I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, to the House.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Birth Certificates
I thank the Minister of State for being here. Today I advocate for an amendment to Part 9 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022. For those unfamiliar with the Act, it helps people to access information on their origins, especially in cases of adoption or incorrect birth registrations. Part 9 specifically deals with correcting birth records when new information comes to light such as through official records or DNA testing. The proposed change is simple but vital in the context of the people affected by it. Amending Part 9 would allow individuals a choice of identity, meaning they can decide which birth certificate, the original or corrected one, to use as their primary identity. It would also require linking the two birth certificates in the records, so they are connected and traceable. People should also have a choice on privacy, whether these linked records stay private, accessible only to them, authorised people, their loved ones or family members, or become public for things like genealogy. It is fair to ask that people have choice and discretion over their identity in this sensitive topic. It is not about rewriting history. It is about giving people control over their own story in a way that is practical, fair and reduces confusion.
I will explain the matter step by step, using real-life scenarios to make it clear. Illegal birth registration happens when a baby's birth is registered falsely, usually listing non-biological parents as biological parents on the birth certificate. This was common in Ireland's past, often in mother and baby homes, nursing homes or through other agencies. It was not always done in a malicious way. Sometimes it was done in good faith to protect families or to avoid stigma. Today, the truth is emerging through official records handed over to Tusla when organisations are closed. DNA tests are another modern feature that are bringing these stories to light. The Adoption Authority of Ireland releasing other historical documents is playing into this becoming a pressing issue for those affected. When someone discovers, often late in life, that they may have a correct or incorrect birth certificate to reflect their biological parents the original birth certificate is then cancelled and hidden from public view. Only the new one is official and public. There is no automatic link between the two and no choice in how they are handled. This creates massive emotional and practical problems for those affected. For the people I have met, it causes them huge stress and issues. For anyone I have engaged with on the topic, this change would be huge.
The problem with the system under the current Part 9 rules is that the lived identity with your name, date of birth and social parents from the original certificate is essentially erased from public records, which is making people feel out of place in their families. Many learn of this change through letters from Tusla or meetings with social workers based on records from nursing homes, mother and baby homes or DNA. It is a mix of some of these and some people welcome the truth of their story. Others feel shattered that their whole world has turned upside down because of this. However, the amendment would empower choice and let individuals pick their primary identity, whether that is their lived or biological identity, for daily use like jobs and travel. It would link the records, connecting the certificates via a PPS number or a shared reference, so that Government Departments, family members and researchers see the full picture without any gaps. It would control privacy where there is an opt-in and opt-out for public or private uses. It would reduce confusion, especially abroad, for deaths, inheritances or proving family ties. It would honour emotions by acknowledging that genetic ties matter but so does the life you have built with no forced erasures. This is fair and modern and aligns with rights to identity and privacy. It does not undo the Act's good work. It enhances it for real lives. I welcome the Minister of State's consideration and support on this important topic.
I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. I thank the Senator for raising this in such a constructive and coherent manner, and for explaining the challenges and the request for change.
People affected by illegal birth registrations have raised a number of concerns with Department officials about aspects of Part 9 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022. The Senator will be aware that Part 9 amended the Civil Registration Act 2004 to allow an tÁrd-Chláraitheoir, the General Registrar, to receive or request information relating to people who were subject to an illegal birth registration; to correct an affected person's birth registration; to create a separate registration in the new register, the register under Part 3B, to reflect a person's lived or social identity; and to create an index linking the new register of lived identity to the register of births. In this way, Part 9 seeks to vindicate the affected person's right to an accurate birth registration and to give legal recognition to the person's lived identity.
The issue the Senator raised relates to the new index linking an affected person's lived identity to the register of births. A number of affected people have requested that the link between the two registers be made publicly available, where the affected people so wish. There is no difficulty in principle with amending Part 9 of the Act to allow the entry in the index to be made public, where the affected person so wishes. Such a change would not affect people who wish to keep their registration on the index of lived identity private. Officials of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality have been working the General Register Office and the special advocate for survivors, as well as affected people, with a view to amending the legislation.
