Debate contribution: Arts Funding

Debate contribution by Mr Matthew O'Toole on 10 March 2026.

MLA: Mr Matthew O'Toole
Party at the time: Social Democratic and Labour Party
Date: 10 March 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Oral Answers to Questions
Heading: Arts Funding
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5436481

Text

Minister, you will be aware that it is awards season. People enjoy following that, and there are some great nominees and award winners from the North and the South of the island. I wish the nominees all the best for the upcoming Oscars. Minister, are you looking at properly increasing core arts funding and asking the Finance Minister for a settlement? I recognise that things are tight, but the multi-year Budget offers an opportunity to address the long-standing failure to fund the arts. It is all well and good celebrating glitzy Oscar success and high-end productions, but, if we do not fund basic community arts, we will not get to that end point.

113 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Part of an exchange

This follow-up belongs to: Oral question AQO 3268/22-27.

Assessment

Not analysed

This is the same MLA’s follow-up within the exchange on their own question. It is analysed together with that question and is not counted separately, so one question is never counted twice.

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