Minister did not fund escape event

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Jim Allister asked her what financial, or other, support ‘The Great Escape’ event had received from her Department or its arm’s-length bodies.

She replied: “My Department and its arm’s length bodies did not provide financial, or other, support for the Great Escape event at the Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin Centre.”

The Minister, however, said that since it opened in September 2009 the Cultúrlann had received over £1m in DCAL funding through the Arts Council and Foras na Gaeilge.

A total of £531,350 was channelled through the Arts Council and £574,628 was channelled through Foras na Gaeilge

Former Culture Minister, Gregory Campbell, recently criticised the Cultúrlann for hosting the event.

Mr Campbell, who was Culture Minister until two months before the facility opened in September 2009, said the facility cost £4m to build and was in receipt of significant publicly funded grants.

Responding to Mr Campbell’s comments a spokesperson for Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin told the Sentinel : “Our rental policy is clear, we utilise the space available in the first instance for our own arts, cultural, language and enterprise activities.

“Where we have spare capacity we rent out our spaces for private bookings on an equitable basis to a variety of groups and individuals.

“Generating income through rental is encouraged by our core funders as a funding strategy and we continue to offer our space where it is available to those who can pay the required rate and adhere to our policies and procedures.”