Patrick O'Donovan
Limerick County · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I agree with the Deputy. If anyone who has experienced any difficulties and has contacted the Deputy, I encourage him to pass any specifics on to me. We want to try to make it work.”
“To go back to a previous question, Coimisiún na Meán is self-financed in terms of the regulation. Regulation costs money and that is why levies are imposed. People do not like that, and the previous Deputy said she did not like it. That is a separate issue, however.”
“Failure by a platform to comply can also lead to significant sanctions. However, the developing nature of digital services requires continuing vigilance. The protection of children and young people in the online world remains of the utmost importance to the Government.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an ábhair tábhachtaigh seo a chur os comhair na Dála ar maidin. Ireland's online safety framework includes the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, the EU Digital Services Act and the online safety code.”
“I do not disagree with the Deputy at all. He gave a good synopsis there as to why the investment in rural broadband is so important. I do not know whether any political party bar my own at the time actually advocated for it, but it has been transformative.”
“It is expected shortly. As I said in my reply, I will bring the report to the Government and then publish it. I do not disagree with anything the Deputy has said. Restitution cannot be a one-way street. We need to see if there is anything in Irish institutions that is connected to, funded by or associated with colonial plundering.”
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“I remind the Deputy that we actually have fulfilled our programme for Government commitment. We paid for the report and the Deputy did not acknowledge that either. Now we are considering it, and we will consider it in the round with every other field sport that is looking for money, including rugby, Gaelic games and everything else. We have a limited amount. If there are suggestions she has with regard to existing parts of the sports, culture and communications budget that I can cut, I would be delighted to hear them.”
“I know what the Deputy is saying, but it is a bit unfortunate that she did not reference the things we are doing. The FAI could not function at the moment if it were not for the Government. The Deputy might in her response at least acknowledge that.”
“The FAI already receives significant amounts of Government funding, which the Deputy did not reference, nor did she reference anything the Government has been doing for the FAI over the past number of years. The 2023 memorandum of understanding between the Government and the FAI provides €5.8 million per annum to the association via Sport Ireland. In addition, the Government pays the FAI's annual contribution to the Aviva management company for three years, which is €2.54 million, which is now repayable to the State at a rate of €1 million per annum. A new memorandum of understanding was signed on 17 December 2024, which increased the funding to €6 million. The bulk of this funding goes towards the FAI's youth field sports grants, which are aimed at developing the grassroots of the game.”
“Over €75 million in State funding was allocated to the FAI between 2019 and 2024, including €30.2 million specifically to support football development and aimed at promoting participation in football by young people, with the balance in funding comprising Covid-specific and energy supports to the FAI and the wider football sector. Furthermore, significant capital funding has been granted to football projects around the country in recent years, including the €48.9 million that has been allocated to FAI endorsed football stadium projects at Finn Harps, Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers and Wexford FC under the 2024 round of the large scale sports infrastructure fund, LSSIF, and €76 million to support the development of grassroots club football facilities nationwide under the 2020 and 2023 rounds of the community sports facilities fund.”
“The League of Ireland global findings report, produced by the Belgian company Double Pass, benchmarks Irish football academies against international standards based on an audit of existing academy structures and needs. My Department continues to engage with the FAI regarding this report, and a pre-budget submission focusing on academies has recently been submitted to me by the association. This will be given consideration, taking account of the range of request across the sports sector for additional support and, ultimately, the outcome of the current budgetary process. While the FAI has sought significant State funding to support its academies, it is important to note the sizeable financial support directed to the FAI and to football more generally over the past few years.”
“The operation of the League of Ireland and its academies is fundamentally a matter for the Football Association of Ireland, which, like all other NGBs of sport is an independent, autonomous organisation responsible for the organisation and development of its own sport. The programme for Government commits to exploring new mechanisms for the creation of football academies and an additional finding grant of €1 million provided by my Department to the FAI enabled it to produce the report referred to by the Deputy. The funding also enabled the appointment by the FAI of an academies administrator to support the development of new academy programmes and track their impact.”
