Vol. 471 No. 4
37 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the discussions, if any, his Department has had with the recently appointed Cultural Relations Committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20885/96]
The Deputy will be aware that the function of the Cultural Relations Committee is to make recommendations to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for expenditure on schemes for the promotion of Ireland's cultural relations abroad. As I do not have a role in the recommendations made by the committee my Department does not enter into discussions with it on the work it undertakes.
The Deputy will, however, be aware that the establishment of a new independent agency to take account of the international dimension of arts development was proposed in The Arts Plan, published by An Chomhairle Ealaíon, and initial contacts have taken place between my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs on this matter.