While the Civil Registration Act 2004 falls under the remit of the General Register Office and the Department of Social Protection, the State's response to illegal birth registration falls within the ambit of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. The Senator will be aware that issues of terminology can give rise to particular sensitivities in the context of illegal birth registrations, reflecting the trauma experienced by affected people whose identities have been withheld from them for most of their lives. People affected by illegal birth registrations have raised concerns about the language used in the legislation, including notably, the use of the words "cancelled" and "cancellation" in relation to the affected person's incorrect registration and identity. From the perspective of an affected person, the cancellation of an entry in the register of births may be seen negatively or as disregarding the affected person's lived identity and experience. Many affected people continue to use their lived identities and do not want those identities to be cancelled. Before amending the legislation to improve the terminology used, Department officials will need to engage in a broader consultation process to ensure, as far as possible, that all affected people's views are heard and taken into account and this process will commence in the new year.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply, which I welcome. This is a particular, niche and sensitive issue that affects a certain cohort of people who deserve dignity, ownership of their identity and choice about their privacy. The changes being asked for are reasonable, sensitive and will give great dignity and ensure the complexity of each story is protected and held and is publicly available where the individual so wishes. I welcome the consultation proposal and I encourage the Minister to engage as widely as possible with as many people who are affected as possible so that we have sensitive language and a sensitive policy that is as inclusive of as many complex individual stories as possible. I thanks the Minister of State for taking on board my proposals and I look forward to working with those affected to make sure these changes are done in a sensitive and constructive way that gives dignity to those affected.
I again thank the Senator for raising this important issue. The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is committed to taking steps to ameliorate the long-lasting trauma experienced by many people who were subject to illegal birth registrations, including amending and improving the legislation to address affected people's concerns. As I said, work on the matter is well advanced, with the public consultation process due to commence early in the new year. There is an open door at the Department in relation to taking on board the concerns the Senator raised on behalf of affected people. We look forward to that work progressing next year and to seeing a positive outcome for those he is representing.
Dental Services
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, back to the House. I am delighted to see her. She could get honorary membership
I thank the Minister of State for coming. Since I have been in the House, I have been calling for more dentists and dental hygienists. For decades, we had a school dental service, which played a vital role in ensuring early detection and through which children from first class, to fourth and sixth class typically received oral health treatment. The Killybegs dental service played a vital role in the areas of Glencolumbkille, Carrick, Kilcar, Bruckless and Dunkineely for decades. This surgery had a patient list of more than 500 children. People are now being forced to travel long distances to Donegal town. The point furthest away, Glencolumbkille, is 54 km from Donegal town. If people have to go for emergency treatment to Ballyshannon, it is 72.6 km or an hour and ten minutes of travel.
We had a service that was working well. Everyone was happy with it. Let us consider the time parents will now have to take off. My children attended the dental service in Killybegs, which was first class. I could pick them up from school and bring them back and would normally be gone for an hour or an hour and a half. Now, when I have to travel to Donegal town, I will be away for perhaps half a day if I take them out of school and bring them back.
There was no consultation I know of with anyone in the local area. This just happened overnight and the people of the area feel disadvantaged. When we had something that was working very well in a rural community, it should have been kept, enhanced and reinforced, because parents just do not have the time to be running here, there and everywhere.
I have nothing against Donegal town. It has a first class, state-of-the-art service. This should not be seen as an issue with Donegal town; this is not. I wish that service all the best. It is great to have it. I wish we had the same in Killybegs. For fair treatment, there was no consultation about this at all. This was taken away from under people's noses and it is really affecting parents and families in my area. They are coming to me in their droves about it and it needs to be sorted out. Perhaps the Minister of State will help me out with this.
I thank the Senator for raising the important issue of why the school dental service in Killybegs, County Donegal has not been restored since the retirement of the previous dentist. The HSE oral healthcare service aims to provide an oral examination and necessary treatment for children at the approximate ages they are in second and sixth class and, in some cases, fourth class. Emergency care is provided to children of all ages up to 16 and for those with complex and additional needs.
The Minister for Health is aware that there are currently backlogs in the HSE's child oral health examination programme, which has meant that sixth class children are being prioritised. I compliment the Minister that yesterday the Cabinet approved draft legislation for continuing professional development for dentists, to support more dentists and to update the legislation, which has been in place since 1985. This is an important move because we are aware of challenges in dentistry around the country and especially in remote areas.
