This scuplture of limestone rings, located along the greenway near Moate, forms part of the ‘Turning Circles’ art installation commissioned by Westmeath County Council, funded under the Per Cent for Art Scheme. PHOTOS: Ashley Cahill.

Council to ‘re-energise’ one per cent for art scheme

Published: Thu 14 Aug 2025, 1:16 PM

Westmeath County Council chief executive, Barry Kehoe, said the council wants to “re-energise” the ‘one percent for art’ scheme, which sees 1 per cent of the cost of capital infrastructure projects set aside for art works.

He was responding to queries from Cllr Mick Dollard at the July meeting of the council, who felt the scheme should be revived.

In his response to Cllr Dollard, Mr Kehoe said that unfortunately the council had been down staff in the arts office for the last while but is working to replenish their numbers, and get the one per cent up and running again.

“Just to say that public art as provided under the one per cent for art scheme can be anything from a statue - as you mentioned - to music or training, or it could be any branch of the arts that could be supported, and we have a committee in place to adjudicate on proposals and deal with them, so hopefully we’ll get more and more activity as the capital programme progresses. But certainly there’s scope to do more there,” he concluded.