While we are waiting could I, on a procedural matter, point out that the phrases used by the Minister "in the interests of the country and its people""national disruption", "in the public interest", "the damage caused to the economy——
European City of Culture Motion (Resumed).
Debate resumed on the following motion:
That Seanad Éireann welcomes the designation of Dublin by the EC as European City of Culture for 1991.
—(Senator S. Haughey.)
I will not allow the Senator to intrude upon the Business of the House which has been agreed. I ask for the Senator's co-operation.
It seems there is a conflict between the Minister and the Cathaoirleach.
To say the least, the Senator is being childish.
I do not think so.
If the Senator continues to be that way. I will treat the Senator like one.
Fascinating.
We are delighted the Minister came to the House to provide us with this up-to-date information. Naturally we would have liked to have the opportunity of saying a few words to the Minister but unfortunately that was not possible. Perhaps tomorrow we may have an opportunity of discussing the matter.
There is a motion in front of Seantor Costello and he would be wise to concentrate his mind on it.
I will concentrate my mind on it. I was saying that the only substantial contribution by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce to Dublin as the city of culture was to ask all politicians to designate Dublin as the centre for transatlantic flights and to by-pass Shannon. It would be much better if they and Bord Fáilte had dipped into their own pockets to a greater degree. It is difficult to see how the 20 per cent increase in tourism will take place simply with wishful thinking without hard cash being put in place.
Dublin is a city of culture. There is no doubt about that. It has a long tradition and a long heritage of culture. It is universally recognised as having had the finest writers of any country in the world, with most of them located in the Dublin area. We have had Joyce, O'Casey, Behan, Swift, Goldsmith, Wilde and Beckett, all of international repute. There is great need to emphasise that at every possible opportunity and to ensure that those writers are honoured and commemorated in their birth place, many of them from the inner city areas which are now neglected. We should make sure that the local community are aware of their heritage.
I see that St. Mary's Church is being refurbished by the Living City Co-Op group. They are in the process of doing it by literally scrounging funds, having found it impossible to get funds from the central funding for the city. When initiatives are taken by groups of artists or by community groups we should go out of our way in this year to ensure that substantial funding is made available to help them.
The other major area I would like to refer to is the question of Dublin as a living city. That is the area where we should take a leaf from the book of Glasgow and concentrate on revitalising the city, putting the emphasis on community arts and making money available for community groups. I am aware of about 20 local community groups in the north inner city who banded together to develop a wide range of projects for the year on their own initiative and who then applied for funding. They were told that all they could get was a maximum of £5,000, even though they had put together a very broad scheme and schedule of work which they intended to carry out in the course of this year and the following year. It is disgraceful that that is all that could be made available for the quantity of work envisaged. They had budgeted, on a shoestring basis, for a very minimum of £50,000, but there was no way that anything was going to be tolerated above a possible £5,000. It was a discouragement and has been a discouragement to many community groups involved in the arts and other areas.
The Temple Bar area has been given a 100 per cent tax free incentive for development. I certainly welcome the opportunity that will give to the development of the central area in the city. I would also point out the anomaly in terms of the drawing of lines for tax incentives in the city in that they by-pass certain areas all the time. They by-pass areas that are most deprived. The areas that are given the incentives are those where there is scope for speculation and where local entrepreneurs or local community groups have found it impossible to get involved.
Dublin Corporation and the Government should look seriously at the manner in which areas are designated for the granting of tax incentives for development purposes. I would refer to the colourfulness of Dublin. The street traders in Dublin, mainly middle-aged women, are being imprisoned almost on a daily basis because they are carrying on a tradition which is part of the culture and the heritage of this city. That should be addressed in a year when Dublin is the European City of Culture. We have plans by the city fathers to build a £200 million road, called the eastern by-pass, through the city. That will hardly enhance the city in terms of its environment and its community development. That is being planned before any environmental impact study or feasibility studies have been done in relation to a crossing of the Liffey. That is not exactly the type of project one would like to see starting this year. Planning for it has already started.
