I move amendment No. 13:
In page 5, to delete lines 11 to 14 and substitute the following:
"(3) In order to give effect to consultations under subsection (2) of this section, there shall be established a permanent inter-departmental review group comprising representatives of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, the Department of Education and Science, the Department of the Environment and Local Government, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Finance, as well as such other public bodies as the Minister may from time to time determine, whose functions shall be to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of arts policy generally, subject to detailed terms of reference to be provided by the Minister, and who shall publish an annual report setting out their findings in relation thereto.”.
To strengthen the Bill and make it more effective, this provision is very important. After section 5(2)(b) of the Bill, it is very important to insert this provision. Section 5(2)(b) provides that the Minister may, in the performance of his or her functions under this section, consult such Ministers of the Government, public bodies or other persons as he or she considers appropriate.
Officials in the different Departments may consult each other in a bilateral way and Ministers meet at Cabinet or may use other means of communication. However, the issue of consultation needs to be given far more permanency, which is the reason I tabled this amendment. I am suggesting that here should be established:
A permanent inter-departmental review group comprising representatives of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, the Department of Education and Science, the Department of the Environment and Local Government, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Finance, as well as such other public bodies as the Minister may from time to time determine, whose functions shall be to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of arts policy generally, subject to detailed terms of reference to be provided by the Minister, and who shall publish an annual report setting out their findings in relation thereto.
In addition to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism a number of Departments have a critical role to play in the promotion of the arts here. Submission 221 in the Dorgan report made by Ciarán Benson stated:
Ireland is relatively advanced in the way that the arts are already integrated into the remit of so many Government Departments. To a greater or lesser degree there is perhaps a role here for the Department in convening a cross-department discussion group or some such body with a view to harmonising and expanding this provision.
The PricewaterhouseCoopers report stated that unless there is such a body here, only if support were given at the highest level of Government would the type of change required actually happen. It also suggested a similar type of structure.
I know we will have an opportunity to discuss the arts and education later. The Department of Education and Science has a very important role in the development of the arts here. A number of studies over the years have shown a significant lack of music education in our primary and post-primary schools. I will quote some statistics on that later.
In this Bill the Minister is stressing the important role of local authorities. Given its responsibility in providing funding for local authorities, the Department of the Environment and Local Government has a considerable input into the development of the arts. The Department of Foreign Affairs has its own cultural relations committee. Will that continue to rest in the Department of Foreign Affairs if the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism will be promoting the arts abroad? What will be the Minister's relationship with the cultural relations committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs? Will there be an overlap or if the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism is promoting the arts abroad will that be through the cultural relations committee?
The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has responsibility for broadcasting which is so important for the arts. The provision for the arts and our national broadcaster is essential for the arts. Individually and collectively the future of the arts rests in other Departments as well as the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. The Minister should consider this proposal seriously.
There are other examples of this type of interdepartmental structure that can work quite effectively and I am now giving the Minister the opportunity to accept such a structure. It is quite apparent that Departments do not work closely together. There is very little contact between Departments. At times there is even lack of communications between Ministers, as evidenced in what has been happening in the last week, with one Minister not knowing what another is doing. If we have to depend on bilateral communication between Departments, we will not achieve the full potential for the development of the arts.