Liam Kavanagh
Ceist:9 Mr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the activities, if any, he proposes to undertake to assist the Dublin European City of Culture Project, 1991; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers (Resumed). - Dublin European City of Culture Project.
As the Deputy is aware, the Taoiseach has given a mandate to Dublin Promotions Organisation Limited (DPOL) to plan and organise an appropriate cultural programme for Dublin in 1991. I have personally been in contact with the chairman of the board of DPOL to confirm that my Department will assist DPOL in every manner possible in this regard.
Through the medium of our embassies and consulates abroad, my Department are helping to promote actively in other countries a widespread knowledge of the fact that Dublin is the European City of Culture for 1991. We are also helping DPOL to establish contacts and links with cultural institutions and groups as well as individual artists and performers overseas.
Through its representation on the board of DPOL my Department's assistance is actively and continually available to the board and to the chief executive of DPOL in the preparations for this major cultural event.
Would the Minister inform the House if he or the Taoiseach, who has taken a personal interest in this matter, has made proposals to DPOL concerning some performance events or significant capital expenditure to mark the year Dublin will be European City of Culture? Second, would the Minister say how do the proposals and requests DPOL have received compare with the Glasgow programme and with the published programme for Madrid the following year?
I understand that the total amount of funding which will be available for the Dublin European City of Culture project is still under negotiation. Funds provided to my Department for cultural relations are intended primarily for the provision of assistance to Irish cultural events abroad. It would therefore be difficult to allocate these funds towards the overall cost of the project. As I say, my Department are ready to assist the project in every manner possible and I am satisfied funds will be provided to enable them to get this very worthy project under way as soon as possible.
That answer is extremely worrying and one could conclude that, first, there is no agreed budget and that therefore there are no definite projects and, second, the people in the Department of Foreign Affairs at Iveagh House are keeping themselves in a state of preparedness in case anybody has an idea or money. Would the Minister not agree, given the great success of the Glasgow venture, the international attention focused on Glasgow and the significance Madrid is attaching to its preparations, that it is absolutely outrageous that at this time of the year we are so unprepared? Is the Minister willing to contact the Taoiseach, who sometimes is more interested in patronising the arts, to see if he will do anything?
Brevity, please.
The Deputy knows the Department of the Taoiseach have overall responsibility for this matter and it might be worth his while putting a question down to the Taoiseach on it.
Why then did the Minister take the question?
I am putting the Deputy in the right direction.
Would the Minister recognise that the Dublin European City of Culture project also covers County Dublin, not just the city of Dublin, and make sure that the people of County Dublin are involved in any projects undertaken? This is not an exclusive Lord Mayor's ball.
Perhaps Dublin County Council will contribute a few pounds.
I have no doubt Deputy Owen will appreciate my point of view when I say I will leave that matter to be resolved by other people.
The Minister has indicated that his Department are helping to establish contacts with cultural institutes in other European countries. Could he inform us of what undertakings have been secured?
Or sought.
Given that we are fast approaching the commencement of this project with very little to show would the Minister indicate what practical projects have been secured by his Department?
I understand that a draft programme of events has been prepared which at present is being finalised. This does not indicate in any way that they are not doing what they have been asked to do.
There is no budget.
Let us proceed to another question, Question No. 10.
Many questions have been asked but no answers have been given. Perhaps you could prompt the Minister to provide answers to some of the questions asked.