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Britain granted £12m for Irish-language films

Britain has received approval from the European Commission to give grants worth £12 million pounds to promote Irish-language film and television in Northern Ireland.

‘The fund fosters broadcasts for Irish language speakers and I am happy to approve state aid that promotes cultural and regional identity’, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement.

The fund is part of British commitment in the Good Friday Agreement.

At least 60% of the spoken word in a film or television programme must be in Irish to qualify for aid.

The grant was scrutinised by the EU executive to ensure it was not anti-competitive.