Vol. 482 No. 2
41 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will make a statement on her support for the Irish music industry; the current nature of such support; and the proposals, if any, she has for future assistance. [17358/97]
51 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the laws and regulations, if any, which are necessary to be passed quickly to underpin the stated strategy of establishing Ireland as a world centre for the music industry. [17324/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 51 together.
Deputies will be aware that direct support in the form of funding for the different art disciplines, such as music, is the responsibility of An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the Arts Council. Although it operates under the aegis of my Department, An Chomhairle enjoys statutory independence in its funding decisions.
My Department is directly involved in the support of our creative musical talent through the operation of the business expansion scheme for new artists, whereby new and emerging talent can avail of the tax incentives available under the scheme. The intention is that this tax incentive will help attract investment into a high risk industry and assist new artists at a particularly vulnerable stage of their development. Since its introduction in April 1996, a total investment of £1,555,000 in respect of 12 new artists has been certified. I am conscious that the scheme is still relatively new and I am keeping its operation under review to ensure that it realises its full potential, to the greater benefit of the creative artists themselves, of the music industry generally and of the country as a whole.
The Irish music industry, as one of our more successful cultural industries, has already achieved international success far beyond what might have been expected from such a small domestic population base and consequently has an important role to play in the continuing economic and social development of the State. I am considering what further steps are necessary to exploit the industry's potential to the full. In this regard, I will have regard to the recommendations of the FORTE report on the music industry in these deliberations.
