Two of the Deputies who spoke yesterday—Deputy J. A. Costello and Deputy A. Barry— appeared to be slightly misinformed regarding the reports published by An Chomhairle Ealaíon. In fact, a printed report is published every year which is not unattractive in form although I think the Comhairle hope to improve its appearance. It has not yet been issued this year because of some trouble with the printers. The practice of publishing a stencilled report, to which the Deputies referred, was adopted in response to a request from that side of the House to have available to Deputies the material of the report at the time when the Estimate of the Comhairle would normally be taken and to avoid withholding it until the audited accounts of the Comhairle could also be included.
Committee on Finance. - Vote 13—An Chomhairle Ealaíon (Resumed).
Would the Taoiseach arrange to have the report of An Chomhairle Ealaíon circulated to Deputies and Senators?
I am not sure it is not done. I shall see if it can be done. I think Deputy J. A. Costello was misled by the fact that the Estimate for the Comhairle is being taken now rather than six months earlier. In fact, the stencilled report to which he referred was published on 21st June last year which, as it related to the period ending 31st March, 1962 did not involve any undue delay.
In regard to money, while it is true that I said last year that An Chomhairle Ealaíon had not asked for any more, I did not want to misrepresent their interest in getting more. In fact, last year, they carried over a balance of some £9,500 into the present financial year. That year was the first in which they had got the increased grant and their plans for spending it had not been developed. There is, of course, probably no limit to the amount of money that could usefully and beneficially be expended upon the activities for which the Comhairle is responsible. Certain consideration is being given at present to the possibility of amending or extending the functions of the Comhairle, which may also involve some change in their financial appropriation.
Much of the discussion last evening related to industrial design. It is true that An Chomhairle Ealaíon was given responsibility for promoting interest in industrial design in the Act which set them up. At that time, although the Department of Industry and Commerce had made various attempts to interest industrialists in the importance of design, there was no other State body which had functions in the matter or money to spend in promoting interest in design or in improving the standards of industrial designs. Nevertheless, I think it was a mistake to associate solely industrial design with An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Deputy J. A. Costello referred to the fact that interest in the importance of design was not developing amongst industrialists at the time when he was Taoiseach. I believe that can largely be attributed to the fact that through An Chomhairle Ealaíon industrial design was presented to business people as an arty matter, whereas, in fact, it is an entirely commercial matter. Consequently, therefore, I asked Córas Tráchtála to take an interest in the improvement of industrial design and in the commercial importance of so doing.
It was Córas Tráchtála which arranged for and published the report of the Scandinavian experts. That report—whatever value one might attach to the recommendations in it, and I would not agree with all of them —did, by its very controversial character, promote greater interest in industrial design, by reason of the discussion it engendered, than all the exhortations of Ministers and Art Councils and others had succeeded in doing up to that.
Training for design—taking Irish men and women and giving them the training to enable them to become competent industrial designers—is an educational matter. It is a function of our educational system and is a responsibility of the Minister for Education. There is at the present time some overlapping between An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Córas Tráchtála and the Department of Education in this matter and perhaps even some tendency towards empire-building. However, I should not think any harm has been done yet but if it should produce complications, then it might be necessary to define more precisely the functions of each body in that respect.
Deputy A. Barry was induced to suggest here last evening, having heard Deputy Costello, that Cork has a grievance in respect of the composition of the Council of An Chomhairle Ealaíon. The Director of the Comhairle is a Corkman; as usual, a Corkman occupies the key position. Deputy Costello urged that the Comhairle should be entitled to express its opinion freely upon matters which come within its sphere of activity. So far as I know, they have done so. They have not infrequently been asked by Government Departments for their opinion on particular projects or to nominate persons to whom specific tasks should be entrusted. While they are free to express their opinion, it would be most undesirable that they should be set up in any sense as censors in matters of art. If they are free to express their opinion, then we must be free and everybody else must be free to disagree with their opinion. In my view, they have often given some bad advice but nevertheless their advice, when offered, must be considered. It is true to say, as agreed by all the Deputies who spoke here yesterday, that the activities which the Comhairle has sponsored and financed through its grants are highly beneficial and indeed none of us would dislike to see a further extension of its activities when it becomes possible to add to the resources available for that purpose.
May I ask the Taoiseach one question? Does the jurisdiction of An Chomhairle Ealaíon extend to the possibility of helping learned bodies to carry out useful works? I have particularly in mind the preparation of the Irish dictionary by the Academy. Is it free to the Comhairle to make a grant from its resources to carry on that work where the moneys available to the Academy are not sufficient to enable it to be done?
I would not like to answer that question without notice but I should say not. The preparation of an Irish dictionary would be more a matter of education than art.
I can see that possibility, but perhaps the Taoiseach would look into this question, as I believe the work on the Academy dictionary, which is a very valuable and important work, is at present not moving as fast as it could move because there is not sufficient money to pay the printers.
I am surprised if they have not already drawn that fact to the attention of the Minister for Education. He is a very soft-hearted man.
Is the Minister for Finance a soft-hearted man?
He is the softest of us all.
Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Education about that matter?
I will.