Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2026
370. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to outline all programmes available for artistic and cultural organisations to engage in North, South, East exchange or collaboration in joint activities or productions on this island. [53215/26]
View answerThe Department of Culture, Communications and Sport operates a Scheme of funding support for small self-contained projects which seek to enhance, celebrate or commemorate the arts, culture, music, film or heritage of the Island of Ireland on a North/South basis. Funding provided under the scheme is targeted at measures which meet a specific cultural need, have a clearly demonstrable North/South element and which support the Department in the delivery of its objective to nurture and develop Irish artistic and creative talent and enhance arts access, the national cultural institutions, regional arts infrastructure and cultural tourism countrywide, in cooperation with national and local authorities and other partners.
Projects are required to be creative and innovative, and examples of projects which could be considered for funding under the scheme include, but are not limited to, projects which promote:
• co-operation and joint initiatives between organisations and institutions on a North/South basis;
• sustainable cultural tourism on a North/South basis; and
• the provision of cultural outreach programmes on a North/South basis.
On 25th February 2025, the Government approved sanction for a new €10m ‘Shared Island Cultural Collaboration Fund’ to be implemented by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. The aim of this fund is to support new collaborative cross-border performance, production, and cultural exhibitions across the island of Ireland. My Department is currently planning the roll-out of this fund across all three strands in close collaboration with the Department of the Taosieach.
The Shared Island Cultural Cooperation Fund was developed following close consultation with the Northern Ireland Department for Communities and is designed to support projects in three areas:
1. collaborations between National Cultural Institutions and partners (Strand 1), €5m;
2. all-Island Touring, Production and Platforming (Strand 2), €3m; and
3. Shared Island screen and digitisation projects (Strand 3), €2m.
On 14th November 2026, the Government sanctioned Phase 2 of Creative Ireland-Shared Island programme, which will run from 2026-2028 with a total funding of €9.3 million. Phase 1 enabled the Creative Ireland programme extend elements of its programme across the Island creating new and positive relationships between communities and individuals. Phase two of the programme will continue and build on this approach, including a focus on encouraging local authority and community-led projects to explore Shared Home Place themes through the Creative Ireland model. This model includes the Creative Youth Nurture Fund, Creative Climate Action Fund III (2026-2029), the Creative Health and Wellbeing fund, the Creative Communities on a Shared Island fund and Cruinniú na nÓg.
Details of projects announced to date are available here: www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/shared-island-projects/, and this will be updated with projects funded as soon as those details become available. As these projects develop, there will be available for artistic and cultural organisations to collaborate with these projects.
