Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 December 2015
210. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if any of the recommendations outlined in the 2015 value for money and policy review of the Arts Council have been implemented to date; if not, the timeline for such implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44364/15]
View answerI am committed to ensuring that findings of the report referred to by the Deputy are used to improve access to and support for the arts in Ireland. My Department will build on the already positive engagement with the Arts Council to ensure that the recommendations are delivered.
This will be done in close consultation with the Arts Council using the normal governance arrangements, including regular liaison meetings and the annual service level agreement, while respecting the statutory independence of the Council in making its funding decisions. Indeed, the Arts Council has already taken on board some of the key recommendations of the report in its recently published strategy "Making Great Art Work", which sets out its plans for leading the development of the arts in Ireland over the next decade. Further information on the strategy is available on the website of the Council at www.artscouncil.ie .
This 10 year strategy will be followed by a series of 3-year implementation plans in which the Arts Council has committed to incorporating many of the detailed recommendations of the value for money review.
