THE Arts Council yesterday announced details of £493,800 in capital grants to 79 arts organisations throughout the State.
The grants, for the refurbishment and restoration of buildings and equipment purchase, are part of the council's £1 million capital spending budget for 1996.
The largest grant of £40,000 went towards the completion of the Abbey Centre in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.
The Gate Theatre received £20,000 to make it more accessible to people with disabilities, while the Newberry House project arts and resource education centre in Cork, the RHA Gallagher Gallery and the Arthouse in Dublin, each received £20,000.
The Dublin floating arts centre, based on a barge that will tour the country's inland waterways, was also allocated £20,000. The College of Dance in Dublin was awarded £27,000, the largest of six grants allocated to dance.
The chairman of the Arts Council, Mr Ciaran Benson, said the capital spending programme is in line with the council's strategy to develop an infrastructure in accordance with its Arts Plan 1995-97.
"The scale of need is now outstripping the resources currently available to the council. However, I hope that the coherent approach to capital funding for the arts now being undertaken by the Arts Council and the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht through its Cultural Development Incentives Scheme, will lead, over time, to a proper infrastructure for the arts through the country," he said.