John Connolly
Question:51. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to report on the work of the night-time economy advisor for Galway city. [33413/26]
View answerThursday, 7 May 2026
Questions (51)
Written answers
The Night-Time Economy is an important component in the development of towns and cities, playing a crucial role in economic growth, cultural vibrancy, social vitality, and urban regeneration. The Night-Time Economy pilots are a priority project for the Department to support the development of the Night-Time Economy in Ireland.
The Night-Time Advisor in Galway has been working closely with key stakeholders, the local community and businesses on a range of projects to support and develop a sustainable Night-Time Economy in Galway City. This year, my Department is providing just under €144k in funding towards salary costs and the development and roll out of the Galway City Night-Time Economy action plan. This includes support for Culture Night Late, ‘ Café Lates’, ‘Gallery Lates’ and ‘Youth Lates’ which are all supporting later openings and are aiming to develop a more vibrant, inclusive, diverse, and accessible cultural offering after dark, which are reflective of today’s trends and society.
In addition, my Department provided funding support for ‘Fleadh na Bealtaine’ which took place over the May Bank Holiday. This is a new traditional Irish music and cultural festival which animated streets and venues across the city with music, dance, theatre, storytelling, and food and drink.
Galway City Council is also partnering on NITIES, which is an interregional approach to managing the Night-Time Economies across the EU. This project aims to improve policy instruments for sustainable night-time management in European cities.
The pilot in Galway City has already yielded a range of positive outcomes and continues to build upon the development of a welcoming, and inclusive night-time experience for residents, workers, and visitors.