Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree that all local communities, including in Kerry, have access to funding for festivals and creative events. My Department only has a small amount of money available, approximately €50,000, and so the local authorities are best placed to look after any funding for events. We have increased our funding to local authorities to €3 million this year, which works out at around €96,000 per local authority, and this represents an increase of approximately €1 million from 2017. We also fund local arts infrastructure as well. If the Deputy knows of anyone specific who wishes to apply to the local authority for the events he is describing in Kerry, they can do that via the local authority. Fáilte Ireland and the Arts Council also provide significant support to major festivals. We might also be reopening the capital arts scheme later this year, and I can provide those details to the Deputy if he would like to inquire about that at a later stage.