Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 October 2017
117. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on increasing funding for co-operatives and development companies from the current budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43073/17]
View answerI am assuming that the Deputy is referring to Gaeltacht co-operatives and development companies in his question.
Údarás na Gaeltachta provides funding to Gaeltacht cooperatives to implement their respective development programmes. This assistance is used mainly to cover management costs and is provided from the annual funding provided to Údarás na Gaeltachta under subhead C7 of my Department's Vote. As Údarás na Gaeltachta is a statutorily independent organisation, the Deputy will understand that An tÚdarás itself determines how best to distribute the annual funding provided to them in the context of the responsibilities assigned to them, including those relating to community development.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that as part of yesterday’s Budget announcement, additional funding of €100,000 has been allocated for expenditure by an tÚdarás on linguistic, cultural and community development in the Gaeltacht in 2018. This brings to €350,000 the additional funding allocated for this purpose over two Budgets. This additional sum will assist in funding Gaeltacht community organisations, and in particular Gaeltacht cooperatives, in 2018.
