Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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241. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if grants or financial supports are available from her Department to support music classes for in local communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10531/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Creative Ireland Programme, led by my Department, is an all-of-government, culture-based initiative that emphasises the importance of creativity for individual, community and national well-being. Under this programme the Creative Youth Plan was published in December 2017 and aims to increase the opportunities for engagement by children and young people in artistic and cultural creativity, helping them to discover and develop new skills and talents that enhance their development and growth, and add to the richness of their overall learning experience. The Plan has initiatives both targeted at schools and out-of-school settings, as well as providing teachers with CPD.

Among key initiatives for schools under Creative Youth are Creative Schools which is led by the Arts Council in partnership with my Department as well as the Departments of Education, and Children and Youth Affairs.Creative Schools provides tangible supports for schools to place arts and creativity at the centre of school life. Schools participate in the initiative over a two year period and are provided with access to a “Creative Associate” and funding. Further information on Creative Schools can be accessed via the following link www.artscouncil.ie/creative-schools/

Under the Creative Communitiesstrand of the Creative Ireland Programme, my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides an annual funding allocation to each of the 31 local authorities to enable them to implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022. These strategies were developed following extensive local public consultation, and are unique to each local authority reflecting the strategic priorities identified by the local community to deploy creativity for wellbeing, social cohesion and economic development. Many of these strategies include priorities that seek to enhance access, participation and engagement with culture and creativity. This funding provided to local authorities can result in the organisation of music-based creative projects such as Making Music with Sonamus, a tuition programme by Wicklow County Council in partnership with Music Network offering participants over 55 an opportunity to experience and learn an array of musical styles and techniques from the combined musical backgrounds of Sonamus members

The Department also provides funding to support Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ), which is the largest group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music both at community and national level. Annual funding is provided to CCÉ for its work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture. They promote traditional music and dance in the following ways:

Thousands of children and young people develop their musical performance (instrumentation and vocal) skills and appreciation skills at these mentored weekly classes, where the emphasis is oral transmission in an appropriate context. Over 1,500 Classes are delivered weekly in community settings.

With over 400 branches, 18 centres, 7 Regional centres and 11 Outreach centres throughout Ireland, Britain, North America and worldwide, a wide variety of formal and informal performance opportunities are provided through the Comhaltas structures and Centres. Each Centre has a local performance group which provides appropriate opportunities for young traditional artists (aged 16 upwards) to participate in formal stage performances.

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann which is run by CCÉ. Before the pandemic it had record attendance of 500,000 annually with over 6,000 participating in its competitions. The Deputy may be interested to note that I recently approved support of €100,000 towards the organisational costs of Fleadh Cheoil 2022 in Mullingar. The Fleadh Cheoil is one of the world’s largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance. It attracts in the region of 500,000 visitors to the host town during the period of the festival, with an estimate of more than 20% coming from abroad. This event providedmany opportunities for children and young people and their families to celebrate traditional music and dance.

My Department provides funding for the purchase of musical instruments and equipment by way of the Music Capital Scheme. Funding is provided to a wide range of performing groups and talented musicians. Recipients have in the past included brass bands, pipe bands and marching bands as well as community organisations. The Scheme is managed by Music Network on behalf of my Department.

Ealaín na Gaeltachta Teo., a joint venture between Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Arts Council, is the organisation responsible for promoting the development of the contemporary and the traditional arts, including music, in the Gaeltacht. For the current year, the organisation is in receipt of €1.2m from the partnership between the Arts Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta. In order to further promote and develop the language based arts in the Gaeltacht and to specifically support the language planning process and the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, my Department has provided additional funding almost €1.5m to Ealaín na Gaeltachta enabling the organisation to further support and create opportunities for the artistic community, especially the among the youth of the Gaeltacht.