Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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334. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there are any schemes administered by his Department to help small community groups who wish to publish books on the history of their areas; and if he will outline the criteria for same. [16691/14]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not provide grants as described by the Deputy. In the case of the arts, funding decisions, including literature awards, 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.