In relation to the quality of life, people must live in decent accommodation, decent housing and have decent maintenance. That has been signally missing this year and last year and there is no sign of any improvement. Housing facilities have deteriorated and people are living in unhygienic conditions. There is no emphasis in the plan for the city on the need to deal with any of those problems. What we should have had is a broad plan for the year specifying the arts and the cultural heritage of this city and emphasising present cultural developments. Secondly, we should have put the emphasis on the revitalisation of Dublin to make it a living city.
Many years ago I saw a film entitled "Never on a Sunday" and I was left with an impression of a wonderfully vivacious, ebullient, exuberant, effervesent, energetic, enthusiastic, intelligent and sensual woman. Never in my wildest dreams at that time did I think that one day as a Member of the Upper House of the Irish Parliament I would be responding to an idea that was first mooted by that self-same lady, Melina Mercouri when she was Minister of Culture in Greece. What a unique idea from a unique woman in such a unique ministry and from a unique country, Greece, which has rightly been called the cradle of democracy and from which we have viewed so much of what is now referred to as culture. T.S. Elliot in Notes towards a Definition of Culture, states, "The term culture has different associations according to whether we have in mind the development of an individual, of a group or class or of a whole society". His thesis was that the culture of the individual is dependent on the culture of a group or class and that the culture of a group or class is dependent on the culture of the group or class to which that group or class belongs. One can see, therefore, that the culture of the society is fundamental and every year since 1985 the European Community has honoured a city in one of the member states with the designation European City of Culture.
By moving that title around from city to city it was felt that it could be used as a platform by the honoured city to showcase its own particular cultural values and achievements before the eyes of Europe and, indeed, the world. It was also, of course, envisaged that the city in question would during its year act as a host to some of the finest cultural offerings from the other member states. Since the honour was inaugurated six cities have held the title. The first was Athens, home of the agora and the great architectural masterpiece of the ancient world which sits on top of the Acropolis, namely, the Parthenon. A Greek writer of the fourth century BC, when he was decribing the statue of Pallas Athenae, said, "A man heavy laden who had drained the cup of misfortune and sorrow if he were to stand and gaze at this statue would forget the heavy and weary weight of this unintelligible world". This city which gets its name from Athenae was, indeed a most fitting recipient of the first bestowal of this honour. The next city was Florence, that ancient Etruscan city, the city which was the home of Lorenzo the Magnificent and the other Medicis which give rise to such names as Dante, Giotto, Luca della Robio and Fran Angelical. The great 14th century artists announced the coming of the 15th century glorious period of the Renaissance during which Florence relived the illustrious era that Athens knew in ancient Greece. There then followed in succession the cities of Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris and Glasgow and all in their own very different ways had their various cultures. Now it is our turn and I proudly say deservedly so. Culture means essentially the way of life of a particular people living together in one place. It is visible in their arts, their mores, their social structures and their religion. And so in Dublin we have a lot to offer.
Many people use the word "culture" to refer to the arts and, of course, the arts do go to make up part of what is culture. But culture is a wider concept encompassing all that lives and thrives in a city, all that breathes and vibrates in a city. I hope the visitors who come to our city during this year will not merely attend the artistic cultural events but will take time to visit the hostelries which abound in our city and while imbibing the local brew will also imbibe some of our local culture.
I do not propose to list all the events planned for this year but I would like to mention a couple of them. There is at the moment a very wonderful exhibition which presents a panoramic view of German 20th century art. It focuses on Dadaism, German expressionism and Magic Realism. It is in the restored or recently refurbished Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery in Parnell Square and is well worth a visit. In November we are expecting from the Soviet Union an exhibition featuring some of the most magnificent works of art from the collections of the Tsars and the ceremonial crown of Peter the Great and the famous Fabergé egg are included among the 80 glittering treasures. There is the first European Community play involving Ireland, Wales and Brittany. The Age of the Saints is a Celtic project and it will involve these interrelated performances for over three weeks at weekends each linked by the figure of Saint Padarn and the giant floating rock on which he travelled. There is a seven week programme of Irish and international theatre in the Project and Andrew's Lane theatres which will complement the Irish Life Dublin Theatre Festival in the autumn.