“Additionally, such bidding processes will typically feature other potential interested parties so, for the reasons I outlined, I am not able to specify what events my Department is currently engaged in without considering future engagement. Suffice it to say, there are a number. However, I can confirm that any engagements by the Department in this regard are guided by the key determining factors as set out in the new policy. This includes an assessment of the economic, sporting and social impact of the events in question. Sport is a key part of our society and something we can be very proud of, and, as can be seen from the scale and breadth of the investment and initiatives I outlined, is an integral part of the Government’s commitment to delivery for the people of Ireland.”
“The 2024 Government policy and strategy framework for the hosting of major international sporting events is the first of its kind in Ireland and fulfils a commitment under the previous programme for Government. The policy provides a framework for how Government should support major international sporting events, the benefits it should seek to derive from such events, the supports it could offer and the kind of events we should prioritise. This framework and its further development will guide future bid activity and ensure Ireland remains competitive in this field. We all must appreciate that bidding processes for major sports events can be complicated and that confidential commercial information and non-disclosure agreements are key features of such processes. I am sure Members will understand the rationale for that.”
“Parochially and locally to me, then, of course, there will be the Ryder Cup in 2027 in Adare in my constituency, for which preparations are advancing well with the establishment of a government steering group chaired by the Irish ambassador to the United Kingdom, Martin Fraser, and the appointment of a project director, former Wexford County Council CEO and former director of services with Limerick City and County Council, Tom Enright, to oversee the delivery of the event. Additionally, there was the cohosting of the UEFA Euro 2028 football championship with the UK, and there will be the co-hosting of the 2030 T20 Cricket World Cup, also with the UK.”
“There was also the UEFA Europa League final in Dublin last year, while the first-ever National Football League, NFL, regular season game will be at Croke Park in September this year, when the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Minnesota Vikings. Some people in the media, and, in fact, some Oireachtas Members, said this was a terrible waste of money. Some 600,000 people went into the waiting room to try to get tickets for it, so I do not think it is a terrible waste of money at all.”
“This is very much demonstrated by the powerful bonds created by, for example, by the annual college classic game, which is, as per its slogan, much more than a game. It fosters widespread connections in business, education and culture. Similar relationships are being developed through the hosting of other events and that is among the reasons the Government continues to support the hosting of major sports events in Ireland and to explore further hosting opportunities. These include the US college football classic series, which has been running since 2022, with this year's edition featuring Kansas State and Iowa State universities. It is being called "Farmageddon".”
“They present a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland and our world-class tourism and sports offering, not only to Europe but to the world. Earlier this year, the Tánaiste and I, together with the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, launched Ireland’s first-ever international sports diplomacy framework. The framework sets out a vision for Ireland’s approach to international sports diplomacy and recognises the unique power of sport to bring different nations and cultures together and to build connections around the world. Major sports events offer unique opportunities to forge new ties and strengthen relationships and are ideal for the development of a partnership and promoting Ireland.”
“On a practical level, we need to build upon our successful capital investment by focusing on municipal and multi-use facilities that cater for a wide variety of sports and community uses. The sharing of facilities makes sense not just for the communities, but also, more importantly, for the taxpayer. In terms of wider investment in sport, the Government has made available several forms of tax relief to promote investment in sport, most recently in the latest Finance Act, such as a transferable tax relief for donations to the NGBs for specific purposes, including investment in equipment and high-performance activities. Major international sporting events can play a key role in increasing sports participation, encouraging domestic and international tourism and also promoting Ireland as a place for education and business opportunities.”
“Regarding capital investment, the Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the community sports facilities fund, CSFF, and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. I do not have to inform any of the Members about them because of their success. Over €250 million was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest-ever investment in sport in communities all over Ireland. In addition, in 2024, the second round of LSSIF received an unprecedented demand for funding. On 4 November 2024, grants totalling €173 million were awarded to 35 projects. We are committed to ensuring continued and sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide and to ensure a lasting legacy.”
“The disability in sport lead will work with national governing bodies,the sports partnerships and others to develop and promote the inclusion of people with disability in sport. We will shortly begin preparations for our next national sports policy, covering 2028 to 2037, and Government is committed to continuing the strategic ambition showcased in the current policy. The Government, the Minister of State and I will engage with the committee and individual Oireachtas Members on what they would like to see. I encourage Members to engage in that process. In this regard, we must be as concerned with improving governance in sport as we are with the investment and development of it. Sport should be inclusive, fair and safe and I am committed to working with Sport Ireland and partners across the sector to deliver this vision.”
