Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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377. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a joint application for funding for a music generation programme for children and young persons by Tipperary ETB and Tipperary County Council was refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55048/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Music Generation programme is a music education initiative which was established in 2009 and is co-funded by philanthropic sources, by my Department, and by local Music Education Partnerships (MEPs). The aim of the programme is to provide vocal and instrumental music tuition in non-mainstream settings for young people 18 years and under.  11 MEPs were established under the first phase of the programme.

In January 2017, Music Generation announced an open call for potential MEPs to apply for inclusion in Phase 2 of the programme. This phase of Music Generation will be initially supported by philanthropic funding, with Exchequer support from my Department becoming available from 2020.

Applications for inclusion in Phase 2 of the programme were assessed against stated selection criteria by an expert selection committee established by Music Generation and which included representation from my Department. The nine new MEP areas for Phase 2 were announced by the board of Music Generation in September 2017.

The number of applications received for Phase 2 of the programme exceeded the number of MEPs that could be supported by the available funding, with the result that some applicants were inevitably disappointed not to be selected for this phase.  

I can advise, however, that as part of the launch in December last of A Plan to Enable the Creative Potential of Every Child and Young Person, it was announced that the Government would support the rollout of Music Generation nationwide by 2022. The plan is part of the Government’s Creative Ireland programme and was launched by the Taoiseach, together with myself, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department will work with Music Generation to discuss the details and logistics of the nationwide roll-out and more details will be announced at a later date.