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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 Nov 1988

Vol. 384 No. 3

Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Arts and Culture Projects.

3.

asked the Taoiseach the mechanism which exists to ensure the future viability of projects funded by the national lottery which have received capital grants but which have future current liabilities as a result in the arts and culture areas.

Projects in receipt of capital grants from national lottery funds for arts and culture are carefully assessed as to their financial viability. Many such projects were already in receipt of considerable assistance from the State — either in institutions directly funded by the State or funded by the Arts Council.

In view of the fact that the Belltable Centre in Limerick is in considerable trouble, that a new theatre in Galway has got £200,000, that Letterkenny is getting £200,000——

We are having an extension of this question.

——what exactly is the mechanism which exists for the checking of future viability? In other words, is a five year programme envisaged, taking into account the cost of running each of these facilities for each year, or have we a situation where in five years many of these excellent facilities will lie derelict because there is no money to run them? What is the overall mechanism and monitoring that is carried on for the future running costs of these centres that are being capitally funded in the arts?

The Arts Council and the Department of the Taoiseach are the two main areas concerned with the development of arts and culture. Monitoring is an ongoing factor. Obviously the day to day administration of institutions that money has been allocated to will be borne in mind considering future allocations. That goes without saying. The thrust has been towards capital allocation of late, particularly from the Taoiseach's Department. That is better than getting involved in day to day administration.

Does the Tánaiste not agree that in order to have a co-ordinated viable arts policy we need one body that will fulfil what it has as a statutory obligation, to allocate funding either from the Exchequer or from the national lottery so that we will have viable, long lasting art centres across this country, each one sure of future funding and that this was the reason for the Arts Council's five year development plan? Would the Tánaiste not agree that all of this should be co-ordinated under one statutory body, namely, the Arts Council.

The Deputy is making a lot of play about this five year development plan. We are not dealing with building highways or anything like that. What we are doing is flexible and already much of the plan has been implemented or is being considered by both the Taoiseach's Department and the Arts Council.

It has not been discussed with the Arts Council. The Arts Council do not know about it as there has been no meeting.

As a reasonably artistically sensitive person I am appalled at the prospect of fitting arts and culture into a rigid five-year development plan. We are talking about the arts and culture, not about roads.

It was a rolling plan; it was not rigid. The Tánaiste has not seen it.

I have read it and it is being implementd quietly. The Deputy will wake up some morning and find that it has been fully implemented.

Question No. 4 postponed.

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