Debate contribution: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on .
- MLA
- Mr Gordon Lyons
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 8 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5674037
Read the official Assembly record
Text
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I intend to answer questions 4 and 15 together. My Department did not provide any direct funding to the fleadh. However, my officials and several arm's-length bodies (ALBs) of my Department engaged with partners to support and promote the fleadh, and my Department provided important support in terms of event space, with a number of DFC-owned public spaces used by businesses during the fleadh. Those included Writer's Square, Donegall Quay, Queen's Quay, Bank Square and Cotton Court, and my Department was responsible for ensuring that all areas under its ownership were cleaned and maintained before, during and after the event. Looking forward to 2027, while I am not currently in a position to advise on any projected investment for next year, I will ensure that my Department and its ALBs continue to engage with the organisers of the 2027 fleadh on ways to further enhance the festival for Belfast and Northern Ireland, as well as ensuring the longevity of its cultural legacy.
167 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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