“I wanted to introduce a quota, which was unceremoniously dismissed by the then Minister, but I am glad that my successors in the Department, Deputies Jack Chambers and Thomas Byrne, have made significant progress in this area, and we will continue with that as well. Some €10 million has also been allocated to sport under the Dormant Accounts Fund for 2025. This funding will be released to successful applicants across two tranches during the second half of the year. Despite recent progress, there is an enduring participation gap between those with and without disabilities. In line with the programme for Government, Sport Ireland recently appointed a disability in sport lead. The role has the potential to be transformational.”
“The Women in Sport funding programme is in place since 2005 and, over the past two decades, more than €30 million has been invested through the NGBs and local sports partnerships in promoting gender equality in sport. Gender equality is something close to my heart and I am encouraged by the drive for increased inclusiveness and female participation across the sports sector. In this regard, the integration of the Gaelic games national governing bodies is something I support and will be keeping an eye on. To that regard, when I was last Minister of State in this Department, we attempted, unsuccessfully, to bridge the gap of women's representation on national governing bodies.”
“This is in line with the Government’s target of delivering €30 million per annum for high-performance sport by 2027 as we look forward to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This increased funding for high performance reflects the programme for Government commitment to our High Performance Strategy 2021-2032, which provides the overarching policy framework for the development of our high-performance system for the next two olympiads, in Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032. We have also announced investment of €4 million this year to support Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport programme, which funds projects and initiatives across a wide range of sports and supports the Government’s vision where women have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential while enjoying a lifelong involvement in sport.”
“This increased investment will assist in ensuring the long-term sustainability of our sporting organisations and will enable the sector to continue to deliver increased opportunities for people to participate in a wide variety of sports. I should have said at the outset that this is my second time in a version of this Department. When I was last here as Minister of State for tourism and sport, the moneys we had available at that stage bear no resemblance, quite frankly, the moneys available now. Regarding high performance, we have allocated €27 million across Sport Ireland’s high-performance programmes for 2025, including €4.5 million in direct support for athletes through the carding scheme.”
“The national sports policy committed the Government to doubling the amount of funding in sport to more than €220 million by 2027 compared with 2018 levels. This target has been reached two years ahead of schedule, with funding now of more than €230 million provided for sport in the Estimate, an increase of €21 million from the 2024 allocation of €209 million. Earlier this year, we announced Sport Ireland’s 2025 core funding allocation to our national governing bodies, NGBs, of sports, local sports partnerships and other funded bodies. The figure of €31 million in core funding allocated is an increase of €13.5 million, or 76%, compared with 2018, when our first ever national sports policy was published.”
“The return on investment in terms of community participation, inclusion, integration and physical and mental well-bring is, I think we can all agree, very positive. I previously highlighted to the Oireachtas committee that the rate of active sports participation among adults is now 49% - the highest it has ever been - and the participation gap between men and women is now just below 3% - the smallest gap on record. This is due in no small way to the substantial Government investment in sport over the past number of years. We will continue to invest in sport, including through the implementation of our national sports policy and the action plan, which runs up to 2027, by working with Sport Ireland in supporting its initiatives.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach, leis na Seanadóirí agus leis an Seanad as ucht an deis cúpla focal a rá maidir le cúrsaí spóirt in Éirinn faoi láthair. The Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and I are glad to be in the Seanad for statements on sport, a sector we believe is a vital part of our society, both locally and nationally. The Minister of State will be here in a while The Government is committed to supporting our sporting ecosystem so more people can participate, reap the benefits of sport and fulfil their potentials from grassroots right up to high-performance levels. In this regard, the Government has invested well over €1 billion in sports infrastructure and development in Ireland since 2018.”
“I thank the Deputy for the single transferable speech. No matter what I did on this, the Deputy was going to be opposed to it any way. Let us call a spade a spade. There was one eligible application from Ulster. I have said and made it very clear that as soon as we get an opportunity to have a second scheme, I am sure the Deputy will have all the wisdom of Job in articulating what should be in that scheme.”