In 1991 we will have an opportunity to host the European Youth Theatre Encounter which will involve 250 young people from 17 countries. They will be here from 15 to 28 July in St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra. Most of all, it will be a time for music, something which is dear to my heart. What a feast of music we have ahead of us whether it is choral, classical, rock, or jazz. The jazz department of Newpark Music Centre has used this occasion to mount an international meeting of schools of jazz with participants from Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States of America, Spain, Israel, France and Germany. They will be here from 23 to 30 June 1991.
The Early Music Association of Ireland's fourth festival takes place from 5 to 13 April and will focus on bringing to the city musicians from six countries who will perform music from medieval times to Mozart. On the 200th anniversary of the death of Mozart the Pro-Cathedral will be a venue on the first Sundays in May, June, July and September, for the celebration of special Mozart Masses. A Mozart coronation Mass was celebrated on 31 March when the Palestrina Choir and a small orchestra joined forces. There will be the Guinness Peat Aviation Dublin International Piano Competition which is now a competition of international proportions. A prestigious jury chaired by John O'Conor will judge the competition to be held from 20 to 25 April. A large number of very reputable orchestras will also visit the city: the Bucharest Philharmonic, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the London Philharmonic and one of the foremost orchestras from Germany, the Nord Deutscher Rundfunk.
I would like to mention one particular event which is run by the Young European Strings. The third international Young European Strings and Keyboard Festival takes place here from 1 to 13 July and will feature a number of highly regarded specialist tutors. In addition, the International Music Media Symposium, also organised by the Young European Strings, will take place from 15 to 17 July in St. Stephen's Church or the "pepper cannister church", as it is commonly referred to. It will consider the role of the music critic, past and present, and will present four concerts featuring young European artists. The Young European Strings owe their founding and origin to the dynamism of a petite Hungarian lady of extraordinary energy and vitality named Maria Kellemann who came here some years ago with her daughter Gwendoline, an accomplished violinist, and her husband Ronald, who is also an accomplished violinist. She was responsible for the founding of the Young European Strings which is an orchestra of very young people from the age of three or four up to about 12. She is responsible for putting on the other events I mentioned.
Finally, I would like to mention what for me will be one of the highlights of the year if not the highlight of the year. This will be the performance of the "Dublin Concerto" which has been written by the distinguished Hungarian composer Sandor Szokolay. He is a very distinguished composer. This was commissioned by Dublin Corporation and it will be performed for the first time at a gala concert in the National Concert Hall on the evening of 4 November. The first half of the evening will feature three Irish artists who have been acclaimed internationally, namely, Virginia Kerr, Nigel Williams and Hugh Tinney. In the second half of the evening Mr. Szokolay will conduct the first Dublin performance of this Dublin Concerto. It will be played by the well known violin soloist, Ronald Massin, who will be accompanied by the Alan Smale quartet augmented by double bass and vibraphone. The particular point of interest for me at this gala concert, the proceeds of which will go to charity, will be the fact that Mr. Szokolay has decided, without urging from anybody else, to dedicate his Dublin concerto to our Taoiseach, Deputy Haughey. As far as I know, he is the only Prime Minister in the world at the moment who has a concerto dedicated to him. I expect to see you all there. All in all, we will have an exciting, educative and enjoyable time and we will be able to show the world in 1991 that the honour bestowed on our city was indeed truly earned.
The Minister has indicated his intention to come in and it is a matter for the Minister himself to decide when he concludes. If he concludes before 8 p.m. there will be time between his conclusion and 8 p.m. for Senator Murphy.
I am very grateful.
Is an-chúis áthais domsa seans a bheith agam labhairt, agus freagra a thabhairt ar an rún speisialta seo, "Go bhfáiltíonn Seanad Éireann roimh an socrú a rinne Comhphobal na hEorpa nuair a bhronn siad an teideal ‘Cathair Chultúrtha na hEorpa 1991' ar chathair Átha Cliath".
