Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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593. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there are funding opportunities and bursaries available for Irish dancing schools who will represent their country in the Irish dancing world championships in London next month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13933/14]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not provide grants to specific performing art practitioners or schools as described by the Deputy. In the case of the arts, funding decisions, including bursaries, are a matter for the Arts Council. In general terms, responsibility for the promotion of the arts at all levels throughout the country is primarily devolved to the Arts Council. The Arts Council is the principal agency through which State funding is channelled to the arts. Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council is a statutorily independent body, funded by my Department and independent in its day-to-day operations, and I have no role to play in relation to its funding decisions.