Robert Troy
Ceist:26. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the supports that her Department can make available to towns wishing to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. [20141/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 9 May 2018
Ceisteanna (26)
Freagraí ó Béal (9 píosaí cainte)
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann plays a very important role in nurturing, supporting and developing Ireland’s rich heritage in traditional music, dance and the Irish language. Now in its 66th year, the organisation has a growing international network and contributes significantly to our reputation abroad as a culturally rich nation. Its work in Ireland has undoubtedly sustained and grown participation and enjoyment of Irish music, dance and the Irish language. Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is central to all these endeavours.
Recognising the critical role which Comhaltas plays in supporting our traditional heritage, my Department provides ongoing financial support to the organisation. In 2018, my Department has allocated €1.6 million to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann towards operational costs and onward support of regional branches and county boards. Typically, regional branches organise their local fleadhanna cheoil and Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is organised by the ard-chomhairle of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
This represents significant ongoing support in regard to all activities organised by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann at both national and local level and to the benefit of any town chosen to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. As we will see this year in Drogheda, and in recent years in towns including Sligo, Ennis and Derry in Northern Ireland, the scale of the fleadh requires significant engagement and support from the relevant local authority. I know this is willingly given by local authorities as they are aware of the prestige and other benefits which hosting the fleadh brings to the local area. In this regard, I see the role of my Department, in addition to the major funding provided to Comhaltas itself, as supporting local authority capacity to develop cultural engagement and creativity locally. This is in keeping with pillar 2 of the Creative Ireland programme, Enabling Creativity in Every Community, in which all local authorities are important partners.
As the Minister knows, Comhaltas was founded in 1951 in my home town of Mullingar and it has gone from strength to strength over the last decades. The Minister is right that the work it does internationally in promoting our rich heritage and culture of music, dance and the Irish language is second to none. When it comes to a town, the national fleadh is magnificent. It attracts 400,000 attendees and brings some €40 million to the region. Of the 400,000 attendees, 25% are international visitors coming to our island. It is second after St. Patrick's weekend in terms of the level of festivities involved.
The Minister confirmed that the Department funds Comhaltas annually. Given the huge significance of the fleadh to Ireland nationally and on the international stage, will she consider making specific departmental funding available to towns? Despite working in partnership with the local authority, it still involves a large cost to host the all-Ireland fleadh in any town.
I fully support Deputy Troy. The fleadh is coming to Drogheda this year and, as the Deputy rightly points out, there will be more than 400,000 visitors. The €1.6 million for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is very welcome.
There is a need, however, to look again at the infrastructure in any town that has to transform itself for a massive number of visitors, particularly in terms of Tidy Towns and improving shopfronts. The presentation of the towns is very important. Additional funding would be helpful and useful. The Minister might consider, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, where money might be available. It is a big burden but we in Drogheda are very proud of getting it and we tend to do a fantastic job.
How are the coffers in the Department?
I hope the fleadh gives great enjoyment in Drogheda. I note what Deputy Troy says about Mullingar founding the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in 1951. Mullingar hosted the all-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in 1963. There is interest in Mullingar in applying to host the Fleadh Cheoil in the future.
This year a sum of €3 million in total, comprising €2 million from my Department and €1 million from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, was allocated to all 31 local authorities. This will enable them to implement the objectives contained in their five-year culture and creativity strategies and support an accompanying programme of activities, events and initiatives in each county, including building capacity to host local, provincial and national fleadhanna. There is also the small-scale festivals and summer schools scheme which commenced formally in 2017. The funding is reserved for appropriate festivals, summer schools and other similar events. It is designed to support local cultural festivals and those which are not in receipt of other public moneys and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for large-scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. These projects make a very important contribution to the development and promotion of Ireland's cultural tourism offering to the benefit of the domestic and foreign tourists which Deputy Troy mentioned, and will represent an important component of the delivery of the culture and tourism commitments in the programme for Government. The total amount available to this fund is €75,000 and the maximum amount per applicant is proposed to be in the order of €5,000. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis.
The Minister has outlined certain streams of funding available but the national fleadh would not be able to avail of any of them. We hope in Mullingar to make a successful bid for 2020 or 2021 at the next available opportunity.
This is does not affect Mullingar only. It affects any provincial town that has to host a fleadh. It is a phenomenal festival with 400,000 visitors descending on a town for a week. It is worth €40 million to the local economy. There is nothing like it. A total of 100,000 international visitors come in for it. Given the work that Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is doing to promote heritage internationally and attract people to our country, the Minister should consider funding the host town to put on the fleadh. Whether it is Drogheda, Offaly, Tullamore, Sligo or Derry, they do a good job but they could do with some additional support and, in light of the great numbers they attract to the island, they should get greater support from the Government.
Core funding from the Department to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann was in the region of €1.6 million for 2018. In 2015 and 2016 it was €1.448 million and in 2017 it was €1.5 million. It has gone up. The funding provided in 2017 to festivals and summer schools gave thousands of euro went to assist the following: Dublin Ghost Story Festival; Castleblayney Community Arts Festival; AE George Russell Seminar; Larry Reynolds Irish Music; Seosamh Mac Gabhann Summer School; O'Carolan Harp and Traditional Music Festival; Carrickmacross Arts Festival; James Joyce Summer School; Festival of Light; Parnell Summer School; Aimsir Summer School-Laragh Heritage Monaghan; Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival; Percy French Festival; Michael O'Cleirigh; Monaghan County Fleadh; Ed Reavy Traditional Irish Music Festival; Cootehill Arts Festival and Halloween Festival "Safe and Sounds". I was also happy to launch the Dublin fleadh on 23 April at the Lexicon library in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. The local group, Craobh Phiarais Uí Ghréagáin, which is based in Monkstown played beautiful music on that evening. I appreciate the value of the fleadh around the country and will continue to promote it as much as I can.
Cavan-Monaghan and Dublin South have been doing very well recently.
Have they?