Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
474. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of the €130 million expenditure allocation to the Arts Council outlined in Budget 2021 that has been spent to date; the amount due to be spent by 31 December 2021; and the amount expected to be carried over into 2022. [31032/21]
View answer477. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the €50 million allocated to the Arts Council in Budget 2021 was a once-off Covid-19 contingency allocation for 2021 only; and if this allocation is independent of Covid-19 specific funding and to be understood as a new element of her Department’s core funding allocation to the Arts Council. [31035/21]
View answer478. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the €9 million increase in funding allocated to the audio-visual industry in Budget 2021 was a once-off Covid-19 contingency allocation for 2021 only; and if this allocation is independent of Covid-19 specific funding and to be understood as a new element of her Department’s baseline core funding allocation to the audio-visual industry. [31036/21]
View answer479. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of the €9 million increase in expenditure allocation to the audio-visual industry outlined in Budget 2021 has been spent to date; the amount due to be spent by 31 December 2021; and the amount expected to be carried over into 2022. [31037/21]
View answer480. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the €11 million increase in funding allocated to the national cultural institutions in Budget 2021 was a once-off Covid-19 contingency allocation for 2021 only; and if this allocation is independent of Covid-19 specific funding and to be understood as a new element of her Department’s baseline core funding allocation to the national cultural institutions. [31038/21]
View answer481. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of the €11 million increase in expenditure allocation to the national cultural institutions outlined in Budget 2021 that has been spent to date; the amount due to be spent by 31 December 2021; and the amount expected to be carried over into 2022. [31039/21]
View answer482. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the €9 million increase in funding allocated to Screen Ireland in Budget 2021 was a once-off Covid-19 contingency allocation for 2021 only; and if this allocation is independent of Covid-19 specific funding and to be understood as a new element of the Department’s baseline core funding allocation to Screen Ireland. [31040/21]
View answer483. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of the €11 million increase in expenditure allocation to Screen Ireland outlined in Budget 2021 that has been spent to date; the amount due to be spent by 31 December 2021; and the amount expected to be carried over into 2022. [31041/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 477, 478, 479, 480, 481, 482 and 483 together.
Budget allocations including allocations to State Agencies are determined as part of the annual estimates and budgetary cycle each year. Expenditure across all programme areas is monitored closely on an ongoing basis and at present, no overall savings are anticipated.
The total allocation to the Arts Council in the 2021 Revised Estimates Volume is €130m which is an increase of 62% over the amount initially allocated for 2020. All of the funding allocated in 2021 is expected to be spent by 31 December 2021 and there are no plans to carry any amounts forward to 2022. The Arts Council announced details of its investment plans last February and this included a range of initiatives as follows:-
- Strategic Funding to over 100 key arts organisations across the country, (Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, the Irish Chamber Orchestra in Limerick, Macnas in Galway);
- Arts Centres funding to up 43 arts centres nationwide (An Grianán in Donegal , Garage Theatre in Monaghan, Dunamaise, Co Laois)
- Funding to arts organisations under Arts Grant Funding programme;
- Festivals Investment Scheme;
- Bursaries for individual artists
- Additional funding for commissions and projects.
- New Agility Award
- Creative Schools’ programme with over 150 schools participating
Further details of these investment plans can be accessed at the following link http://www.artscouncil.ie/News/Arts-Council-announces-130-million-investment-across-Ireland-in-2021/
In terms of Screen Ireland, the Government’s objectives for capital investment in the cultural sectors are guided by ‘Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018-2027’. The total allocation to Screen Ireland in the 2021 Revised Estimates Volume is €30.093m. While this is an increase of €9.027m on the original 2020 allocation, it represents an increase of €6.027m on the final 2020 allocation due to an additional amount allocated by Supplementary Estimate in autumn 2020. All of the funding allocated in 2021 is expected to be spent by 31 December 2021 and there are no plans to carry any amounts forward to 2022.
As part of Budget 2021 an allocation of €8m has been made to the National Concert Hall to allow for the transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra from RTÉ. While the transfer of the NSO has not yet been completed, it is intended that the transfer of the orchestra will be completed as early as possible in 2021. In terms of all additional funding allocated to the National Cultural Institutions as part of Budget 2021, it is expected that this additional allocation, which is independent of Covid-19 specific funding, will be expended by the end of the year.
