Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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2003. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the manner in which her Department supports agricultural shows; the individual shows supported; the allocation and expenditure from 2018 to date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29085/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Since 2018 my Department has provided funding of over €2 million to the Irish Shows Association for Agricultural Shows throughout Ireland. The Agricultural Shows support programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future"

I recently announced an increase in funding to €700,000 for 2022 to support the return of the agricultural shows after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic. Some 120 events are set to benefit and I hope that this funding will help put the shows on a firmer financial footing and provide vital support to the committees responsible for organising the events throughout the country.

I am delighted to be able to acknowledge the hard work, commitment and dedication that goes into every show and I am pleased that the Irish Shows Association (ISA) is once again working with my Department to administer the funding. 

Based on returns from the ISA, the table below sets out the amount drawn down in respect of each show over the period 2018 to 2021. As the allocations are based on vouched expenditure, individual allocations per show are not available yet for the €700,000 support provided in 2022. On average each show will attract funding in the region of €5,000-€6,000.  In 2020/2021 shows were not run due to ongoing public health restrictions, but reduced funding was put in place in light of ongoing costs which arose at that time.

A full directory of the Shows is published on the ISA website.