Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 June 2025
300. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the level of funding provided by his Department to the St. Patrick’s Day Festival each year since 2019, in tabular form. [33320/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra301. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the level of funding provided by his Department to regional St. Patrick’s Day Festivals each year since 2019, by festival, in tabular form (details supplied). [33321/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 301 together.
In 2020 – 2022 to assist with programming during the COVID era and to sustain the creative sector, the Department provided significant financial support to the St Patrick's Festival company in respect of online content directed to both the national and international audiences including the diaspora. However, from 2023, when COVID restrictions ended, this special support funding decreased in keeping with an agreed vision for the festival company to have increased autonomy and to operate sustainably on support from Tourism agencies, local authority funding and commercial sponsorship.
Over several years, the Department has provided both special financial support in response to adversity and thematic support in respect of certain cultural elements of the St Patrick’s ~ International Week of Irish Culture. The allocations awarded since 2019 are as follows;
|
- |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Culture Funding |
30,000 |
30,000 |
1,000,000 |
1,000,000 |
600,000 |
800,000 |
550,000 |
It should be noted that most of this provision arose in the period June 2020 to January 2025 when the culture and tourism functions were both administered in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. While the cultural content of the Festival week has received support from the Culture funding in the Department, the funding of the parade in Dublin as a spectacle and popular attraction is more aligned for support from Tourism funds.
Additionally, it should be appreciated that the development of the week around St Patrick's Day as an ‘International Week of Irish Culture’ was not to be achieved through increased funding but rather the re-application of the arrangements originally developed for Culture Night. This model permits the notification by event organisers of disparate initiatives, both commercial and community based, to the Festival promoters with a view to inclusion in the publicised programme of events and activities that can be accessed by the public in the period.
Question No. 301 answered with Question No. 300.
