Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
261. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if his Department has plans to re-open applications to the nighttime economy support scheme; if not, the reason that decision has been reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8923/26]
View answerSince the publication of the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce in 2021, my Department has been investing heavily in implementing a range of pilot schemes and initiatives to support and develop a diverse and culturally vibrant Night-Time Economy right across the country. The Night-Time Economy Support Scheme was developed to support a range of sectors in the Night-Time Economy which has included pubs, cafés, retail, museums, galleries and live performance venues all with the aim of increasing footfall, creating cultural activity in new spaces and looking at ways to put these initiatives on a more sustainable, long-term footing.
The first Night-Time Economy Support Scheme was launched in 2022 to support licensed and unlicensed premises to apply for funding of up to €10,000 to run cultural events during off-peak hours, to increase footfall and support for local artists. Approximately €2 million was awarded in funding. Applicants for this scheme ranged from pubs, cafés, retail premises, community halls, theatres and local museums. Over 4,883 events took place across the country with the majority of Grantees reporting that they would continue to run off-peak entertainment.
The second iteration of the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme was launched in 2023. The objective of the ‘After Hours Museum’ grant scheme was to support small museums and galleries across the country to open later, host new live events and encourage diversity of offering in small towns and villages across the country. €620k in funding was awarded to over 50 venues across the country. The pilot was successful and gave smaller museums and galleries an opportunity to see if there was an appetite in their area for later events.
In 2025, I launched a third iteration of the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme to support grassroots music venues. This scheme was developed and built on the learnings from the first Night-Time Economy Support Scheme and the subsequent 'After Hours' Museum Scheme. The Grassroots Music Venue Support Scheme was developed in the acknowledgement of the contribution that grassroots venues make to the Irish music ecosystem, our local communities and the Night-Time Economy. I allocated €500k to provide grants of up to €15k to programme events showcasing early-career musicians. The scheme supported 34 established grassroots music venues. Venues in many rural towns and villages were also supported, with funding awarded to 17 venues outside of our major cities.
This year, I have committed €1 million in funding to support independent live performance venues with another edition of the Grassroots Music Venue Support Scheme. This scheme is in recognition of the challenges still faced by this sector, the role they play in the cultural vibrancy in our local communities and in support of providing those much-needed platforms and spaces for Irish artists to develop and build their career. Details of the scheme - the fourth iteration of the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme - are currently being finalised by my Department and will be launched in the coming weeks.
