INDEPENDENT councillor Maria Donoghue has been told by the Council that over €2million in Per Cent for Art funding, allocated through housing projects, is available for public art initiatives in across Limerick.
This, she told the Limerick Post, includes nearly €700,000 in funding currently awaiting approval from the Department of Housing.
Per Cent for Art is a government-backed initiative that allocates up to one per cent of the budget from capital projects – such as housing, roads, infrastructure, libraries, schools, conservation works, and active travel — specifically for the commissioning of public art.
“Per Cent for Art funding is essentially ‘money for jam’ — the only requirements for the local authority to access this funding are to ensure it’s applied for at the start of a project and that it’s strictly dedicated to artwork,” Cllr Donoghue explained.
“Given the scale of ongoing local government construction projects in Limerick City and County, there’s significant potential for Per Cent for Art funding to flow into the region’s arts scene.
“Limerick is renowned for its rich and diverse arts culture, and it’s essential we celebrate this through targeted grants and investments that help artists thrive here.”
Councillor Donoghue said she is “optimistic that this funding will also help free up resources within the Arts Office to invest in other key projects, such as upgrading the Limerick City Gallery of Art, enhancing the gallery’s services, creating or supporting studio spaces for artists, and supporting initiatives that might not qualify for Per Cent for Art funding”.
Moving forward, Cllr Donoghue vowed to continue to engage with the Active Travel and Roads departments at Limerick City and County Council, considering the vast scope of government construction projects underway in both sectors.
“There’s an enormous opportunity here,” she said. “Funding from roads and active travel could far exceed the amounts currently anticipated from housing, and it’s crucial we seize this potential. LCCC is required to do very little to unlock these funds, so it’s vital we make the most of it to benefit Limerick’s artists and cultural landscape.”
