Síle de Valera
Question:13 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he will highlight the recommendations he intends to implement following publication of the PIANO report. [3154/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Recommendations of the PIANO Report.
The PIANO report was presented to me on 29 January 1996. As I indicated in my speech on that occasion the issues raised in the report have vital funding implications and are proper to be considered by Radio Telefís Éireann, An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Minister for Education in the first instance.
I have embarked on a process of consultation with these bodies to obtain their formal views and inform my decision-making on the recommendations in the report. It is, therefore, premature at this early stage to indicate which, or in what manner, recommendations contained in the report will be implemented.
Will the Minister agree that in view of the costs that might be involved if he were to remove the existing support system for the National Symphony Orchestra and make it an independent body, he may well cause additional problems with regard to personnel, finance and engineering. The symphony orchestra in Britain is an integral part of the BBC. Will the Minister consider the question of giving the NSO its own independent section or division within RTÉ rather than the current situation whereby it comes under the ambit of the radio centre? I will be interested to hear the Minister's view on this because it may well be the route forward.
I genuinely appreciate the interest of the Deputy in the future of the National Symphony Orchestra. There are implications in the PIANO report on the future of classical music for An Comhairle Ealaíon, Radio Telefís Éireann and the Minister for Education but the part of the report that ultimately falls to me for a decision relates to the future of the symphony orchestra. I do not, however, want to pre-judge the consultations that may take place with any of the bodies. In my speech at the launch on 29 January I described the proposals in the PIANO Report as radical and said they would require consultation with all the interests involved. I am interested in the point the Deputy makes but those type of issues will be considered by me when the consultations, which I do not expect to take an undue length of time, have been completed and at that stage it will fall to me to make decisions on the matters within my remit.
Miss de Valera rose.
Before calling Deputy de Valera I remind the House we have only 15 minutes remaining to deal with this and the other four priority questions. If brevity obtains we may be able to accommodate the five Deputies concerned.
I thank the Minister for his positive reply on this issue. Those of us on this side of the House would like to see such an independent section or division set up for the NSO within the RTÉ structure as that would be the best way forward. The Minister referred to the importance of education. Will he give an undertaking — I have asked this question during the debates on the White Paper and the arts plan — that he and the Minister for Education will get together to discuss the question of music within the curriculum at primary and secondary levels as well as the proposal for a national conservatoire? We should not have to wait much longer to hear about the proposals to promote music in our education system.
On the first part of the Deputy's question, I welcome any submission in relation to PIANO. That was the purpose of the report and I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the contribution of Dr. John O'Connor and the other members who worked on the report with such thoroughness. In regard to the second point, consultations are ongoing between the Minister for Education and myself on the advancement of music education. On the third point which is more specialised, concerning the national conservatoire, I would prefer at this stage to wait until the submissions and consultations are completed. At that stage I will be glad to justify any decision I take.