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

I have not been to the opera house yet and will not pretend I have, although I have seen photographs. I like the opera and I intend to visit, I hope soon. Under my predecessor, the Department provided a grant for €250,000 for 2018. The Department also provides occasional capital grants to upgrade equipment at the opera house due to its significance. The Arts Council is, of course, the main funder of the annual opera festival which takes place there.

Creative Ireland Wexford's plan is integral to the use of the opera house into the future. There are plans to expand the opera house which the Department is open to discussing. The local authority has received €64,000 this year. That is a doubling of the funding to the local authority and, as such, it should be able to use it also. Under pillar 2, the Creative Ireland programme does not prescribe what we do with the opera house and I am sure that the local authority, which is the primary instrument of community engagement for the programme, will utilise Wexford Opera House in the best way.

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