Arts Centres
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-10
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Charlie McConalogue (FF), Donegal

I thank Senator Black for highlighting the Complex's current situation. As outlined, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport provides grants as a contribution towards maintaining and enhancing existing arts and culture facilities but does not provide funding for the purchase of buildings. The Minister strengthened funding for arts capital in the recent budget, with €6 million allocated for a new funding programme for arts and culture centres that is planned to be launched next year.
We are acutely aware of the pressures artists and creatives face in finding suitable workspaces, especially here in Dublin. The lack of space has been a significant barrier for artists, as the Senator has outlined clearly, limiting their ability to create and exhibit work. The Department has two schemes supporting local authorities across the country to provide additional capacity and availability of artist workspaces across the regions on a sustainable basis. In this instance, however, the Department is not in a position to provide funding for the purchase of a property for the provision of local arts infrastructure.
I know the Complex is engaging with the local authority on trying to identify a potential way forward. I hope that through that engagement a way forward can be found that can see a solution for the artists. I thank Senator Black for raising the matter.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-10