shared with older persons care settings in EU Craft Hub partner country organization MaterHub, Matera, Italy, as a way of engaging with creativity, collaborating, making new connections, sharing crafts and traditions. The Long and Short of It was a community engagement project produced by Carlow Arts Festival. This creative project engaged the older communities (65+) of three rural parishes, Rathvilly, Hacketstown, and Myshall and one suburban parish, Graiguecullen. Older people from the local community devised, created and vocally acted out four animated stories that drew on the community’s personal stories and memories of joyfully coming together.

More information of these and other events is available on the Creative Ireland website www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/carlow/

In 2022, I allocated €10m to the Local Live Performance Programming scheme (LLPPS Phase 3 &4) to facilitate programming of live performances from January to Halloween, animating town centres for local communities. This allowed for the procurement by local authorities of performances by local performers. Carlow County Council participated in both phases of this scheme in 2022 and received funding of €230,300. towards programming costs.

Under the Outdoor Public Space Scheme 2021, Carlow County Council wasawarded €250,000 towards a project to provide an Outdoor Public Space at the Carlow Exchange in Carlow town.I understand that this project was completed and officially opened in 2022 and will be a centre for a range of social, cultural and educational events in Carlow.

Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council has primary responsibility for the development of the arts in Ireland with record €130m annual funding for the Arts Council now in place for the third year running. The Arts Council decisions database gives a listing of 2008-2022 funding decisions. This can be interrogated by location and is available at the following link https://www.artscouncil.ie/funding-decisions/. Funding decisions are also routinely published in the Arts Council newsletter, and historical decisions are recorded in the Arts Council's annual reports which are also available online.

Much of the nationwide infrastructure of venues and arts centres used by the artistic communities was initiated and funded by local authorities. My Department focuses on providing capital grant funding to assist and maintain these arts and cultural facilities including those located in County Carlow. Funding is administered through applications received for specific Grant Schemes. Also supported annually under this subhead are smaller capital schemes. The Music Capital Scheme is managed by Music Network and funds the purchase of musical instruments by professional and amateur individuals and groups.

Recent decades have seen the development of a nationwide infrastructure of venues and arts centres, many of which were initiated and funded by local authorities and the Arts Council. These centres are also supported through capital schemes largely operated by my Department. Capital funding schemes such as Cultural Development Incentives Scheme (CDIS), and the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Schemes (ACCESS & ACCESS II) were developed by the Department in the past in order to construct and upgrade existing arts and culture facilities. The CDIS allocated almost €30m to 38 arts and culture organisations throughout the country from 1994 – 1999. Funding of over €88.4m was allocated to 121 arts and culture organisations throughout the country under these schemes (ACCESS - €45.7m; ACCESS II €42.7m).The first and second Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme – ACCESS and ACCESS 11 – were administered by the Department from 2000 and 2006 respectively. They were designed to assist the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructure and enhanced access to the arts throughout the country. The schemes prioritised the enhancement and maintenance of existing facilities, and accordingly 70% of the funds available were directed towards the enhancement and/or refurbishment of existing facilities. Projects supported included the provision of new integrated art centres, theatres and studio space and the refurbishment of existing performance spaces. It has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in the provision of quality cultural space throughout the regions. Carlow Arts Centre Ltd (VISUAL) were awarded over €3.2m under the ACCESS (Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme)

In 2017 Carlow Arts Centre were successful under the ACCS 2016-2018 Stream 3 and were awarded a grant of up to a maximum of €20,000 or 50% maximum funding rate for lighting, repairs and replacement to air conditioning units, sound equipment, emergency lighting, addressing Health and Safety, security and efficiency issues. They drew down the full grant in December 2018. They also received €10k under Small Capital Grant Scheme 2015 and drew it down in full in Nov 2016. Carlow Arts Centre - Visual received €4,100 last year, €10,000 in 2016 and €20,000 under the Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme and the Small Capital Grants Scheme respectively.

Details of all capital funding is provided on my Department's website showing the grantee and the annual amounts paid by county each year. www.gov.ie/en/publication/b1eab-creative-arts-grants-and-funding-previous-schemes/#cultural-development-expenditure.

My Department also operates a number of annual schemes for local and regional museums and festivals around the country which include

-The Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme.

-The Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme

-The Mobility of Collections Scheme

-The Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme

Details of these funding initiatives including the 2022 allocations can be viewed at the following link www.gov.ie/en/publication/f2ed0-culture-grants-and-funding/

My Department also provides funding to support Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann which is the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music both at community and national level. Annual funding is provided to CCÉ for its work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture.

As Minister with responsibility for leading the co-ordination of the Decade of Centenaries Programme, I allocated funding in 2022 to support the commemorative programme to deliver rich and diverse national and local programmes marking the significant centenaries arising in 2022. Many of these investment programmes are delivered through the local authorities including Carlow and further details can be viewed at this link www.decadeofcentenaries.com/local-authorities/