Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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240. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to explain the decrease in funding for applicants to the arts grants funding scheme in 2024, given the increase in funding for the Arts Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38683/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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While I am pleased as Minister to have overseen record levels of funding to the Arts Council, under the Arts Act, the Arts Council is independent in its funding decisions and I as Minister cannot direct the Council in the allocation of its funding across grants or in any of its funding decisions.

The Arts Council has a rigorous assessment and scoring processes for its schemes, and funding is offered to applicants in accordance with these processes. Across the Arts Grant Funding programme, funding levels offered can vary to from year to year. This is a matter under the Arts Act for the Arts Council.