Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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45. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Abbey Theatre has met the conditions of improving the quality of employment opportunities it provides for Irish based artists, including remuneration rates, for it to receive the €300,000 in funding allocated to it but frozen by the Arts Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24280/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Arts Council is independent its funding decisions under Section 24 of the Arts Act 2003.

The Abbey and theatre practitioners have been involved in ongoing dialogue in recent months and both the Abbey and the practitioners have kept me and my Department updated on their deliberations.

I understand that although the Arts Council has not yet released all of the funding previously withheld, it is anticipated that it is likely to do so in the months ahead as the Abbey meets the conditions the Council set in its decision. I also understand that the Council is working closely with the Abbey Theatre to support them in meeting the relevant conditions.