By Joe LeogueAlmost €200,000 in Arts Council funding has been lost, with “no realistic prospect” of recovery, after a third party that was to issue grants on its behalf went into liquidation. The situation has been described as ‘extraordinary’ by TDs, who queried how the Arts Council allowed the payments to go to the third party. However, it has now emerged that €196,000 of the funding the Arts Council paid Filmbase, to administer an arts programme on its behalf, never reached their intended beneficiaries. “The Arts Council has estimated that a total of €196,000 is due to intended beneficiaries, including some amounts in relation to previous years. The Arts Council is undertaking, or has now completed, tender processes in relation to all contracts that had been rolled-over.”

Source: Irish Examiner October 19, 2018 04:30 UTC