Vol. 577 No. 5
36 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will promote the idea of multi-annual funding for arts organisations in view of the unsatisfactory nature of the present ad hoc annual funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31426/03]
Arrangements for the allocation of voted expenditure, based as they are on the principle of annuality, do not permit the giving of funding commitments more than a year in advance. No legal basis exists, therefore, which would enable the Arts Council to enter into binding multi-annual funding agreements with arts organisations not compatible with the multi-annual approach advocated by the Deputy.