The HSE has advised that the dental clinic in Killybegs closed in December 2024, ahead of the planned retirement of a dentist in May 2025, as the Senator said. The premises no longer meet updated regulatory and compliance requirements. Patients were referred to a new state-of-the-art dental clinic in Donegal town to continue their treatment. Children are also offered emergency care at this clinic, but I take on board the point the Senator made that there was no consultation and that this happened without anyone being aware of it. Recruitment of an additional dentist for the Donegal town service to fill the post vacated in Killybegs is under way and the head of service in Donegal anticipates this post will be filled early next year.
The HSE assures that appointments will be offered to children who have been waiting the longest as a priority once the post is filled.
When I read this response before I came over to take this matter, being a Minister of State in the Department of Health, I saw two ways to look at this. The premises obviously did not meet regulatory and compliance requirements, which is an issue. My understanding is that there is a state-of-the-art premises in Donegal town. There is dentistry there and there will be an additional dentist early in the new year.
The Senator is pointing to the fact that there was no consultation and coupled with that, he is pointing to the time it takes for people to get from Killybegs to Donegal town. I visited Donegal in my capacity as the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health at the start of September. I visited the three child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, teams. I met the clinical director of the inpatient unit of the approved centre for mental health. I also met several doctors. I was pleased by the way all the clinicians seemed to work together and support each other. That is really important. The Senator may not be aware of this but those medical professionals were very concerned about outpatient mental health supports. I included funding in budget 2026 for a crisis resolution team for Donegal, including a crisis café with recurring funding of €1.3 million for a multidisciplinary team of up to ten people. I know I have moved off the subject but I want to let the Senator know that there is recognition of the geographical challenges in such a large county. Killybegs is right on the periphery.
I will speak to the Minister and raise the Senator's concerns about the fact that there is not going to be a service available. I am not sure what the knock-on effect will be for those who may not be in a position to travel for that support. As he said, it could take up to half a day and it also means that parents lose time at work. I get the point about the need for governance issues. Having more capacity in one particular area works well. I understand the geographical challenges that people in Donegal are having.
I thank the Minister of State for all she is doing for Donegal. It does not go unnoticed. I really appreciate what she and other Ministers are doing for Donegal. I do not want to be coming in here to give out all the time. I see what is being done in Donegal and am grateful.
The Minister of State referred to the fact that we have a large county. It makes no sense for a parent to have to take a half day from work to take a child to Donegal town. We had something that was working well. Can the Department upgrade the premises in Killybegs or acquire a new premises there? There are places available in Killybegs that would be more than happy to accommodate the likes of a dental service. It is vital for children. I know that myself. I have two children, one of whom is a teenager. Their teeth are in great shape because from an early age, they were looked after and cared for. Their teeth were brushed every night. The dentist in Killybegs was second to none. She was a real lady and looked after the children. She made them feel safe if they had to get an extraction or anything like that. She went beyond the call of duty. I ask the Minister of State to take the issue back to the Minister and ask her to look at the situation again.
I thank the Senator for the manner in which he has raised this important issue and for complimenting the supports that are available. They are good supports when people have access to them. The Government is committed to addressing immediate difficulties that patients are experiencing in accessing oral healthcare services, as well as fundamentally reforming dental services through the implementation of the national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte. The policy sets out the vision for the future of oral healthcare services. The two key goals of the policy are to provide supports to enable every individual to achieve his or her personal best oral health and to reduce oral health inequality across the population by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health. I am also conscious of the Sláintecare model, which calls for the right care at the right time as close to home as possible. I will certainly raise the issue with the Minister to see if this is a definitive step that has been taken in Donegal or if there is any room to consider it again.
Road Projects
I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter. I know it does not fall under his brief but he has a keen interest in supporting proper infrastructure around the country. He has visited Newbridge, County Kildare and witnessed the congestion at the bridge.
This bridge is the only entrance to Newbridge, a growing town with a population of over 30,000. There are five schools, one of which recently received permission to go to tender process next year to increase its capacity from 650 to 1,000. Another secondary school across the road has also applied to extend. That is badly needed in our town. In fact, we need new primary and secondary schools in the town. However, we must consider that pinch point for anyone who is coming into or leaving Newbridge. I struggle over that bridge twice a day. Particularly when leaving in the morning, the traffic congestion can add 30 to 40 minutes to a journey.
