Vol. 471 No. 7
193 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the reason projects submitted from counties Cavan and Monaghan have failed to attract funding in each of the years 1995 and 1996 under the cultural development incentive scheme; and the steps, if any, he will take to have this imbalance remedied. [21698/96]
Under the first phase of the cultural development incentives scheme (CDIS), which was advertised in December, 1994, a total of 170 applications for grant assistance were submitted to my Department, of which four were in respect of projects in County Cavan and one in respect of a project in County Monaghan. All 170 applications were the subject of a detailed assessment process and consideration by an advisory committee for the CDIS, comprising representatives of my Department, the Department of Tourism and Trade, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the Heritage Council, the County and City Managers' Association and the General Council of County Councils, following which it made its recommendations to me. The Deputy will appreciate that, in considering the recommendations of the Advisory Committee some very difficult decisions had to be made and some worthwhile projects throughout the country could not be assisted, given the limited funding at my disposal. While this is a regrettable situation, the fact that I obtained 170 applications under the first phase of the CDIS indicates the wealth of interest in arts and culture activities which exists throughout the State.
As the Deputy may be aware, I invited applications for the final phase of the CDIS, for which funding of some £5 million is available, by way of an advertisement in the national press on Friday last, 15 November 1996. It is open to the promoters of the projects which were unsuccessful under the first phase of the CDIS to submit new or revised proposals for consideration under the final phase.
Details of the 25 projects approved in principle is as follows:
— the provision of a modern theatre facility in Letterkenny, County Donegal — £1,500,000;
— the provision of a modern arts centre in the old Courthouse, Portlaoise, County Laois — £1,300,000;
— the development of, and extension to, existing facilities at the Cork Public Museum — £900,000;
— the renovation and extension of the Waterford Theatre Royal, a unique victorian horseshoe theatre, bringing the venue up to modern contemporary theatre standards — £562,000;
— the restoration and refurbishment to contemporary theatre standards of the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork City — £350,000;
— the development of the Limerick City Gallery of Art into a modern gallery facility through a comprehensive conversion of, and extension to, the existing facilities — £687,500;
— the provision of a 200 seat art house cinema in Cork City — £100,000;
— the provision of a modern arts centre in Edenville House, Roscommon — £250,000;
— the development of a cultural centre, including theatre facilities, at Doolin, County Clare — £90,000;
— the provision of additional theatre facilities at the Cork Opera House, Cork City — £375,000;
— the conversion of the old cinema in Macroom, County Cork to provide a theatre and associated facilities — £150,000;
— the development of a modern multi-purpose theatre facility in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin — £1,000,000;
— the provision of a modern arts centre, including theatre facilities, at Blanch-ardstown, Dublin 15 — £1,100,000;
— the development of a modern theatre facility at Tallaght, Dublin 24 — £1,100,000;
