asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs why his Department fail to give to Irish dancing promotions abroad aid commensurate with that given to other cultural activities and, having regard to the immense goodwill created by and the cultural value of visits by Irish dancers to dancing and folklore festivals abroad, if he will ensure that substantial funds will be made available in future.
Written Answers. - Aid for Irish Dancing Abroad.
224.
Financial aid is available from my Department's grants-in-aid for cultural relations for a wide range of Irish cultural activities abroad, including participation by Irish dance groups in foreign folk festivals. The regulations governing the grants-in-aid provide that no change be made from the existing schemes recommended to me by the Cultural Relations Committee, an advisory body.
As is normally the case in requests for assistance, grants are recommended by the committee in some instances and not in others. The assistance my Department gives to Irish dance groups, relative to the number of requests received, is proportionately no less than that given to other cultural activities. Sufficient funds are available and subject to the size of the grant-in-aid itself will continue to be available for grants to those groups.