I am pleased to have this opportunity to reply, on behalf of the Government, to the motion "That Seanad Éireann welcomes the designation of Dublin; by the EC as ‘European City of Culture' for 1991". The designation of various Community cities as "European City of Culture" arose in consequence of the passing, in June 1985, of a resolution by an EC Council of Ministers for Cultural Affairs. The resolution provides that the event should open up to the European public, particular cultural aspects of the city, region or country concerned. Therefore, it provides a framework for cultural interaction and exchange over a broad diversity of cultural themes. Athens was the first city to be so designated in 1985 and was succeeded by Florence in 1986, Amsterdam in 1987, Berlin in 1988, Paris in 1989 and Glasgow last year. The choice of Dublin was agreed by the EC Ministers for Cultural Affairs when they met in Athens in December 1988. The choice of Dublin as European City of Culture is a great honour not just to Dublin but to all of Ireland. We should not be parochial in this matter.
In order to take full advantage of the opportunity presented, Dublin Promotions Organisation Limited, known as DPOL, have been mandated to plan and organise an appropriate cultural programme for Dublin during 1991. The objective of this programme is to reflect every facet of the artistic and cultural life of the city. Every major cultural agency in the city and its hinterland has been invited to participate and their response has been most heartening. The many activities which are being planned include: the official opening of the new Irish Museum of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham; the official opening of the Dublin Writers' Museum. dedicated to Dublin's rich literary heritage; the Guinness Peat Aviation Dublin International Piano Competition, currently in progress; the unveiling of the restored Custom House; the Dublin Literary Festival incorporating Bloomsday; the Dublin International Writers' Conference; Mozart 200 — an extensive concert and recital programme commemorating the 200th anniversary of the death of Mozart and the inauguration of a world-class concert organ, at the National Concert Hall.
There are very many other significant events planned and organised, including a series of major new exhibitions in the National Museum, the National Gallery and at the refurbished Municipal Art Gallery. A special spring season of international theatre will complement the Dublin Theatre Festival, which is one of the high points of our cultural life each autumn.
When you add to these specific events, occasions such as the St. Patrick's Day celebrations, the Dublin Street Carnival, the Dublin Film Festival and a greatly enhanced music programme at the National Concert Hall, you will get a flavour of the variety of projects and events which are being planned during the course of the year.
Many anniversaries with a cultural dimension will be celebrated during 1991. These include the 50th anniversary of the death of James Joyce, the 800th anniversary of St. Patrick's Cathedral, the 100th anniversary of the death of Parnell and the 75th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.
It is highly appropriate that this House should address this motion and in doing so, acknowledge the importance of this year not just to Dublin, but to the country at large. It is right for all of us in Ireland to take pride in our European cultural heritage. It is out duty to promote a greater awareness and appreciation of contemporary European culture, not just as a valid end in itself, but as a means of improving communications and better understanding among the peoples of the European Community.
I would like at this point to address briefly some of the points which have been raised by a number of speakers. In general, Senators have been very positive and generous in their comments regarding what has been achieved to date and the many other events which are planned for the remainder of this year. The translation of concepts and ideas into tangible performances is being made possible by the generous level of financial assistance which has been provided from public and private sources to assist Dublin's tenure as European City of Culture.
A sum of £1.25 million has been allocated from the national lottery. To date, £750,000 of that sum has been paid over to DPOL, while the remaining £500,000 will be paid during the course of 1991. Other public bodies are also making a significant input into the cultural capital activities. Those bodies include Dublin Corporation, Dublin County Council, the Office of Public Works, Bord Fáilte and the Department of the Environment. An allocation from the European Community has also been arranged and over £1 million sponsorship has been pledged to date from private sources.
I would like to add my special appreciation of the level of private sponsorship which has been obtained to date and to thank particularly all the contributors from the private sector who have made such generous donations to enable this year to achieve its objectives.
