Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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1326. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide the total number of grant payments issued by the Department in each of the past five years, along with the total value of those grant payments for each year, in tabular form; and to confirm whether these figures include all schemes and discretionary grant programmes administered directly by the Department or through its agencies. [41053/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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It should be noted that my Department was re-configured as the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport at the beginning of June 2025. Across its broad remit of responsibilities, my Department directly administers a range of grant payments. The details sought by the Deputy for the functions under the remit of my Department in the period since September 2020 (when the former Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media was established) are set out below, by relevant Sector.

Arts & Culture

A full list of all arts payments is published on my Departments website on an annual basis and can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/creative-arts-grants-and-funding-previous-schemes/

Grant payments in respect of the following schemes operated by my Department for the years 2020 to 2024 are published on my website and can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/cultural-projects-funding/. No grant payments have been made to successful applicants for these schemes to date in 2025.

• the Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme,
• the Co-operation with Northern Ireland Scheme,
• the Small Scale Festivals and Summer School Scheme and
• the Mobility of Collections Scheme.

Basic Income for the Arts is a pilot research scheme where 2,000 artists and creative arts workers are being paid a weekly basic income. The primary objective of the scheme was to help artists deal with precarious incomes. The pilot is underpinned by a robust research project consisting of a randomised controlled trial with a Treatment Group of 2,000 and a Control Group of 1,000. The Control Group provide the same survey data as those in receipt of the payment. To facilitate the research element of the scheme the cohort of participants remain the same for the duration of the scheme. Details of the grant payments to recipients are detailed in tabular form below.

The number and value of grant payments in respect of Commemorations is outlined are outlined in the table below.

Details of grant payments administered by my Department under Live Performance schemes are outlined below. I wish to advise the Deputy that all Live Performance schemes concluded at the end of 2022.

The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of-government, culture-based initiative, led by my Department. The strategic vision of the programme is to put creativity at the heart of public policy to allow every person in Ireland the opportunity to realise their creative potential. More information in relation to the Creative Ireland Programme can be found at the following link: . Details of the grant payments issued by the Creative Ireland Programme are outlined below.

The number and value of all grant payments in respect of Night-Time Economy support schemes and initiatives are outlined below. I advise the Deputy that there were no grant payments in this regard in 2020.

Digital Connectivity Office

The National Broadband Plan contract provides for a future proofed high-speed broadband network to be deployed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to people living and working in the intervention area. In parallel with the ongoing oversight of the contract with National Broadband Ireland, the Department’s Digital Connectivity Office (DCO) developed the Local Authority Funding Scheme (LAFS) to assist Local Authorities and the Road Management Office (RMO) with the processing of National Broadband Ireland's licence applications in recognition of the scale of the project and demand on Local Authority resources.

The scheme commenced in quarter 3 of 2022 for three years, ending in quarter 3 of 2025. The funding distributed €2 million per year (€6 million total) among 31 Local Authorities and the RMO.

Each Local Authority and the RMO submit a grant application form ahead of receipt of funding with a signed grant agreement to confirm the money will be put towards effective management of the processes for Section 254 licences, road opening licences, engineering issues, and/or campaigns and other activities relating to the rollout by National Broadband Ireland of the National Broadband Plan network. Details of the payments made under the Local Authority Funding Scheme are outlined in the table below.

The number and value of grant payments issued by my Department to the Economic and Social Research Institute Joint Programme of Research in Communications are outlined below. These grant payments are co-funded with ComReg annually following a negotiated contracted on a 3 year basis. The next 3 year contract will be negotiated in Q4 2025.

In accordance with a grant agreement with South East Technological University, details of grant payments to Quantum Communications Infrastructure Ireland are outlined below.

Community Sports Facilities Fund and Sports Capital Programme

The Community Sports Facilities fund (CSFF) provides grants to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment. Grants are available to voluntary, not-for profit sports clubs, community groups, NGBs, and local authorities. Third level colleges, Education and Training Boards) and schools may only apply for funding jointly with sports clubs or organisations. All Community Sport Facilities Fund and Sports Capital Programme payments are published on Gov.ie on the following page: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/collections/sports-capital-programmes-payments/

A summary of the value of grant payments under the Community Sport Facilities Fund and Sports Capital Programme is outlined below.

The Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) was established to provide support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sport Facilities Fund. Applications to the grant scheme must be made by either NGB or local authority. This does not preclude the involvement of other organisations in the application process; however, all applications must be submitted by an NGB or local authority.

Details of the LSSIF payments are available on my Department’s website at the following link: . A summary of the number and value of payments made under the LSSIF from 2021 to 2024 is outlined below.

In 2023, my Department provided two grant payments to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to cover all costs incurred by the FAI in relation to their joint bid to host the UEFA EURO 2028 Championships. The total value of both payments was €337,759. In 2024, my Department provided a single grant payment of €500,000 to Dublin City Council to fund a portion of the costs incurred for the hosting of the Europa League Final.

Both of these grants were subject to grant agreements signed by the grantee and the Department.

Details of all expenditure by my Department is contained in the Annual Appropriation Accounts which are published by the Comptroller and Auditors and are available using the following link: www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/