17 September 2017
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada has called on the EU Institutions to sufficiently finance programmes for the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.
The Ireland South MEP made the call for investment in the Cultural Heritage Sector ahead of next year’s inaugural event.
“Culture and heritage are vital to our communities, they are what make us unique, giving us a sense of place and identity while also offering something different to visitors,” she said.
“Culture and heritage surrounds us in the form of the buildings around our towns, the stone walls around our fields and the song and dance in our theatres and halls.
“It would be a shame if Ireland, renowned across the world for its influence on arts, literature and music, let the very first European Year of Cultural Heritage go by, without properly celebrating it.
“As a coordinator on the committee of Budgets, I have been consistently calling for investment in culture, heritage and the arts. With 2018 fast approaching, we must now finalise the details and make the funding available to local communities so that Ireland can play a full part in what promises to be a fantastic Europe wide expression of culture.
“This is not only an opportunity to learn about other cultures and express our own but also showcase what Ireland has to offer to the rest of Europe.”
