Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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477. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the levels of support made available by his Department, the Arts Council or other agencies of the State for the development and support of musical theatre in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37419/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council has primary responsibility for the development of the arts in Ireland and Budget 2025 has provided record funding of €140 million for the Arts Council. The Arts Council is committed to increasing public engagement in the arts in Ireland and it provides financial support to a number of initiatives aimed at increasing public access, participation and engagement in the arts.

The Arts Council invests funding in a range of art forms and developmental projects including Creative Schools, Creative Places, Creative Europe and Culture Night. For example, Culture Night, in collaboration with RTÉ, creates opportunities for artists at all levels. Details of all these programmes are available on the Arts Council's website. The Council also supports festivals across the country providing opportunities for performances of many forms.

I am informed by the Arts Council that the development of Musical Theatre in Ireland is currently supported through both the Theatre and Music & Opera teams. In recent years the development, presentation and touring of musical theatre work has been supported by the Arts Council.

In its most recently published music policy Advancing Music: Music Policy and Strategy, the Arts Council identifies new strategies which propose increasing links with intersecting art forms. One of these will involve the Music, Opera and Theatre teams working together on the development of a new approach for the support of music theatre and musical theatre artists and organisations.

Specifically musical theatre work has been supported through the following Arts Council schemes; Theatre Projects, Arts Grant Funding and Touring in recent years. Productions include the Lords of Strut ‘Dream Factory’, and a production and tour of Shane O’Reilly’s ‘Gold in the Water’. There have also been a number of works in development supported by Cathal Cleary, Gare S. Lazare, Anthony Keigher and Landmark Productions.

Within my Department, there are a number of measures in place to support the arts at amateur and professional levels including:

• Annual funding provided to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for its work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture.
• The Music Capital Scheme, managed by Music Network on behalf of my Department, provides funding for the purchase of musical instruments to both non-professional performing groups/ensembles and professional musicians.
• A small-scale local festivals and summer schools scheme designed to support local cultural festivals and summer schools that may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies. The maximum funding available under this scheme is capped at €5,000.
• Creative Ireland Programme funding is supporting the delivery of a number of creative projects nationwide.
• In 2025 €8m, which is the highest level of funding for Culture Ireland since its establishment, will support more Irish artists to launch and develop their careers on an international stage.
• The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme which is €105m scheme involving 2,000 artists and creative arts workers nationwide.
• Funding for the Safe to Create Programme, including Minding Creative Minds, that supports all artists and creatives.
• Funding is provided for cultural events such as Other Voices and Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann that in turn helps to sustain the arts at all levels.
• Funding programmes within the Broadcasting and Media area also serve to promote many artists and creative talents from across the music sector.