Adjournment Debate. - Arts Council Membership. – Dáil Éireann (28th Dáil) – Thursday, 2 Mar 2000

Adjournment Debate. - Arts Council Membership.

Mr. O'Shea

Ba mhaith liom buiochas a gabháil leis an Aire as ucht teacht isteach chun páirt a glacadh sa diospóireacht tábhachtach seo. The resignation of three members of the Arts Council appointed by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands has been the subject of much media coverage and analysis in the past few weeks. Opinions differ on how the crisis at the Arts Council emerged. There are various opinions regarding how much responsibility the Minister should bear for the controversy. The Minister appointed the council and is solely responsible for its composition and membership. In this respect, she is responsible for the discord and disharmony between the members of the council.

There is a consensus that whatever difficulties existed on the council, more fundamental issues are at stake, including the appropriateness of the current council mode, particularly its size and its perceived failure to adhere to a well-defined strategy as opposed to one based on short-term considerations. The Minister stated she will introduce legislation to reform the 1951 and 1973 arts Acts. However, as we are all aware, legislation takes time. In the meantime, the Minister must be held accountable for the performance of the council and must ensure it is in a position to perform its duties effectively. That responsibility is hers alone.

The powers to which this motion refers, under section 13(7) of the Arts Act, 1973, are drastic. They empower the Minister to appoint and dismiss members of the council. Obviously, they should be used with the utmost caution. However, they exist for one purpose – to give the Minister the power to ensure the Arts Council can function effectively. Considerable evidence suggests this is not the case. The resignation of three members which brought the crisis in the Arts Council into public view was caused, to some extent, by the excessive number of meetings. There were a reported 90 meetings last year. The resignation letter of one of the members of the council which found its way into the public domain cites concern about the role being played by the board, arising from administrative difficulties. These issues must be urgently addressed by the Minister if her reputation and that of the Arts Council are to be restored.

The controversy has affected the officers and support staff who carry out the daily work of the council. The staff are dedicated and hard-working. It would be unfair and unrealistic to expect them to function effectively with such a cloud hanging over the council. Governance of the arts is extremely important. The arts have provided a creative, vibrant and exciting dynamic in Irish culture. Not only have Irish artists generated new revenue for the State in recent years but they have also succeeded in projecting a modern image of this country across the world. I wish the new chairman and members of the board well. The onus is on the Minister to put right whatever is wrong.

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

The Arts Council is now a significant State body. It has moved from the role of advocate and supporter of a relatively limited constituency to that of a centrally important national development and resource agency for the arts in all its forms.

In appointing the Arts Council in 1998, I was very conscious of the need to demonstrate clearly the inclusiveness of the arts. The members came to the council with experience and a broad range of disciplines and must bring this broad spectrum of experience to the table to enable the council to function as a cohesive body in the service of the arts generally.

This council has been extremely active in its work in promoting quality and innovation in all aspects of the practice of the arts since appointed in June 1998.

To give the Deputy some idea of the workload of the council, I can advise him that the council met 15 times in plenary session in its first year, which included a number of induction meetings as well as very intensive working meetings on the development of the arts plan. It has long been the tradition of the council to meet ten times a year. Also, council members are on four standing committees that have been established by the council, as well as being members of expert panels and working groups. For any council member this has meant attendance of up to 70 meetings in a 12 month period.

The development of a new arts plan was a priority for the council for the first 12 months after its inception. The level of diligence and commitment displayed by all the council members was enormous in undertaking this task, and the arts sector should be indebted to them for it. The council adopted a multi-faceted approach in the development of the plan and was informed not only by an independent review but also by numerous meetings with the arts sector and other interested groups as well as submissions and much research.

The Arts Council has adopted a strategy which aims to re-evaluate, reorganise and radically reinvigorate the place of the arts at the heart of society. I support this new strategic approach which has the aim of providing more focused and targeted resources to the arts sector. This approach by the council will, I hope, assist the sector to develop in a more planned way. I am keenly aware that the new plan is a challenge to both the Arts Council itself and to the arts sector. A new strategic approach and change in direction is not something that can be effected in the short-term. I am of the view, however, that the arts plan provides a good framework to facilitate the Arts Council in its aim of moving from being a broadly funding agency to becoming a more focused developmental agency for the arts.

The Arts Council is committed to carrying out this process of change in conjunction with all the key players involved in the arts. The plan is about strategic partnerships and the success of the plan is very much reliant on the success of these partnerships. One of the key goals set out by the council in the plan is the further development of the arts at local and regional level through the establishment of more strategic partnerships.

All these are a remarkable record of achievement by this council, representing an enormous personal commitment by each member. The willingness of individuals to serve in the Arts Council is an expression of a spirit of public service and a decision to resign is ultimately a personal one. All three who recently resigned cited pressure of work and referred to the volume of demands being made on them.

In October, I announced that I was arranging for a review of the current arts legislation which will examine the effectiveness of the Arts Acts, 1951, and 1973, in providing the necessary support for the ongoing development of the arts. The review will incorporate an examination of the current policy and executive structures and their effectiveness. The review is being lead by my Department and will involve consultation with all the partners involved in the development and support of the arts, including the Arts Council, the arts sector and individual artists, State agencies and local authorities, and the general public. The outcome of this comprehensive review will inform proposals for any new arts legislation and I hope to be in a position to finalise the review later this year.

I have every confidence in the Arts Council and its members. What we now have in Ireland is nothing less than a thriving, lively, world-class arts sector in the making, which embraces all disciplines and whose achievement is the equal of anything to be found anywhere else. I am acutely conscious of the wealth of our contemporary arts scene, for its own intrinsic merit and for its contribution to economic and social well-being and development. Long may it continue with the appropriate and continuous support of the Arts Council.

It is a little disingenuous for the Deputy opposite to comment on the arts Acts. I have already said we need a review of that legislation. If the Deputy believed they are in such need of reform, it is amazing that he and the party to which he belongs, when it was in power some years ago, did not initiate it.

Dáil Éireann debate - Thursday, 2 Mar 2000