Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It was a pleasure to have President Franklin in the Houses. I also welcome that the Speaker of the Senate of Canada and her delegation are with us today.

I wish to be associated with the very appropriate remarks regarding the late Michael O'Regan.

I raise the question of funding support for amateur theatre and musicals. As Members probably know, the amateur theatre festival circuit is about to begin.Drama groups throughout the country are preparing to compete in festivals with the hope of reaching the all-island finals. Musical societies are also very active throughout the country. During the Covid period, funds were made available to the national representative associations, such as the Drama League of Ireland, the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland and the Association of Irish Musical Societies, to support the work they do, not least during the Covid period, and this was channelled through the Arts Council. That funding was not made available in 2023 and we still have uncertainty as to whether there will be any funding for 2024. In all our communities, amateur theatre and musicals play a vital role.

I sit on the Oireachtas arts committee and we have been looking for some time at the issue of how to support voluntary and community arts. I have suggested, and I anticipate that in our report we will recommend, the establishment of an arts capital and equipment programme along the lines of the sports capital and equipment programme. Will the Leader please raise with the Minister for the arts the funding support that was committed for those national organisations and amateur theatre and musicals throughout the country? We might also have a debate, perhaps on foot of the report of our committee, about how we can support community and voluntary arts throughout the country.