Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be scope to scale up Music Generation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7664/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My department currently supports the Music Generation initiative to the value of €2.5m per year, in respect of the 11 local Music Education Partnerships (MEPs) established under Phase 1 of the initiative and which were initially supported through philanthropic funding.

In January 2016, a commitment was given by the Department of Education and Skills, subject to Exchequer resources, to provide further funding to support a second phase of the Music Generation initiative when philanthropic support for the new MEPS established during this phase ends. This commitment will see Exchequer support increase by a further € 2.1 m year from 2020.

On  23 January 2017,an open call was announced for Music Education Partnerships to apply for inclusion in Phase 2 of Music Generation. A total of €3 m in funding, from philanthropic investment by U2 and The Ireland Fund, is available through this call, which will enable Music Generation’s expansion into new areas of the Republic of Ireland between 2017 and 2021