The Irish government has announced details of funding for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
Ministers Catherine Martin and Thomas Byrne have lined out the funding allocated to their Department in Budget 2025 which will see increases across all areas.
“My Department oversees sectors that have a tremendous impact across the whole of society. These areas have seen massive growth in recent years, and with that growth have come massive challenges," said Martin.
Ireland's tourism sector is set to receive funding of over €226 million in 2025, "This allocation will support the work of Fáilte Ireland on enhancing the tourist experience and assisting tourism businesses in Ireland through work in areas such as festivals, digital transformation, and sustainability.
"It will also assist Tourism Ireland in marketing Ireland overseas as a compelling visitor destination. Tourism Ireland estimates that for every €1 invested in overseas marketing, about €25 comes back to the economy from overseas visitors’ spend on the ground in Ireland."
Key highlights
- Funding for the Arts Council of €140 million will enable further investment in programs for young people and children, as well as additional support for artists, venues, and production companies
- The Tourism Marketing Fund allocation of €61.4 million will support Tourism Ireland’s major marketing campaigns overseas.
- Screen Ireland 2025 allocation of over €40.85 million will provide for talent development and retention across the sector, following Ireland’s successes on the global stage over the last year.
- Funding of nearly €2m for the delivery of the Digital Plan for the Irish language and for the roll-out of expanded youth services in the Gaeltacht.
- TG4 funding is being increased to €60 million.
Byrne added, “Following a terrific summer of sport when so many of us were captivated by the performance of Team Ireland at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, we are already planning ahead for the LA Games in 2028. I am very glad to announce a €1.2 million increase in annual funding for our high-performance program."
An additional €6m will be allocated for the Gaeltacht and the Irish language, including an additional €1.9m for Údarás na Gaeltachta to further develop employment opportunities for the people of the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking areas).
"This is fundamental in maintaining Irish as the spoken language of these communities.”
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