Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The remit of Culture Ireland, a division of my Department, is to promote and advance Irish arts worldwide thus strengthening Ireland’s cultural profile and global reputation and increasing career opportunities for Irish artists globally. Culture Ireland supports and works with Literature Ireland to bring the best of Irish literature in translation to readers around the world through the award of translation grants to publishers, the hosting of literary translators in Ireland and by representing Irish writers at international showcases, book fairs and festivals. Culture Ireland works with resource organisations and Ireland's key international cultural centres, on an annual funding basis, to deliver these key objectives.

Funding has also been provided to Literature Ireland by the Arts Council. Literature Ireland has funded the translation of over 2,000 works of Irish literature into 56 languages around the world.

Literature Ireland’s services include:

- Running a translation grant programme for publishers to fund the translation of literature from Ireland into foreign languages, and the translation of foreign literature into English or Irish.

- Operating a residential bursary programme for literary translators.

- Attending international book fairs and festivals and managing the Irish national stands at the London and Frankfurt book fairs.

- Support for international author and translator events.

- Providing information to publishers, agents, translators, writers and other interested parties.

-Publishing and distributing New Writing from Irelandand other publications.

- Participating in international literary translation projects.

- The Arts Council also provides funding to Words Ireland, which is an umbrella group of seven literature organisations whose purpose is to strengthen the literature sector in Ireland and to offer professional development support and opportunities to writers. The organisations which make up the network are: Children’s Books Ireland, Literature Ireland, Poetry Ireland, The Stinging Fly, Irish Writers Centre, Publishing Ireland and Munster Literature Centre.

Words Ireland's remit includes the provision of professional development opportunities, with a particular focus on mid-career and advanced career practitioners. It provides mentoring opportunities, creating meaningful employment for professional writers and opportunities for emerging writers to advance their creative practice. Words Ireland receives funding from the Arts Council

Books for young people can be translated into Irish in Foras na Gaeilge, by An Gúm and their books are sometimes translated into other languages. Their Translation Scheme also provides funding for translations from other languages into Irish under certain arrangements.