Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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227. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of schools that applied for ‘creative schools’ funding in the year 2024 and to date in 2025; and the amount of funding each individual school receives. [28239/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027, supporting schools to put the arts and creativity at the heart of children’s and young people’s lives. Since 2018, Creative Schools has supported schools over 2 years to develop and implement a bespoke Creative School plan. Each school participating in the initiative is provided with a grant of €4,000 in total over the two years and access to a trained Creative Associate and training (including voice of the child training).

Over the seven rounds since 2018, over 1,150 schools have participated in the programme.

Creative Schools is led by the Arts Council, in partnership with my Department and the Department of Education and Youth. Access to the initiative is open to all Department of Education and Youth recognised primary and post-primary schools, Special Schools and Youthreach centres in the Free Education Scheme that have not already participated in a previous round of Creative Schools. Alongside the awards programme, the Creative Schools team also delivers Creative February which is open to all schools in Ireland to participate and celebrate creativity.

For the 2024 round, 266 schools and Youthreach Centres applied for Creative Schools, with 183 entering the 2-year programme. Applications for the 2025 round due to commence in September, were open from 25 February 2025 with a deadline of 8 May 2025. 172 schools and Youthreach Centres submitted applications, which are currently being assessed, and it is expected that the outcome will be announced in September.

The list of schools that participate each year in Creative Schools is available here on the Arts Council website: