Grant recipients to be asked to explain spending following Arts Council scandal

Pics for Patrick O’Donovan interview Elaine Loughlin. Patrick O'Donovan is the Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science having been appointed in April 2024. Picture: Sasko Lazrov, Photocall Ireland supplied by Department of Education

All sporting, arts, and cultural bodies funded by the Department of the Arts are to be asked to explain any large spending in recent years, in a bid to flush out any issues similar to the Arts Council IT system scandal.

The secretary general of the Department of the Arts is writing to all such organisations asking that they provide evidence that money was correctly spent on capital and investment projects.