Vol. 515 No. 5
23 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when she last met with members of the Arts Council; the plans, if any, she has to have a meeting with the council; her views on the reason for the sudden resignations of three members of the council, including the chairperson; the steps, if any, she will take to restore public confidence in the council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6289/00]
I met the Arts Council on 22 February. While I am happy to meet the Arts Council from time to time to discuss issues of mutual concern, I have no plans to meet the council again in the near future. The willingness of individuals to serve on the Arts Council is an expression of a spirit of public service and the decision to resign is ultimately a personal one. All three who resigned cited pressure of work and referred to the volume of the demands being made on them. The review of the arts legislation recently announced by me will, inter alia, examine the appropriate relationships, roles and functions of the council and the executive.
