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

The Deputy mentioned the National Campaign for the Arts. I will refer to what the group said. The group welcomed the €6.8 million uplift for the Arts Council in budget 2019 given the central role the Arts Council plays in supporting artistic creation across the entire country. In response to the announcement, the National Campaign for the Arts chairperson, Angela Dorgan, said:

The 10% uplift in today’s Budget 2019 allocation to the Arts Council is welcomed by the NCFA and demonstrates significant progress towards the restoration of the Arts Council’s pre-recession allocation, which has been dramatically cut since 2008, causing untold damage to the Arts sector in Ireland. The NCFA also welcomes the increase in funding for Creative Ireland, not least in relation to its important work through the Creative Youth programme. These additional investments help to make up ground in the delivery of the Government’s commitment to doubling investment in the Arts and Culture sector over the next six years.

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