Written answers

Wednesday, 4 November 2015

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Departmental Funding

Photo of John McGuinnessJohn McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding allocated by her Department to organisations not audited directly by the Comptroller and Auditor General; the names of these organisations; thef funding allocated to each over the past five years; the process in place to ensure that value for money is achieved and that the funding allocated is audited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38664/15]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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All but two of the non-commercial semi-state bodies under the aegis of my Department - the National Concert Hall and the Chester Beatty Library - are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. As a company limited by guarantee, the National Concert Hall is required to produce Annual Accounts for audit in accordance with the Companies Acts. The Annual Reports and Accounts of the National Concert Hall are available on their website at . The National Concert Hall Bill, which is currently being considered by the Oireachtas, seeks to put the National Concert Hall on a statutory basis. If that Bill is enacted, the National Concert Hall would become subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The Chester Beatty Library is a public charitable trust and as a registered charity is responsible to the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests. The Annual Reports and Accounts of the Chester Beatty Library are available on their website at .

In common with the other National Cultural Institutions, the National Concert Hall and the Chester Beatty Library are required to submit copies of their Annual Reports and Accounts to my Department, which are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. They also engage in regular quarterly meetings with my officials to monitor progress against agreed objectives in the context of Annual Service Level Agreement entered into with my Department.

Details of funding provided to these bodies by my Department are published in the annual Revised Estimates Volumes and Appropriation Accounts. The annual allocations to these bodies since 2011 are summarised below.

YearChester Beatty LibraryNational Concert Hall
2011€2,579,000€2,874,000
2012€2,598,000€2,627,000
2013€2,411,000€2,514,000
2014€2,300,000€2,300,000
2015€2,400,000€2,400,000

For completeness, I wish to point out that in addition to funding bodies that operate under its aegis, my Department also provides funding to many other organisations, including local authorities and community-based groups, under a variety of schemes that it administers. It would not be possible in the time available to provide the information sought by the Deputy in relation to such bodies. However, if the Deputy is interested in a particular organisation or set of organisations, I will endeavour to provide the relevant information in relation to any particular organisations he may wish to nominate.

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