Dáil debates

Thursday, 11 November 2021

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Departmental Funding

11:40 am

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. I want to be clear that funding was neither sought nor allocated by the Ulster-Scots Agency for the living history component the Deputy has mentioned. It is important that we are factual about this matter. I hope the Deputy is not undermining agencies of the Good Friday Agreement in what he is trying to do here. It is also important to note that the Deputy's Sinn Féin colleague in the North, the Minister for Communities, Deirdre Hargey MLA, provides 75% of the funding for this agency, while the Irish Government provides 25% of the funding. We have sought a breakdown, as I outlined, of where the £2,500 was actually allocated. I referenced some of those activities, which included an arts and crafts workshop, art and the Lambeg drum, a language workshop for children, Ulster-Scots music, a display of Scottish country music and dancing, drumming, Scottish and highland music, traditional Ulster-Scots music, the hiring of a sound system, language and poetry. That is what the agency funded and it is for that I am accountable to this House and for which the Deputy's colleague in the North is accountable to the Assembly in the North. I hope the Deputy will be taking up his variety of questions with her as well.

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