“There are disappointed people in many other counties as well, which the Deputy did not reference. I am glad the Deputy referred to the night-time economy officer. There are many towns in the country that are way smaller or way bigger than Buncrana that do not have one. The Deputy did not reference this in his retort. I am sure that the officer is working very closely with venues in Buncrana and I will be able to evaluate the work in the not too distant future. Regarding this scheme, I intend to have a repeat of it as soon as possible. When I have the necessary resources, we will be able to evaluate the output that of the scheme. Hopefully, we will also be able to address some, but maybe not all, of the disappointment.”
“I have outlined the rationale for the distribution of funding under the scheme and I have said that I am committed to additional schemes of this nature in the future. It is remiss of the Deputy to try to run down the officials in the Department. Ultimately, this was a pilot scheme. We tried to give out the money as quickly as possible. I have outlined the number of people outside of Dublin who got it. No matter how the officials in the Department distributed this money, they were going to be wrong in somebody's eyes. They have done a very good job and I hope that there will be cross-party support for the continuation of the scheme in budget 2026. I hope we will have a bigger pool of money and that we will be able to address all of those who were disappointed.”
“I understand that there may be disappointed applicants but, as I have stated, I recognise the value of this scheme to venues across Ireland and I am committed to considering another phase of this in the not too distant future.”
“The majority of eligible applications were from Munster with a total of 19 venues eligible for funding; 13 applications were eligible for funding in Dublin; ten in Leinster; two in Connacht and one in Ulster. I acknowledge that the number of eligible applications for Ulster is low but we only received four applications for funding from that province and six in total for the north-west region. Unfortunately, we could not allocate funds to the remaining 12 eligible applicants, based on available funding resources. My officials have written to all successful applicants to ask if they will use their full allocation and should any funding become available, they will redistribute the funding to the next eligible applicant on the list.”
“The scheme was extremely popular and it was closed in early April as it was oversubscribed. A total of 96 applications were received by my Department. Applications were assessed by my officials strictly by order of date and time of receipt and all venues had to meet the eligibility criteria and conditions of funding, in accordance with the guidelines of the scheme. Of the 96 applications received, a total of 45 were eligible for funding. I recently announced the names of 33 venues that were awarded funding under this scheme. Of the 45 venues eligible for funding, there was a broad geographical spread with more than 40% of the venues located outside of the major cities and more than 70% outside Dublin.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 149 together. I launched the grassroots music venue support scheme in March this year to support small, established music venues that promote themselves and are known in the community for programming grassroots music artists, in recognition of the contribution they make to the music industry and the wider night-time economy. The scheme aims to provide employment opportunities for emerging artists and professionals, including production staff and crew who are dependent on live performances. The scheme operated with a total fund of €500,000 and grants were available of up to €15,000 to host events showcasing the talent of emerging, grassroots artists, performing live music that they have written or created themselves.”
“I cannot answer for Galway City Council or Galway County Council. I have previously expressed views regarding the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of local authorities. I believe that would be an appropriate way to leverage this.”
“The Deputy is right in respect of what I did on assuming the office of Minister with responsibility for culture, communications and sport. I became aware of a substantial problem in the Department and a legacy problem in the Arts Council. I have dealt with this in a manner that I believe to be proportionate and responsible in the sense that I have asked Professor Niamh Brennan, in the first instance, to carry out a complete overhaul examination of the culture, organisation and corporate governance in the Arts Council. I have made the commitment that any recommendations from this will be implemented. I have also asked the IPA to look at my Department because I have said on the record in the Dáil that I am not satisfied with the manner in which the Department dealt with it. Regarding Galway 2020, I can only answer here for the Department.”
“To finish my earlier response, the analysis of spending found that the €1 million budget had been allocated under the following strategic objectives: €191,920 to facilitate international and EU relationships and funding; €537,413 to support place-based cultural programming; and €270,668 in supports to the cultural and creative sector. Galway 2020 was delivered in the most efficient circumstances during the height of Covid-19. While this necessitated a complete re-engineering of the year, the Department is satisfied that its funding was applied appropriately. The Deputy is right that there was an unfortunate sequence of events with weather, Covid-19 and everything else. I think the earlier part of my response, which outlined the independent evaluation and the audit trail in place for moneys expended by my Department, was clear.”