Given the fact that we have a lot of investment in the area close to this bridge, around Old Connell, we need to ensure there is moving traffic at all times. This is not a new topic. I have brought it up several times. Back in 2019, Kildare County Council applied for funding from the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, but was unsuccessful.
This bridge is only one quarter of the project for an outer link road, but the rest of it is practically done, so it is the remaining link. Planning permission was given two years ago for a 170 m five-span bridge, a 790 m distributor road and associated active travel links and amenity space. This project absolutely must be prioritised to relieve the chronic congestion at the existing bridge, to improve overall traffic circulation around Newbridge and to provide east-west connectivity. At present, all the traffic is forced back through the town centre. With the significant housing growth south of the river, this pressure is only increasing.
Planning permission was secured by a private company who owned the land over which the approach road to the bridge would be built. Part of that land is with An Bord Pleanála in relation to a strategic housing zone, SHZ. I know there are no such zones anymore but that land has been in the system since those zones started to apply. The company has, to be fair, made it clear that should it not get planning permission, it is willing to co-operate with Kildare County Council and the Department. I cannot see why we have a delay. Last June, the council submitted a business plan to the Department of Transport, but has heard nothing back. This project is crucial for Newbridge and the surrounding areas. As we approach Christmastime, unfortunately, we sometimes see people choosing not to come, even though Newbridge is a fine shopping town, because of the traffic congestion. I hope the Minister of State has some positive news and an update on this badly needed second bridge for Newbridge.
I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I thank the Senator for raising the matter and for explaining the need for the project so succinctly. She is raising the importance of, and necessity, for a second bridge for Newbridge linking the Great Connell Road and the Athgarvan Road over the River Liffey.
The Senator will also be aware, as outlined in the 2025 regional and local roads programme, that the Government is strongly committed to protecting the existing road network. As we all know, this network is fundamental in connecting people and places across the country. It is also important to highlight the improvement and maintenance of the regional and local road network is a statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the Roads Act 1993.
Ireland's regional and local road network spans over 96,000 km and requires significant funding to ensure it remains fit for purpose. As such, on 14 February 2025, the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, announced an Exchequer investment of €713 million for our regional and local roads across the State, which represents an increase of 8% year on year.
Due to pressures on the regional and local road network, the primary focus for capital investment under the regional and local road grant programme is on the maintenance and renewal of the network, the implementation of the strategic regional and local road projects identified for development, subject to necessary approvals in the national development plan, NDP, and targeted minor safety schemes across the regional and local road network. Any road improvement projects proposed by local authorities for consideration for funding under the strategic grant programme are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the infrastructure guidelines, formerly the public spending code, and the Department's transport appraisal framework. Given the limited funding available for regional and local road improvement works, it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.
In 2025, Kildare County Council was allocated €20,828,600 for the maintenance and improvement of its regional and local roads network, of which over €19 million was allocated to road protection and renewal. In addition, the Department is providing funding for three strategic regional and local road improvement schemes, namely, NDP scheme Athy southern distributor road, NDP scheme R407 Sallins By-Pass and the Osberstown interchange, as well as the Newbridge south orbital relief route.
As regards the Newbridge south orbital relief route scheme, Kildare County Council submitted a preliminary appraisal application in late 2023, with an approximate cost estimate of €12.5 million. It was noted to the council that the project would require a business case to be developed in order for the council to substantiate the need for the scheme, which addresses the transport issues or opportunities and provides value for money. The Department made an allocation to the council in 2025 in support of the preparation of a business case for the Newbridge south outer orbital route.
In summary, the Minister for Transport recognises the importance of the funding provided to local authorities for the protection and renewal of the regional and local road network, together with some targeted investment in road improvement projects. This funding helps to maintain a safe road network for people on a day-to-day basis. Regarding the Newbridge south orbital route, the most up-to-date position is the Department made an allocation to the council this year to support the preparation of a business case for the route and that is where it sits from the Department's point of view at present.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. He mentioned the Department was providing funding for three strategic regional and local road improvement schemes in Kildare, including the Newbridge south orbital relief route. This bridge is part of the relief route and fits exactly into what he talked about.
I acknowledge the Department made an allocation to the council in support of the preparation of a business case. That business case has been back with the Department for about eight months. I was looking for an update on the actual business case.
