Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My question was clear. I am interested in the Minister's thinking and logic behind the Arts Council as opposed to Creative Ireland. While I appreciate all the other figures she gave us, I am interested in these two specific bodies. The Arts Council is an independent statutory organisation, independent of politics, with an arm's length approach to support and assist artists and creative industries across the country.

The Minister knows the chair of the Arts Council publicly expressed her disappointment at the additional €3 million allocation to the Arts Council budget, stating it would severely hamper its ability to broaden supports to artists and organisations nationwide. An additional €8 million represents a mere 3% increase on previous years’ allocations, down from 5% year-on-year increases that had been given to the Arts Council budget up to 2017. The budget remains €15 million below 2008 levels.

The Arts Council is the main funding agency for the arts. In her reply, the Minister acknowledged the independent and critical role it plays in the arts. Will she focus her reply on the two bodies, the Arts Council and Creative Ireland?

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