Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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640. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the fact that her Department and an agency under its aegis, (details supplied), have recently been forced to abandon involvement in a major European online collections project, resulting in significant financial and reputational loss, and the necessity to return funds drawn down; if she has ordered an investigation into the reasons for the failure of this project; her views that it should be referred to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8186/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Whilst my Department provides funding to the agency referred to by the Deputy, the board and executive of that body are responsible for all operational matters and I have no direct function in that regard.

My Department has had no direct involvement in the project referred to. However, my Department has been advised by the body in question that it has decided to withdraw from an EU-funded programme to provide content for an EU web-based project. As the body is not participating further in the programme, funding already allocated will be repaid to the extent required. The body has indicated its view that the work which it carried out on the project to date will be of benefit to it and that no financial or reputational damage will result.