One of the major objectives for the year, as clearly defined by the Taoiseach, was the development of the Temple Bar area of the city as a cultural tourism centre and as a Government flagship project for Dublin's year as European City of Culture.
To enable this project to be properly and sensitively developed and managed, the Government have set up a company, Temple Bar Properties Limited and the first meeting of this company took place last Thursday. This project has attracted funding of up to £3.6 million from the European Regional Development Fund, known as the ERDF. It has also obtained a loan of £5 million from the European Investment Bank, essentially for the acquisition of properties owned by CIE and Dublin Corporation and other key properties for the development of an east-west walkway in Temple Bar, for the putting in place of pedestrianisation, street furniture and lighting, for the redevelopment of the Irish Film Centre and for the development of three new public squares in the area. This property acquisition process is well underway and will clearly be a major benefit in the development of the area.
Temple Bar will stand, in years to come, as an enduring monument to Dublin's year as European City of Culture and will be a lasting testimony to the commitment of all those involved in rejuvenating an old and well loved area of the city and breathing new life back into its soul. Temple Bar has its own unique character and will be an area where our tourists, both domestic and from abroad, can come and sample its vibrant and exciting atmosphere. This year will be the year of Temple Bar.
I know that the debate so far has been both positive and constructive and, indeed, that criticisms expressed are meant to be of assistance. I have no doubt that the organisers and the people who are involved in the various programmes will listen to what has been said during the year and use the suggestions to make improvements in some areas and, hopefully, to correct any obvious omissions in what, on the face of it, seems to be a very comprehensively prepared programme of events.
Mar a dúirt an Piarsach, laoch agus scoláire, "Ní amháin saor, ach Gaelach chomh maith; ní amháin Gaelach, ach saor chomh maith". Tá ríméad orm go bhfuil coiste speisialta ag cur snasa ar, agus ag athdheisiú Theach Fheadha Cuilinn i Raghnallach, an teach ina raibh Scoil Éanna i dtosach. Ba mhaith liom gach rath a ghuí ar an saothar stairiúil chultúrtha atá ar siúl ag an gcoiste.
Senator Ó Foighil spoke sincerely and eloquently about what he perceived to be the neglect of the Irish language in the programme of events and promotional brochures. I can assure the Senator and the House that the Irish language is held in the highest regard, not only by the Government, but also by the organisers of Dublin's cultural year programme of events.
Is eol don Seanad go bhfuil tábhacht faoi leith ag an nGaeilge do mhuintir na hÉireann agus, cé go raibh páirt mhór ag traidisiúin eile i gcruthú chultúr an lae inniu in Éirinn, is iad fréamhacha an traidisiúin Ghaelaigh is doimhne a théann síos i stair na tíre. Ba í an Ghaeilge teanga formhor ár sinsir anuas go dtí an céad seo caite. Is minic a deirtear gur taisce í an Ghaeilge ina gcnuasaítear ní amháin samhlaíocht fhileata mhuintir na hÉireann ach freisin a mothú spioradálta, a ndúil sa tsaoirse, a leagan éirme agus meoin, agus a saíocht agus a nósanna dúchais. Táim cinnte, mar sin, go leanfar le gach dícheall a dhéanamh chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn i rith na bliana cultúrtha seo agus go dtabharfaidh an lucht eagraithe, DPOL Teoranta, aird speisialta ar an méid atá ráite sa Teach seo maidir lenár dteanga dúchais.
Indeed, the major promotional brochure produced by DPOL was prepared in four languages, Irish, English, French and German, each receiving the same degree of prominence. The logo for the cultural year was produced in Irish and English and promoters have been encouraged to use the Irish version and have given an excellent response to this suggestion.