“The agreement between the Department and Galway Culture Company required an external evaluation of the programme and an independent auditor’s review, as well as regular monitoring meetings. Key performance indicators and drawdown requirements were also set out for the programme. I recently received the final reporting on the legacy programme. I welcome the analysis by the independent evaluators, The Audience Agency, that Galway Culture Company delivered a successful programme using a budget of €1 million in an effective and efficient way, demonstrating transparency in the way this had been administered and meeting its obligations as stated in the performance delivery agreement with the Department. I will give more information in my next response.”
“In line with the requirements of the European Parliament and Council, every capital of culture is required to have an external and independent evaluation of its programme. This found that Galway 2020 had fulfilled its ambition as set out in its bid book and achieved the general and specific objectives of a European Capital of Culture and the operational objectives relevant to individual European capitals of culture. An analysis by the independent evaluator demonstrated that the €14 million investment helped provide employment to 894 artists and cultural workers. Cultural projects delivered more than 1,200 events to the public through a combination of physical and online delivery across all art forms, the majority of which were free. The final payment of €1 million under the legacy programme was made to Galway Culture Company in July 2024.”
“Galway’s designation as European Capital of Culture 2020 provided an opportunity to promote the city’s culture nationally and internationally. The Government allocated €15 million in two stages, with €14 million allocated to deliver the cultural programme of Galway European Capital of Culture and €1 million allocated for its legacy programme. The drawdown of €14 million allocated to deliver the cultural programme was completed in November 2020. In line with the programme delivery agreements with the Department, quarterly management and independent auditor reports were received from Galway 2020. The independent auditor confirmed that Galway 2020 followed best practice in transparency, accountability and secured value for money.”
“Commitments are laid out in the programme for Government, and we will be anxious to make significant progress in this area over the lifetime of the Government in the next five budgets.”
“As I said, I am committed to trying to do something in this space. The national cultural institutions are very Dublin-centric. Between the library, the concert hall and the gallery, pretty much all of them are based in Dublin, with the exception of the Crawford Gallery. I am very conscious of the fact that a person should have access to facilities that promote and encourage our cultural and artistic development regardless of where he or she lives, whether that is in counties Laois, Galway, Sligo or wherever. I welcome the Deputy's acknowledgement of my decision last week regarding the basic income for the arts. As I said in response to Deputies Tóibín, Ó Cearúil and others earlier, that will be dependent on budget 2026.”
“Subject to budget approval and approval by the Department of public expenditure and reform, I hope to be able to include it in budget 2026.”
“Deputy Aird has given a good report with regard to the cultural offering of County Laois. I know he is a very proud Laois man representing them in the Dáil. As I said earlier, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to examine the feasibility of a minor capital works grant scheme for the arts scene, which is currently not available. We are looking at it. I would like to develop it under the auspices of something similar to the sports capital grants, whereby we could help small halls, community centres and community arts facilities that are struggling to maintain basic infrastructure. That is something we have committed to in the programme for Government. Work is under way in the Department on that.”
“My Department focuses on providing capital grant funding to develop and maintain these arts and cultural facilities. Under stream E of the cultural capital scheme, grants are available to not-for-profit organisations with a defined arts and culture remit. Grants of up to €20,000 are available at a 85% grant funding rate except for local authority-owned facilities, where the maximum grant is 60% of eligible costs. Grants of up to €50,000 are provided at a maximum grant funding rate of 70% or 60% for local authority-owned facilities. As part of the programme for Government, the Government has also committed to examining the feasibility of a minor capital works grant scheme to support arts and cultural facilities that are not funded through the Arts Council. Work on this proposal is under way in my Department.”
“The pilot capital support scheme for the night-time economy will support the development of vibrant late-night arts and culture scenes in Irish cities, towns and villages as well as additional capital to assist in the provision of building and equipment needs. More broadly, under the Arts Act 2003, the Arts Council has primary responsibility for the development of the arts in Ireland. Budget 2025 provided record funding of €140 million for the Arts Council. Additionally, a network of cultural infrastructure, such as Dunamaise Art Centre in Portlaoise, exists throughout the country, with the majority in the ownership of local authorities. Annual support, including programming and revenue supports, is provided to these arts centres by local authorities and the Arts Council.”
