PJ Murphy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of funding or lack thereof for traditional music festivals in our towns and villages which will take place from now and throughout the summer and into the autumn. I include in this the county Comhaltas competitions, for example, the Galway County Comhaltas which will be held in my local town of Gort in May. Approximately 6,000 people will attend and perform over the weekend and the cost of hosting the weekend is estimated to be approximately €25,000. Despite having made applications for funding through a number of grants and schemes, including the Creative Ireland grant, the arts grant, the economic grant, the community support scheme and the Creative Ireland open call, to date our local Comhaltas has secured no State assistance. In a changing Ireland, where the preservation of our traditions is more important than ever, I call on the Minister with responsibility for arts and culture to look at a new funding stream for traditional festivals and the Comhaltas.