Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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663. 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; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40089/18]

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 Screen Ireland. 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.

Examples of festivals in Ireland that have been successful in securing funding under the Co-operation Projects Strand include:

- 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 Festival is a member of the Aerowaves Platform

- Galway Early Music Festival is 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, in May 2018, the European Commission presented the Multiannual Financial Framework budgetary plan for the coming 2021 to 2027 financial period. This includes a financial envelope of €1.85 billion for the proposed Creative Europe Programme 2021 to 2017. The Multiannual Financial Framework for the coming period is the subject of negotiations among the European Parliament, Council and Commission at present.