Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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302. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the most recent details of funding awarded to successful applicants of a programme (details supplied) in tabular form; the details of the event descriptions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16359/22]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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303. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason that a festival (details supplied) was unsuccessful in receiving funding under a programme; the appeal mechanism that is open to the festival or possible alternative funding opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16360/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 302 and 303 together.

The all-of-Government Creative Ireland Programme is a culture-based programme led by my department to promote individual, community and national wellbeing. Its core proposition is that participation in arts, culture and heritage-based activities drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing and achievement.

Under the Creative Communitiesinitiative in the Creative Ireland Programme, my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provide funding to each of the 31 local authorities to enable them to implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022. These Strategies were developed in 2017 following extensive local public consultation and are unique to each local authority, reflecting the breadth of cultural and creative work being undertaken in each area as well as the strategic priorities identified by the local community.

Each of the local authorities established a Culture and Creativity Team led by a Creative Ireland Coordinator to oversee implementation of their Strategy. The cross-functional Culture and Creativity Teams (including Arts Officers, Heritage & Biodiversity Officers, Librarians, Archivists, Conservation Officers, Irish Language Officers, Local Enterprise Offices) is a unique model, providing local authorities with an agile and adaptable resource to address locally-relevant priorities.

Each local authority through their Culture and Creativity Team is responsible for programming community-led initiatives and administering their delivery as a way of implementing their Culture and Creativity Strategies. This often involves individual local authorities operating public grant funding schemes. Based on all the information available, I understand that the grant scheme referred to may be operated by Mayo County Council. That being the case, any queries concerning the administration of the scheme would need to be directed to Mayo County Council in the first instance. Relevant contacts for their Culture and Creativity Team are available online at www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/mayo/.

Through the Creative Ireland Programme, I welcome the fact that funding of over €790,000 has been provided to support Mayo County Council implement its Culture and Creativity Strategy 2018-2022 and associated community-led projects. I am delighted that Government has recently decided in principle to extend the Creative Ireland Programme for another 5-year period. I look forward to supporting each local authority as they lead the development of a new Culture and Creativity Strategy 2023-2027 in the months ahead.