DPOL personnel also met with An Comhchoiste don Ghaeilge specifically to tell them what Irish language input there would be in the programme of events and to discuss matters generally with them. There have been a number of specific events devoted to Irish music, culture and language including; Céiliúradh Slógadh — a celebration of Irish music and culture, organised by Gael-Linn, and sponsored by Iarnród Éireann, to be held in the Olympia Theatre on the 28 April next; Fundúireacht an Phiarsaigh — a concert which will be held in the Gaiety Theatre on 5 May in which the Irish language will be extensively used; An Doras Feasa — Flaming Door — a poetry reading by Irish poets of their work in Irish and English, reflecting 1916. This event was held in the foyer of the GPO on Easter Sunday and was also another opportunity to honour the 75th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, and Oireachtas na Gaeilge, to be held in Clondalkin, County Dublin, this year. This is a community event, funded in large measure by an annual grant from Roinn na Gaeltachta, and one which is normally held at different venues throughout the country.
These are some of the events involving aspects of the Irish language which have been organised. I am assurd by the organisers that there are a number of other events which they hope will come on stream during the course of the year in which Irish will play a prominent part. I hope that Senator Ó Foighil will accept this assurance from me that the importance of the Irish language will continue to be recognised in the rest of the events being organised in celebration of this very important year.
The question was also posed as to the purpose of the motion. It is obviously, on the face of it, a non-contentious motion, but it gives an opportunity for this House to comment upon a singularly important year in the cultural history of our capital city, a city rich in culture and tradition; a tradition which takes us back over many centuries. Indeed, it is a city which has only recently celebrated its Millennium, a city which has contributed so much to the world in terms of art, literature, culture and music. It has produced poets, playwrights, scientists and world famous musicians. Its museums, libraries and galleries house some of the most unique collections of metal work, books and paintings in the world.
A significant part of Dublin is architecturally a Georgian city. This year has seen the restortion of some of its finest examples of Georgian architecture. It would be ungracious of me not to acknowledge the genuine concern, which many people feel regarding the destruction and, more particularly, the neglect of some of the city's finest properties but in doing so it is important to stress that a lot of money has been spent in restoring many of our major public buildings like the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin Castle and the Custom House buildings which are such an integral part of Dublin's man-made heritage.
The dramatic improvement in the fortunes of the Irish economy over the past few years is directly attributable to the courageous management of the public finances through the pursuit of effective programmes by the Government. One Government programme which has been particularly effective is the designated areas scheme for urban renewal.
Under the urban renewal scheme, a package of tax incentives and rates remission is available to promote development in specially designated areas in 23 urban centres throughout the country. Since its introduction in 1986, the scheme has generated over £600 million worth of development between projects completed, in progress and in planning and this is in addition to the Custom House Docks development valued at some £400 million. In Dublin alone, the scheme has enjoyed tremendous success having generated impressive private sector development valued at £58.7 million with a further £152.8 million worth of projects being planned. New derelict sites legislation was enacted last year which provides greater powers for dealing with problems of dereliction.
Senator Costello stated that we started with a whimper rather than a bang. This was in reference to the fact that the formal launch of the cultural year was held some ten weeks after the start of the calendar year. The formal announcement took place outside City Hall in Dublin on new Year's Eve. It would not be realistic to have had the formal launch then for many reasons. It was much more sensible to run it together with the St. Patrick's weekend, our traditional, much celebrated national holiday and annual cultural occasion. If we had had the launch earlier it would in effect have meant that our invited international guests would not have been able to come here. The St. Patrick's weekend put a particularly Irish stamp on the launch. All of the other cities so designated by the European Community have organised their launch and programmes in a similar way since the whole concept was initiated by Madame Melina Mercouri in Athens in 1985.
I have to take exception to what Senator Costello has said about St. Mary's Church. The Office of Public Works have spent a large amount of money in the restoration of St. Mary's Church. With Archbishop Connell, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to officially reopen this historic and architectural gem during the Millennium year of 1988.
You have a lot of work to do yet.
I must ask the Senator not to interrupt.
There is an abundance of positive things happening in Dublin this year. It is the Government's wish and commitment to the arts that what should emanate from this year is the development of a long term arts strategy and perhaps Dublin 1991 will be regarded in the years to come as the spark which lit the fire.
