Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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310. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding that will be provided to Music Generation by her Department in 2024. [42398/24]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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311. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the first- and full-year cost of providing 1,000 additional performance music education tuition hours under Music Generation. [42399/24]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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312. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the first- and full-year cost of supporting 1,000 additional programme participants under Music Generation. [42400/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 to 312, inclusive, together.

Music Generation is a national non-mainstream performance music education programme whose mission is to empower children and young people to realise their full potential through access to, and participation in, high quality performance music education.

Under the Creative Youth Plan, brought to Government in March 2023, my Department is committed to continuing to support Music Generation in this objective, and I am pleased to say that €6,985,000 has been allocated by my Department in funding to Music Generation for 2024 for this purpose.

Music Generation works through Local Music Education Partnerships (LMEP) of which 30 are now in place around the country.

An LMEP is a locally-based active and engaged steering group, advisory group or committee made up of a range of experts and stakeholders advising on and guiding a programme that offers high-quality performance music education opportunities to children and young people. There are 30 LMEPs around the country. Each has a lead partner, and in the vast majority of cases this is the local Education and Training Board. LMEP membership can also include representatives of local authorities, music providers, musicians, interest groups and other relevant bodies in the area, as well as representatives from regional and national expert groups if desired.

The funding provided by my Department supports an allocation of up to €200,000 to each LMEP. Under the funding model in place, this is provided as match funding, with LMEPs expected to raise the matching amount from local sources. The Department’s allocation also supports the operation of the National Development Office and its Quality Support and Development work.

The Department’s funding to Music Generation is not provided on a per capita basis. Furthermore, the funding that is provided to support LMEPs is match funding, with LMEPs expected to raise the matching amount from local sources. For these reasons, it is difficult to provide an accurate estimation of costs for a fixed number of additional tuition hours or participants.