#Budget2020: Culture minister announces details of €354m funding; Arts Council funding highest in ten years
Culture Minister Josepha Madigan has announced details of €354 million funding allocated in Budget 2020.
Funding for 2020 shows an increase of 5% compared with 2019. The total funding increase for 2020 is €7.2m in capital expenditure (an increase of 10% on 2019) and over €8m in current expenditure (an increase of 3% on 2019).
The funding will facilitate the delivery of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture programme as well as increased support for artists, culture and commemorations.
It will also facilitate an expanded programme of peatlands restoration works and an increased investment in Gaeltacht areas, the Irish language and islands of Ireland.
Culture
The total funding for the arts and culture sector in 2020 will increase by more than 2% from €189 million to nearly €193 million.
Arts Council funding for 2020 has increased by €5 million to €80 million. It includes €1.25m to support performing artists, festivals, street arts and family events.
€7.1 million in capital funding will be provided for the European City of Culture- Galway 2020 to "highlight Ireland's creativity and build bridges with European partners".
Screen Ireland is to receive additional funding of €1 million following the government's decision to extend the Section 481 Film tax credit to 2024 and the regional uplift of 5%.
An additional €900,000 will be allocated to the Decade of Centenaries 2020 Programme and will include commemorative events such as Bloody Sunday on November 21 and the execution of Kevin Barry on November 1.
€1 million will be provided for the start of the transferring process of the National Symphony Orchestra to the remit of the National Concert Hall.
€250,000 will be provided to the amateur theatre sector.
Funding for Departmental programmes including Creative Ireland, Culture Ireland and Cultural Institutions will continue.
Heritage
Funding for the Built and Natural Heritage sector in 2020 will increase from €54 million last year to €62.5 million- an increase of 15.5%.
€7 million will go to peatlands restoration and conservation works, resulting in 1,800 hectares of restored peatland in 2020, 100 jobs being generated, and 28 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being stored.
An additional €1 million will be allocated to nature conservation and biodiversity programmes under the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
€1 million will go to enhancing the Farm Plan programme.
Irish Language, Gaeltacht and Islands
Total funding has increased by 4% to €58 million.
Údarás na Gaeltachta will receive an additional capital allocation of €1m bringing its core capital allocation to €10m (an increase of over 11% on 2019). as well as an additional €200k in current funding for Gaeltacht co-operatives
€500,000 will go towards the language planning process, with an additonal €275,000 to go towards continued provision of essential transport services to the islands.
Minister Madigan said: "We are continuing to make progress on our commitment to double funding to Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht by 2025. Our spending has increased by 23% since 2017 and I am confident we will honour our commitment.”
