Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Funding for the Arts Council will increase from €75 million in 2019 to €80 million 2020. Is it not the case that only €1.25 million of the increase is a new injection of money in that €3.75 million, or three quarters of it, has been rejigged from one corner of the Department to another, in this case the Arts Council? It is a sham, therefore, to speak of €5 million in extra funding.

Culture Ireland had funding of €4.6 million last year. Is it not the case that funding this year is €4.1 million and has, therefore, been cut? My question referred to the doubling of arts funding by 2025. The Minister referred to a 2% increase this year. Can she show us the roadmap for moving from funding of €158 million in 2017, when the commitment was made, to €316 million by 2025? If she increases spending by 2% every year, it will fall a long way short.

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