I appreciate these cases have to be made. The cost of projects is important and we all need value for money, but I reiterate this is reaching a traffic congestion crisis in Newbridge. A decision must be made on it. After eight months, the Department should be able to make an assessment on the business case that was proffered. I am really disappointed there is not a response on that in particular.
I will certainly relay to the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, the fact that the Senator raised this, and the urgent need for progress regarding the south orbital route in particular and the development of the bridge.
I will also seek a further update from the Department in respect of the progress report on the business case and as much information it can provide in relation to the next steps on this. The Senator has clearly outlined the significant traffic challenges as a result of the congestion at present, the need for this relief route to relieve that and the fact it is urgent that there is further engagement with the county council by the Department and the Government on how the project can progress and deliver benefit to the local area and the people of Newbridge.
I thank the Senator for raising this today and for her very clear and ardent advocacy on that, and I will certainly relay that in detail to the Department and Minister, as well as its importance.
Arts Centres
Artists and musicians in Ireland are facing an emergency in terms of their access to studio and performance spaces. There is a critical shortage across the country. This was highlighted by the announcement last week of the closures in Dublin of Ormond Art Studios, which is a self-organised visual arts studio, and The Complex, which is the only multidisciplinary gig venue of its kind in the capital, containing a gallery, theatre, music venue and artist studios.
Losing spaces like this have devastating impacts on musicians' and artists' development in the formation of cultural communities and access to cultural events for the wider public. There have been at least 36 closures of independent art spaces in Dublin since 2000. Very few new spaces have opened to replace them and we have lost some historic venues during this period. The Tivoli Theatre, one of my favourite theatres, was demolished in 2019 to be replaced by a hotel, after having operated continuously as a cultural space for 85 years as a music venue, theatre, cinema and nightclub. These are the places that bring vibrancy and life to our towns and cities. One of the planning conditions relating to the redevelopment of the Tivoli site was that it would retain a performance and exhibition space, which is still not in use, despite ongoing engagement from artists to convince the current operator to utilise the space. In 2023, artists Eve Woods and Aoife Ward hosted an exhibition in the space to illustrate how unfinished it was. The walls are still unclad and there is no toilet. A young artist I know very well, who is a good friend of mine, contacted Staycity and offered to run the art space for free. Unfortunately, there has been no contact or response for the past two years.
The Tivoli space is an example of how bad the private market is at providing arts and cultural spaces. The plight of the artists in Ormond Art Studios and The Complex is another symptom of the same problem. Each case highlights the extreme precarity of cultural infrastructure in Dublin and throughout the entire country. In April this year, Praxis, The Artists Union of Ireland published a survey on artist working spaces in Ireland. Over 40% of respondents had considered leaving Ireland to find more affordable working spaces, and fewer than half of respondents were currently renting a studio, the main reasons being affordability and availability.
Are there any supports in place for artists being evicted from Ormond Art Studios and The Complex, and is the Minister intervening in this situation on their behalf? The precarity of private rental markets have left them and many others without access to studio space. One solution could be local authorities and other State bodies like the OPW use currently unoccupied buildings to accommodate artists who have lost their workspace. An excellent and successful example of local authority-owned facilities being used for cultural purpose is the old school of music on Chatham Row, which now provides affordable studio space to over 60 artists and community art collectives. It contains a workshop space and a gallery performance space in the heart of the city.
There is an urgent need for the State to expand this type of provision of publicly owned cultural space.
I hope the Minister will be able to provide some information on how the Department plans to go about that.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Black as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a thabhairt chun cinn.
This Government places really strong value on culture and the arts sector. As outlined in the programme for Government, we recognise that the arts are essential to a well-rounded society, providing opportunities for education, expression and community engagement.
As the Seanadóir is aware, the Complex is a multidisciplinary arts and creative venue in Dublin's north inner city governed by a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. The Complex has been leasing its building, a former fruit warehouse off Capel Street, from a private landlord on a site ring-fenced for redevelopment. It is my understanding that the centre has been in negotiations with the developer for a partnership in which the Complex would be given the opportunity to buy back two floors. The Complex CLG has in principle secured a loan of €1.5 million towards the purchase.
I understand that the Complex has stated that talks took place with the Department of Finance, the Department of public expenditure and reform and Dublin City Council to assist with the finance of this offer, after an initial business case undertaken by Forvis Mazars. However, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport was not part of this engagement.
