The Arts Council has announced grants totalling more than £3.5 million for 16 arts centres this year.
This is an increase of 43 per cent on the council's funding to these organisations last year.
The largest two grants this year went to Dublin venues, £519,792 to the Project Arts centre and £450,486 to The Ark, while St John's Arts Centre in Listowel, Co Kerry, was given the smallest amount, £70,881.
The news of these grants was given at the Arts Council's Merrion Square premises in Dublin yesterday, where the association of Irish arts centres, Tostal, was holding a meeting.
According to the council's local arts development officer, Ms Susan Coughlan, the funding boost is to increase the number of core staff employed by the centres and reduce excessive dependence on FAS.
In addition, arts centres are expected to increase the amount of original programming they feature annually.
"We're trying to encourage arts centres to be vocal and active in delivering arts as a local development and to show the authorities in their area how relevant they are," Ms Coughlan said.
While a few local authorities provide substantial funding for art centres, most give little compared with the size of Arts Council grant aid. Siamsa Tire in Tralee, Co Kerry, for example, can look forward to £185,077 from the council this year and £17,000 from its urban district and county councils combined.
Siamsa Tire has been given the biggest grant of any arts centre for capital expenditure this year. Its director, Mr Martin Whelan, said yesterday that the Arts Council's £46,623 would be spent on upgrading lighting in both its gallery and theatre, and to providing a new disabled access to the building and upholster seating in the auditorium.
Stressing the importance of arts centres as originators of new work rather than just recipients of touring musical, dramatic and visual art shows, the Arts Council's director, Ms Patricia Quinn, said: "So much important work is now beginning in regional venues. The idea that these art centres are vessels waiting for product to come in is a very false one."
The council is due to announce a second series of grants to more arts centres at the end of this month.