John Bruton
Ceist:53 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the initiatives he took during the Irish Presidency of the EC to promote cultural exchanges between Ireland and other EC countries.
Written Answers. - EC Cultural Exchanges.
The Minister of State responsible for European Affairs, Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn, presided over a meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the Community, meeting within the Council, on 18 May 1990. This meeting discussed a range of issues relating to the development of cultural policy within the Community. A copy of the Council press release issued after the meeting is being sent to the Deputy.
The development of bilateral cultural relations between Ireland and the other member states, for which my Department has the primary responsibility, continued to receive the highest priority during the first six months of the year. In this period, financial assistance for cultural projects in the other member states, from the cultural relations allocation of my Department, amounted to some 25 per cent of the full year's allocation.