Máirín Quill
Question:9 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he intends to publish a White Paper on the arts setting out public policy on funding and development. [7648/95]
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - White Paper on the Arts.
I have always been committed to a planned, strategic, approach to the development of the arts. With the formation of the previous Administration in January 1993, I secured practical expression of this objective when that Government's programme indicated that An Chomhairle Ealaíon would be asked to operate on a co-ordinated three yearly plan for funding of the arts. The Government's programme goes even further by stating that the three year plan will be the basis for a programme of action.
The Arts Plan 1995-1997 drawn up by An Chomhairle Ealaíon which was the subject of statements in this House on 6 April last, will soon be considered by Government. It represents an excellent basis for the elaboration of public policy on funding and development of the arts. My statement to the House on 6 April set out additional funding structures for the capital funding of new arts and cultural infrastructure up to the year 1999. These clear public elaborations of public policy lead me to conclude that preparation of a White Paper on the Arts is not a necessity at the present time.
Will the Minister accept that since the Arts Council was established there has been a major increase in the number of bodies now supporting the arts in one way or another? For example, there is a full Government Department of arts and culture, a section of that Department dealing with cultural tourism, and local authorities involved in promoting and disbursing moneys to the arts in a manner not done previously. All these bodies between them disburse hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. Will the Minister accept that the time is now ripe to define the respective responsibilities of those bodies, the relationship they have one to the other, and their relationship to the art-promoting world, put in place new structures that reflect the progress that has been made and work for future progress in arts and culture?
I deeply appreciate the Deputy's interest. There is no fundamental difference between us except in regard to ordering priority in terms of where a White Paper might fall. The Deputy has referred on numerous occasions, as have I and others, to the number of reports that exist, Deaf Ears, Dancers and the Dance, Access and Opportunity and the Benson report in 1979. From that period in 1979 to the present there have been a number of very fine reports which gathered dust. In the preparatory period for the publication of the plan for the period 1995-99 a number of strategic studies were commissioned by the Arts Council, Temple Bar Properties and others.
I have been concentrating on trying to get the capital funding co-ordinated with the planned provision of current funding so that the two would run together. I have also been trying to negotiate the lateral strengthening of the arts by negotiating with the Departments of the Environment, Education, Foreign Affairs etc., and have been giving that priority. I do not want my answer to be misconstrued as saying there is a case against a White Paper but that I have been concentrating more recently on this. At this stage the quality of the reports that have accrued since 1979 and the specialist reports carried out in the last two years is good enough for us to operate on. However, I am willing to tell the Deputy that I will keep the question of a White Paper under review.
Will the Minister accept that despite all the reports he has received, all of which are appreciated, we still have a situation in art development that is unacceptable in that there is grave disparity of funding between Dublin and the regions, and we have areas of art discipline, like dance, which are grossly underfunded and grossly underdeveloped. Despite all the studies to which the Minister referred, whole areas need further attention, the kind of attention that can only be given in the context of a White Paper well prepared, based on the information we now have, openly and democratically debated in this House and the provisions of which are then put in place both in terms of policy making and funding and of giving assistance to the arts bodies, some of which are confused by the proliferation of funding bodies and which do not see clearly how they can advance their own agenda from now on.
One of the years I mentioned was 1979, the year of the publication of the Benson report. It is important to remember that was 16 years ago. What we must do is compare the last two years with the previous 14. The Benson report was published in 1979, Dancers and the Dance has been in existence for nearly ten years as has the study of music, Deaf Ears. What is needed is action in regard to making capital provision and integrating current provision for that. I am sympathetic to what the Deputy has to say, if we can get to that point, but I do not see it as the top priority. There has been a tidal wave of creativity in the arts, which I welcome, which has unleashed demand. The reports of the last year and a half point to people on inadequate wages, in insecure positions, and the need to integrate these into more permanent structures. That is the work that I and the Department are doing. I will keep the question of a White Paper under review, if I find needs have changed. I have been devoting most of my energies to integrating current expenditure and having the plan implemented. I will bear the Deputy's views in mind.
There is a saying in Cork that we are always one plan away from action. I hope the three year arts plan is not the one which keeps us away from it. Having read the plan in great detail I have grave fears that some of the weaknesses highlighted will remain throughout the next 14 years. A strong case can be made for the publication of a White Paper to ensure that we build on the progress made throughout the country in the different disciplines of the arts.
A statement of Government intent.
It is the Government's intention to try to continue the work of the past two years which contrasts with the inactivity of the previous 14.
The time available for dealing with priority questions is now exhausted. We will deal with the remaining two priority questions in the time available for dealing with ordinary questions.