In conclusion, let me thank all who contributed to the debate for their frank and forthright views. I know I speak for all of you in wishing Dublin a most successful year as European City of Culture.
Acting Chairman
Senator Murphy has five minutes, if that is agreed.
May I ask how much time is remaining for the debate?
Acting Chairman
It has to conclude at 8.13 p.m.
I will not take long. In one sense I do not see this debate as having anything very much to do with me because, of course, Cork is the perennial cultural capital and does not have to institute special years to so recognise itself. I well imagine the story of the Corkman who was present during a guided tour of the Vatican. When the guide was holding forth on the renaissance splendour, the Corkman simply said "Did you ever see the Provincial Bank in Cork, boy?" It is in that spirit of self-assurance that I offer some impartial and detached comment on this motion.
Dublin does belong to us all. The Minister is perfectly right in asking us not to be too parochial about this motion. The shame of Dublin belongs to us all. The dereliction of Dublin belongs to us all. The aversion of one's eyes from the waste of the quays happens to us all, provincial visitors as well as natives of Dublin city. The attempt in this backslapping motion to hide all of these blemshes is something I cannot accept. Senator Costello was perfectly right in reminding us of how Glasgow overcame an image as squalid as Dublin, if there is such a similar image in western Europe, and projecting a new vigour and vitality during its year as custodian of this title.
Dublin belongs to us all, which is why we are all concerned for such things as the state of the National Library and the National Museum — and we freely accept that great improvements have been made in that area.
Senator Costello is right also in saying that the cultural year is something that has not really made any impact on the country as a whole. From my casual observations in Dublin itself I cannot see any enhanced consciousness of the citizens that they are now in a special kind of year. I think in many ways this is a kind of a gimmicky year. I would mention Deputy De Rossa's speech yesterday in which he spoke about the need to fund culture. Senator Costello has referred to that also.
Above all, one thing stands out. It stands out in the recital of events to which Senator Lydon referred, when he spoke in glowing terms of the various musical recitals and the musical recital par excellence which is going to dedicate a composition to the Taoiseach, which will even further compound his delusions of immortality. How many ordinary citizens of Dublin will attend these events? The greatest indictment of so-called high culture in this country is its stratification on class lines. All that kind of thing means nothing to the denizens of Fatima Mansions or to the citizens of Gurranabraher. That is a very deep malaise in our society, in regard to our so-called high culture and the full enjoyment of life all that betokens. The Mozart bicentenary, which should be an enrichment to everyone, means nothing to the vast majority of our citizens. Unless we turn our attention to the basic causes underlying that malaise, then motions such as this are sheer self-deception and hypocrisy.
Acting Chairman
I can now very much appreciate the reply the Leader of the House gave to you this morning——
I think that last remark was less than detached, but I would not expect anything else.
It is quite obvious that Senator Murphy is a Corkman, having listened to his contribution in relation to this motion. I would have to fundamentally disagree with him when he says that this year, 1991, is a gimmick. It is anything but a gimmick. It is a concept which has come from the heart of the European Community and it is going back to our heritage and tradition and reasserting our European influence once again in this year. If he had said that 1988 was a gimmick or that Cork 800 was a gimmick there might have been some truth in what he said, but certainly this year is a very genuine thing and is something which is to be welcomed.
I would like to thank all the Senators for their contributions. We have had a very positive and constructive debate here. Some Senators questioned the innocent nature of the motion, but again that comes back to the question of what we should be doing in this House in the first place. There is no doubt that there is a perception that this House should give particular emphasis to the cultural affairs of our nation and that is what we have been doing here. It is a noncontroversial House in some ways. It is certainly less combative than the Dáil and, therefore, a motion such as this should be welcomed. The Minister suggested this also during his contribution.
There is no doubt but that Dublin city has its problems. I would refer to some of the remarks made by Senator Hederman last year. There is no question that Senator Ryan or myself tried to say that Dublin has no problems. There would be no need for a city council or there would be no need for city fathers if Dublin did not have its problems and everything was going well. But things are being done in relation to the problems of the city. The Minister mentioned the Derelict Sites Act and so on. I suppose it is debates such as this which focus on the problems of Dublin and that is to be welcomed. Any attempt to sweep the problems aside in the glare of publicity would be most unwelcome.
