Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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965. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she has to date in 2017 responded to various applications from community groups towards their performances and productions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27884/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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971. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she can assist various local musical and dramatic societies in respect of annual productions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27890/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 965 and 971 together.

Most of my Department's arts and culture budget is allocated to the agencies under its remit. Within these allocations, the Arts Council is the primary State agency for funding the arts in Ireland.

In 2017, I will provide over €65m to the Arts Council, an increase of over 8% since 2016. Details of the Arts Council's expenditure including its individual grants can be viewed on the Arts Council's decisions database which provides a listing of 2007 –2017 Arts Council funding decisions. Decisions are routinely published in the Arts Council newsletter, and decisions are also recorded in the Arts Council's annual reports, which are available online.

The Council is statutorily independent in relation to its funding and executive decisions.