Vol. 465 No. 4
110 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the specific initiatives, if any, he intends to put in place to promote access to and involvement in the arts by persons with disabilities; if so, the proposed funding, if any, for such initiatives; and whether he intends to put in place any special funding mechanism to tackle the underfunding of this area. [9887/96]
The funding of art organisations and individual artists is a matter for An Chomhairle Ealaíon-the Arts Council which operates a policy of equal access to the arts for all our citizens. It is a strategic object of the arts plan, drawn up by the Arts Council in consultation with my Department, and which has been approved by the Government, to encourage real participation in the arts in terms of availability and access with particular reference, inter alia, to people with disabilities.
For the information of the Deputy, the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities established by the Minister for Equality and Law Reform appointed a working group to consider various aspects of these issues. The recommendations of the working group will form part of the commission's report.