I agree with many of the speakers when they say it is not just Dublin's year, it is an Irish year, it is a European year, it is when Ireland is brought centre stage in European cultural affairs. From an economic point of view, if tourists come to the city this year they will also go to the rest of the country as well.
Many speakers referred to the whole question of the Temple Bar area and the Minister also referred to this. This is indeed one of the most exciting projects to happen this year. We are now in the process of creating our own Left Bank, an area where arts and culture can be supported to the maximum. Two companies are now in existence, one was launched last week. The Finance Bill has just been published setting out special measures for the Temple Bar area and further legislation is promised. That is something which will be positive and which will last when this year is long over.
There is no doubt that Irish culture should be celebrated this year. I refer particularly to Senator Pól Ó Foighil's contribution. We cannot forget what Irish culture is: it is our language, it is our dance, it is our traditions. Everything to do with Irish culture must be celebrated this year. There is no question of turning our backs on any particular aspect, particularly the language, as mentioned by the Senator.
Many Senator referred to the anniversary of the 1916 Rising. Such an event in our history must be marked. There is no doubt that, apart from the tremendous political implications of 1916, there was a huge cultural influence brought forward, culminating in the revolution in 1916. The Irish revolution is exceptional and renowned for the fact that there was also a cultural and literary revival as well as political activity to bring about independence. To ignore 1916 this year is to ignore the very essence of our culture and our traditions.
Other speakers mentioned the whole question of roads, public transport and so on. That is going back to debates which are currently going on in normal political activity in the city. There is no question that these are important issues. These issues will be there to be dealt with in the political process over the years ahead.
Perhaps one of the greatest things also to come out of this year will be the drawing up of an arts programme for the future. As of this moment all interest groups and communities are being consulted to try to bring about a policy for the arts for the years ahead. That again demonstrates just how important the year is. It allows us to take stock of where we are, to assess what we are doing and to plan for the future. Again, many Senators brought forward ideas in that regard and therefore this debate has been useful in their doing so.
Senator Costello was very critical of the fact that the year started late. I would remind Senator Costello that Glasgow did the exact same thing. I was honoured to be invited to the opening of the official year in Glasgow in March. They, too, felt that it would be impossible to sustain an intense programme of cultural activity right throughout the year. There is a general tradition and precedent, beginning now, to say that March is a good time to start the intense celebrations. I would reject that criticism.
Speakers have also mentioned the exciting things happening in relation to buildings in the city. We have the restoration of the GPO — that is in progress at the moment — the restoration of the Custom House, Government Buildings, Dublin Castle, the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham and so on. Nobody can deny that Dublin is on the way up, that we are at last putting money into public buildings and restoring them. We are at last, albeit quite late, coming to realise the importance of our buildings, the importance of restoring them and keeping them for future generations.
I would like to say once again that it has been a thoroughly enjoyable debate. It has been a useful and constructive debate. There is one other thing which I feel I must mention, that is in relation to the criticisms levelled at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. I, for one, have had experience of what the Dublin Chamber of Commerce are doing for Dublin. They are to be congratulated on everything they are doing. They are doing tremendous work on behalf of the city and harnessing a tremendous amount of resources from the private sector at this moment for the benefit of Dublin. That is something which is to be welcomed. Nineteen ninety-one has brought forward private sponsorship. I said that in my own contribution at the beginning of the debate. They regularly produce literature and brochures on behalf of the people of Dublin and Dublin business in particular. They also have two members on the board of DPOL and have played a very active role in the activities of DPOL. Indeed, many of their members have contributed substantially to 1991. In particular, the Guinness representative was also president of the chamber of commerce at one stage and, of course, Guinness have pumped hundreds of thousands of pounds into 1991. I thank you for your indulgence and I am delighted to support the motion.
Question put and agreed to.