Sinn Féin spokespersons on Arts and Culture Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD and Senator Fintan Warfield have called on the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to re-allocate all remaining 2020 funding from her Department’s ‘Culture Ireland’ programme to the Arts Council.

The ‘Culture Ireland’ programme was allocated €4.1 million in Budget 2020 to create and support opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present work at international festivals and venues.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD said:

“Sinn Féin believe that Minister Josepha Madigan should re-allocate the remaining Culture Ireland budget to the Arts Council for domestic use in order to support artists through the current Covid-19 pandemic.

“This sector was one of the first to close and will likely be one of the last to fully re-open. There will also be a need for a sectoral plan for people who work in the arts sector, in entertainment and for venues across the State”.

Senator Fintan Warfield said:

“A major re-allocation of monies from Culture Ireland to the Arts Council should be used to support artists from all art forms who have been abruptly left without income or the means to make work for the public.

“The last Arts Council award was a missed opportunity, and any new funding should take into consideration the justifiable criticisms made of the Covid-19 Crisis Response Award.

“Sinn Féin are calling for the arts and culture sector to have a key role in any recovery plan and for a specific sectoral plan that prioritises the welfare of those working in the sector”.