Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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123. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to increase funding to the Arts Council in 2021; if she will provide details of the final Arts Council budget for 2020; if she is continuing to seek additional funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29768/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Primary support for the arts in Ireland is delivered by the Arts Council, which is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council received an additional €25 million in funding in 2020 in response to the pandemic, bringing it final 2020 allocation to €105 million. Among the measures delivered as a result of the extra funding are new and additional bursaries and commissions from the Arts Council, including supports for freelance artists and those looking to develop projects on a collaborative basis. Arts Council funding in 2020 has reached organisations and individuals never before funded by the Council.

The decision on the level of Arts Council funding in 2021 formed part of Budget 2021 and I am pleased to confirm that the Arts Council is to be allocated €130m next year, a record level of funding which acknowledges that devastating impact that COVID-19 restrictions have had on the sector.