Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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697. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which EU grant aid has been sought and remains available or is likely to become available to support various community festivals throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3473/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Creative Europe programme 2014 - 2020 is the primary EU culture funding mechanism and has two funding sub-programmes: the Culture sub-programme operated through the Arts Council, and the Media sub-programme operated through the Irish Film Board.  Demand, particularly in the Culture sub-programme far outstrips the budget available and has an overall success rate for applications from all countries of about 15%.  Ireland’s own success rate is above the EU average at 18.9% 

Under the Creative Europe – Culture Sub-Programme there is no dedicated funding strand for festivals. The majority of the funding available under the Culture Sub-Programme is via the Co-Operation Projects Strand, under which festivals are eligible to apply.

To date, under the co-operation projects strand, there have been 7 Irish festivals involved as partners in projects with a total project grant allocation of just over €7 million:

- Babóro Galway International Children’s Festival(Small Size, Performing Arts for Early Years)

- Photo Ireland Festival Ltd(Flaneur – New Urban Narratives)

- First Fortnight Ltd(Networking European Festivals for Mental Life Enhancement)

- Cuirt – Galway Arts Centre (Sharing the Wor(l)D)

- West Cork Literary Festival – West Cork Music (Reading for Enjoyment, Achievement and Development of Young People)

- Wexford Festival Trust (Opera Vision)

- Cork Midsummer Festival (Circus250: Diverse, Real, Physical)

The Culture Sub-Programme also funds EU networks and platforms via operating grants for the lead organisations. Below is a summary of Irish festivals which are members of Creative Europe supported platforms and networks:

- Dublin Dance Festivalis a member of the Aerowaves Platform

- Galway Early Music Festivalis a member of the European Early Music Network,

- YARN Storytelling Festival Bray is a member of the Federation for European Storytelling Network

As regards future funding at EU level, an important element will be the Multiannual Financial Framework budgetary plans the Commission will present in May 2018. There is currently an online public consultation underway covering programmes and actions aiming at protecting and promoting European values.  

This consultation will significantly influence the Commission’s thinking as it prepares its proposals for funding 2021-2027 for May, and all citizens, stakeholders and organisations are encouraged to register their views.  The consultation process can be accessed at the following link: .

I would encourage wide participation in this consultative process, as once the funding parameters are agreed at EU level there is no mechanism for revision, and decisions will be binding till 2027.