News

Arts Council allocation for 2023 retained at €130 million

28 Sep 2022

The Arts Council has welcomed the announcement by Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, of €130M funding as part of Budget 2023.

In a statement on the Arts Council website, the Council highlighted the continued impact of Covid-19 on audience engagement and that the sector faces further challenges with issues relating to cost of living, adding that this funding allocation ensures that the Arts Council can provide meaningful support to the sector in the coming year.

Welcoming the announcement, Arts Council Chair, Prof Kevin Rafter said,

“The decision to keep funding at €130M for a third consecutive year is welcome, and this money will allow the Council to continue to help the arts sector recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and to deal with significant cost of living increases. The Council will continue to make the case – as it has done over the last two years – for an annual budget of €150M to further develop the arts sector across the country.”

Arts Council Director, Maureen Kennelly added, “The Arts Council is delighted to welcome today’s budget announcement. The work of the Arts Council invests in thousands of artists and hundreds of arts organisations across the country while providing long-term sector development. Today’s funding announcement ensures it can continue this vital work.”