Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
291. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if funding streams exist through her Department to support locally organised diversity and equality events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13958/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have primary responsibility for such events, and I understand funding opportunities may be available through the Community Foundation for Ireland. A core objective of funding from my Department is to promote the widest possible participation in cultural, sports and Irish language activities. Culture 2025, the National Cultural Framework to 2025, recognises the right of everyone to participate in the cultural and creative life of the nation.
Primary funding for the arts is delivered through the Arts Council. Across its various funding schemes, the Arts Council supports more than 160 festivals annually. Through its festival investment scheme, the council makes significant investment in festivals nationwide. The addition of festivals supported under the arts grant and strategic funding schemes ensures that there is a flexible and comprehensive support for festivals in Ireland. The Council recognises the distinctive role arts festivals play in sustaining a vibrant and sustainable arts profile at local level. Festivals provide opportunities for artists and audiences to experience new work and ways of making work. The Arts Council introduced its equality, human rights and diversity policy in early 2019 and is being implemented through its awards. Further information on gender, disability and ethnicity in individual awards can be found on the Arts Council’s website.
My Department also operates a small-scale local festivals and summer schools funding scheme. The scheme is designed to support local cultural festivals and summer schools which are not in receipt of other essential Government moneys and which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council or similar bodies.
In addition, the Deputy may be interested to note that a number of local authorities support small-scale festivals, in some cases, under the all-of-Government Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022, led by my Department. The Programme seeks to enable each citizen to realise their full creative potential with implications for individual, community and national wellbeing. Under its Creative Communities initiative, annual funding is provided to the 31 local authorities to enable them implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022, with €6.6 million provided in 2021. This funding also supports Cruinniú na nÓg, the national day of free creativity for children and young people. Across the programme of events and initiatives, it is open to local authorities to use some of this funding for creative programming in support of diversity and equality. Creative events have included the Virtual LGBT+ Awareness & Inclusion Youth Festival in Galway, as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2021. In 2022, on World Down Syndrome Day, an exciting immersive, inclusive and highly participatory piece for children with additional needs, Lullaby Leaf by Ceol Connected, will take place in counties Monaghan, Cavan, Meath, Louth and Galway.
Fáilte Ireland as the National Tourism Development Authority, also provide supports for festivals and participative events focus predominantly on internationally-motivating festivals/events from the point of view of inbound international tourism and bednights. More information on these can be found on the agencies' websites.
