Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 October 2014
14. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the budget granted by her Department since 2011; the changes that have been made to ensure transparency and accountability with regard to the allocation of funds from the Arts Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40150/14]
View answerIn aggregate, €245.897m has been allocated to the Arts Council since 2011. Although the Arts Council is funded by my Department, it is statutorily independent in its day-to-day operations, as provided for in the Arts Act 2003. This specifically includes independence in its decisions on who it funds and the amounts it allocates. Full information on the Council's funding decisions is made available on its website at www.artscouncil.ie As a public body, the Arts Council is required to adhere to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and other practices of good governance and transparency. Disbursal of funding is required to be fully in line with public service financial and accountability requirements. I understand that the Arts Council also requires the organisations it funds to comply with similar standards.
The Deputy will note that, on its website, the Arts Council commits to operating to the highest standards of corporate governance and has adopted a corporate governance regime in accordance with best practice, which includes a section on conflicts of interest.
I am confident that the Arts Council continues to discharge its duty as the principal State agency for the promotion and development of the arts in Ireland, in a strategic but transparent manner.