The Department provides grants as a contribution towards maintaining and enhancing existing arts and culture facilities but does not provide funding for the purchase of property. The provision of local arts and culture infrastructure is a matter in the first instance for local authorities. Officials from the Department met with the chair of the Complex and other members of the team in December of last year and advised them of this position. Further communication in June reiterated the position. In any event, no funding was sought from this Department for the purchase of the building by the Complex. Any grant for refurbishment support would require chargeable title to be in place.
I understand that the Complex has been given notice to quit on 14 January next. I am sure that this must be a very distressing time for the staff, the board and all the artists who use the Complex regularly.
While I further understand that negotiations are still ongoing with the developer, the CEO, Vanessa Fielding, has written to the Department advising that the Complex will look for a meanwhile space to move into should there not be a positive outcome to those discussions. While the Department does not own any properties and is therefore not in a position to assist the Complex in this regard, it is the Department's hope that Dublin City Council may be able to assist it.
The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, and I are acutely aware of the pressures artists and creatives face in finding suitable workspaces, especially here in our capital city. The lack of space has been a significant barrier for artists, limiting their ability to create and to exhibit work.
The Department recognises that local authorities can play a vital role in delivering the infrastructure necessary to provide a number of artists' workspaces nationwide. That is why the Department allocated €3 million in funding in 2023 to Space to Create, an initiative that aims to provide up to 60 artist workspaces in Dublin city, in partnership with Dublin City Council.
In addition, the Department launched the artists' workspaces scheme in June 2024. This is a €6 million pilot capital funding scheme for local authorities to increase the provision of artists' workspaces across the country. The primary focus of this pilot scheme is to provide funding to local authorities to enable them to provide additional capacity and availability of artist workspaces in their regions on a sustainable basis. Local authorities are invited to propose projects which can accommodate and address the demand for artist workspaces in their regions and produce workspaces that are fit for purpose, design focused and accessible. Capital grants up to a maximum of €300,000 are available to densely populated local authority areas, with capital grants up to a maximum of €150,000 available to remaining local authorities. With regard to both schemes, I am aware of a number of long-term artists' spaces that are being put in place.
I understand that this is a particularly distressing time for the Complex. I sincerely hope that a satisfactory resolution can be reached.
Sula dtiocfaimid ar ais chuig an Seanadóir Black, ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh na daltaí ó Balbriggan Educate Together. I welcome the pupils of Balbriggan Educate Together, who are here as guests of Deputy Louise O'Reilly. As is tradition here in the Seanad, there is no obair bhaile, no homework, for today or tomorrow.
I am disappointed. The reality of the situation is that we have seen at least 36 closures of independent arts spaces in Dublin since 2000 and that very few new spaces have been opened to replace them. While I obviously welcome the cultural capital scheme and the artists' workspaces scheme, it really is not at the scale it needs to be to meaningfully respond to the barriers artists and musicians face in trying to find studio and performance space. I highlight the positive examples of local authorities that have brought unused templates as to what the State can achieve if the Government just gives artists and musicians the space they need. It really will benefit not just the artists and the musicians themselves but also the wider public and will provide foundations for the growth of vibrant cultural communities that give life to our towns. There are specific examples the Government should look at in the cases of the artists in Ormond Art Studios and the Complex. An obvious example is 114-116 Capel Street, which is council owned and could provide adequate space to reaccommodate artists who have lost their spaces. The Debtors' Prison on Halston Street, currently owned by the OPW, is a space that is crying out for some imagination and initiative to be put into use. We need to be more imaginative and the initiative needs to be there to put it into use. We need to think about innovative ways to weave cultural practitioners into the fabric of their local communities. We need to think about the wider use of vacant buildings and vacant ground-floor flat units. We need to make the arts more visible and more accessible to all, and access to infrastructure is the first step in doing that.
Too often, artists are just dismissed as hobbyists. This world seems to get darker every day, and the light they bring to our lives is now more important than ever. We really need our artists and our musicians valued in this country. Simple artists' spaces just for them to be creative and innovative are really important. I will push this matter in the House over the next few months.
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.
Before we suspend, I wish to welcome guests of Deputy Robert Troy from Derry and a second group from Balbriggan Educate Together. As we said to the earlier group, there is no homework following your visit to the Seanad. That is a tradition here.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.19 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.31 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.19 a.m. and resumed at 11.31 a.m.