George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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306. To ask the Minister for Culture, Culture, Communications and Sport if he intends to provide capital funding to long established arts centres that require capital works and structural repairs to their buildings or to improve accessibility or improve amenities for patrons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67667/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As outlined in the Programme for Government, the Government believes that culture and the arts are essential to a well-rounded society, providing opportunities for education, expression and community engagement.

A network of cultural infrastructure exists throughout the country, with the majority in the ownership of local authorities. Annual support, including programming and revenue supports, is provided to this arts and culture infrastructure by local authorities and the Arts Council. My Department focuses on providing capital grant funding to assist development and to maintain these arts and cultural facilities.

Cultural capital funding available at present in my Department includes Stream E of the Cultural Capital Scheme, where grants of up to €20,000 are available to not-for-profit dedicated arts and culture organisations at 85% grant funding rate. Larger grants of up to €50,000 are provided under Stream E at a maximum grant funding rate of 70%. Local authority owned facilities are subject to a maximum 60% grant funding rate.

This is a rolling scheme that is demand led and full details are available on my Department’s website.

Another cultural capital funding scheme available from my Department is the €6 million pilot Artist Workspaces Scheme which was launched in June 2024. Under this scheme, local authorities are invited to propose projects which enable them to provide additional artist workspaces in their regions on a sustainable basis and produce workspaces that are fit for purpose, design focused, and accessible. Funding of up to €300,000 is available for densely populated local authority areas and €150,000 for other local authorities.

As the Deputy may be aware, in Budget 2026 my Department was allocated €6m for a new programme of capital funding for arts and culture organisations across the country, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government. This will see much needed capital supports for communities, including funding essential equipment for organisations such as amateur drama groups and musical societies.

My Department is in the process of designing the specifications of the scheme, including the setting of eligibility criteria. This will need the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation before it is formally launched.