In January it was reported that Comhaltas received a capital grant of €3 million in the Budget, from Ciste Na Gaeilge, within the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, despite having only submitted a funding application of just €50,000 – on the eve of the Budget. This news fuelled more fevered debate about the nature of the relationship between Comhaltas and the Government, with particular concern expressed about the lack of transparency exercised by Comhaltas.

Labhrás Ó Murchú flatly denies that the grant was anomalous, citing it as the final tranche in capital funding under Comhaltas’s five-year development plan.

“We applied for €4 million for capital works,” he says, “so we got a €1 million less than we applied for. That was submitted as part of our five-year programme. There was never a question of €50,000.”

Questioned on the Budget decision, the press officer at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs, Naoise Bennéid responded: “Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann has been funded on a multi-annual basis for the past number of years on both the current and capital side to support the development of a network of regional resource centres.

“The precise amount of the funding for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in 2009 and the breakdown between current funding provided by this Department and capital which is provided by the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism has not yet been decided, but will be decided shortly when the revised estimate volume is completed.”