Applicants may appeal against a funding decision on the basis of an alleged infringement or unfair application of, or a deviation from the Council’s published procedures.

This means that the applicant must show that they have reason/s to believe that their application was assessed or dealt with in a way incompatible with the standard procedures for administration and assessment outlined when the applicant applied for funding.

1. If you wish to appeal a funding decision, you can contact the Arts Council or Head of Team of the service responsible for the decision to discuss the subject matter of your potential appeal. As with complaints, a listing of the various departments, together with contact details for all staff, is available on this website.
2. If after you have discussed the matter with an Arts Council staff member you still wish to appeal a funding decision, you must write to the Director of the Arts Council within four working weeks from the date of the letter of notification. You will receive a written acknowledgement from the Director, or from a person delegated to represent the Director in the Director’s absence, within three working days. The letter of appeal must state:
   – the grounds on which you believe your application was not properly dealt with or assessed;
   – specific reasons or evidence you may have to support your appeal.
3. Within twenty working days of receiving such a request, the appeal will be considered by the Director, the Corporate Services Director or the appropriate Arts Director, two members of the Arts Council (or two former members where no current members are available) and an independent Chair. Their conclusions and recommendations will be submitted to the next available plenary meeting of the Council (approximately one per month except during the July/August period). The Council’s decision at this stage will be final and will be communicated to the appellant giving their reason for the decision within seven working days of this meeting.

The Council’s appeals procedure does not automatically provide for the restitution of funding or additional funding to supplement or replace the original decision that has been appealed. The possibility of securing additional funds following an appeal will depend on the Council’s own financial position.

The Arts Council is committed to providing an open, accountable and accessible system of procedures and processes in relation to all areas of its work. Any suggestions as to how we might improve our services may be directed feedback@artscouncil.ie.

Contact us

For queries relating to appeals, you should contact us at:

Email: appealsandcomplaints@artscouncil.ie

Phone: + 353 1 618 02 00

Appeals and complaints
70 Merrion Square
Dublin 2
D02 NY52