“I thank Deputy Aird. As outlined in the programme for Government, the Government believes that culture and the arts are essential to a well-rounded society. Ireland is well-known for our rich, diverse and vibrant arts sector. There have been significant increases in support for arts and culture across the country, including in County Laois, in recent years. Within my Department, a number of measures are in place to support the arts at amateur and professional levels, including annual funding provided to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for its work in the protection and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture. The music capital scheme, managed by Music Network on behalf of my Department, provides funding for the purchase of musical instruments to non-professional performing groups, ensembles and professional musicians.”
“I did not think that was the most appropriate way to deal with it. I have given certainty to the first 2,000 people. Ultimately this will be a decision for the Government. It will be a resource-based decision. There are competing demands in the Department and between Departments. Everybody who comes in here to ask oral questions will ask about agriculture, roads, schools or doctors. This is a competing demand. I welcome the fact that Deputies from all parties and none are supportive of it. Any support that can be articulated to my colleagues in the Department of Finance and the Department of public expenditure and reform would be very welcome.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil. At a recent meeting of culture ministers in Brussels, a number of colleagues from other member states spoke to me about this and they could not believe, to be quite honest about it, that we had introduced a scheme of this nature. They were envious, to put it mildly, that we have a scheme of this nature and that we have the resources and capacity, based on the economy and the way we have managed the country's financial resources, to introduce this, albeit on a pilot basis. Deputy Ó Cearúíl is right with regard to a cliff edge. This is why I did what I did last week. I had to make sure we removed the cliff edge. Had I not done anything, and had I just wound it up and brought the data to the Government after the fact, then everybody would be out in August.”
“There is a bit of work to be done on this yet but the community has responded very positively to my position on this, which is that I want it retained. I do not think this is kicking the can down the road. It is making sure before I bring a proposal to the Government that we have all our ducks in a row.”
“Deputy Ó Cearúil is right that the concept of this when my predecessor introduced it was to give people the opportunity to practise while, at the same time, taking them out of a poverty trap. The cost-benefit analysis will give us an opportunity to see what has been defrayed by way of social protection payments and what has been offered by way of this payment. We will then have a more holistic view of the outputs regarding what the State has gleaned and gained from making the investment, how the artists themselves have gained, how the community has gained and what the costs are. The costs can be borne and weighed in terms of savings made from the non-payment of social protection as against, on the other side, the assignment of moneys under the basic income for the arts.”
“I thank both Deputies for their support. To reply to Deputy Tóibín, this is not a difficult decision that has been kicked down the road. The scheme was due to end in August and the easy thing to do would have been to wind it up but I did not do that. I have extended it past the budgetary date at the end of the year and into the new year. This will give me an opportunity to use empirical quantitative and qualitative data to demonstrate to the public and to colleagues in the Government that this is a scheme worth retaining. As with any pilot scheme, such as with regard to grassroots music venues, with a pilot there is always a confined number of people at the start. Invariably there will be people who are disappointed. This is the nature of pilot schemes. I welcome the fact that Deputy Tóibín's party supports it.”
“A Government decision will be required on any successor scheme to the pilot, and the future of the BIA will be decided when the results of the research are available, something which is facilitated by the extension I have announced. I plan to engage with stakeholders over the coming months to determine what adjustments could be made to the scheme and how the eligibility and other criteria might be refined. I look forward to bringing forward the proposals I have at that stage to my Cabinet colleagues as part of budget 2026.”
“This report found that the stability of the payment has significantly reduced underlying financial stress, to provide relief and peace of mind that allows recipients to experience a reduced sense of anxiety about meeting their basic needs. As part of the policy development process, the Department established an interagency consultative committee on the basic income for the arts research scheme. This committee is an opportunity for the research outputs to be shared across relevant Departments and agencies and allows for discussion of the research findings. I know that the BIA support is hugely valued by artists in receipt of it. It has also been the subject of much positive commentary at home and abroad, and makes an important statement about how Ireland values the arts.”
“Therefore, the costs and benefits arising from the BIA will be measured and compared to determine its effectiveness prior to any decision on a successor programme. In addition to the cost-benefit analysis, the contractors will map available funding opportunities for artists in Ireland and examine how the BIA functions within the broader art ecosystem, to understand if it is a more or less efficient policy than similar supports. As I mentioned, I also recently published a qualitative research paper, based on interviews with recipients of the BIA. This provides the lived experience of some of those in receipt of the BIA.”