John Bruton
Ceist:1 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will outline his views as to the way in which the European Community should use the powers conferred on it by Title XVI of the Treaty of Maastricht in cultural matters.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maastricht Treaty.
The potential for developing Community action in cultural matters pursuant to the Maastricht Treaty will be discussed at the Cultural Affairs Committee and later at the Council of Ministers of Culture. The EC Commission have already been preparing guidelines for cultural action in the years 1992-96 as a basis for discussing an expanded cultural programme in the context of the new Treaty.
In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, Community action will supplement rather than replace action by member states. Our concern in the forthcoming discussions will be to see increased resources allocated to important areas such as training in the cultural sector — in conservation, arts administration and in audiovisual technology; to development of the schemes for translation especially for lesser-used languages; to support for our heritage conservation efforts; to more active interchange between our arts organisations and arts organisations throughout the Community; to more active policies for access by the public to culture; and to measures which would stimulate increased private funding by the private sector.
My Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs will be involved in exploring these possibilities in the context of the Community discussions to give effect to the Maastricht Treaty provisions.
Does the Taoiseach expect that the adoption of this Article as part of the Treaty will lead to any addition to the budgetary resources available from the Community to assist culture in member states?
As cultural matters are now part of the Community pillar of the new union I anticipate that there will be in due course funding of one kind or another forthcoming to promote the various policies which will be undertaken under this new provision.
Has the Taoiseach, in his capacity as Minister responsible for culture, made any representations to the Commission to ensure that adequate budgetary provision for cultural affairs is included in the financial prospectus document which I understand the Commission is to produce next month?
I would like to point out to the Deputy that the inclusion of this provision in the Maastricht Treaty and the decision of the Community to take on cultural matters as a function of the Community has been undertaken very largely at our initiative and it is therefore, certainly something we will follow up and try to develop and promote to the greatest possible extent. I visualise for instance that we could secure great assistance in regard to the promotion of the Irish language and culture. In all these areas we will be, and are already promoting the idea of funding for the implementation of this cultural policy. These are matters, of course, which will be considered and dealt with in the forthcoming financial prospectus being prepared by the Commission. These financial prospectuses may well be the subject of a summit meeting before they are finally put into effect.
May I ask the Taoiseach——
I was anxious to make progress on questions today and not remain unduly long on any one question.
May I raise one issue? The Taoiseach may not be aware, but I understand the Council of Europe is very sensitive to this Article in the Treaty and is very concerned because the Council has a major role in culture. What is the Taoiseach's attitude to what appears to be an impending row between the Council of Europe and the EC on this issue?
I do not think the Deputy need worry about that. There is no question of this being exclusive to the Community. This will be a Community function from now on. It is infinitely better that it should be part of the Community's ongoing development than otherwise. There is no doubt that the Community will certainly have regard to the already existing role of the Council of Europe in all these areas. We all know the Council of Europe pre-dates the European Community and therefore has a great deal of knowledge and experience in this whole area. It would certainly be our view — and I am sure the view will be similar throughout the Community — that there should be the closest possible co-operation between the Community in implementing this policy and the Council of Europe. I also anticipate in this regard that the Community will not be a cultural fortress but that it will have interaction with other cultural organisations and indeed with cultures around the world.
John Bruton
Ceist:2 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will outline his proposals as to the method of selection of the nine Irish members of the Committee of the Regions to be set up under article 198A of the Maastricht Treaty.
Consideration of this matter would be premature at this stage, pending signature and ratification throughout the Community of the Treaty in question.
Why is consideration of this matter premature given that the Taoiseach has expostulated at great length about another matter in the Treaty, namely, culture?
The draft Maastricht Treaty has very specific functions and action programmes including the cultural area but this is only the way in which members will be selected for a particular committee and there has not yet been preliminary discussion on that aspect.
Is it not the case that this particular proposal has been before the Council of Ministers for at least a year and has been approved for over two months? Is the Taoiseach telling us seriously that he has not yet considered how these people are going to be selected? Will the Taoiseach give an assurance that these people will be elected in a fashion truly representative of all political trends on local authorities in proportion to their representation and will they not be representative of only the Government parties?
The Treaty is silent on the question of how individual member states may select these representatives, but it is likely that each member state be left to make its own decisions in that regard. Of course, as always, when the time comes to put the mechanisms in place the Government will make sure that the widest spread of interests throughout our regions are represented to the greatest possible extent.
When does the Taoiseach expect the Government will be able to make an announcement as to the method of selection of Ireland's representatives on the European Committee of the Regions? Will the Taoiseach be able to give an assurance that full details will be available on this subject before the Irish people are asked to vote in the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty?
Yes, there is no question of that. As the Deputy knows, the Commission already have a consultative body in that regard. I think it is the General Council of County Councils who nominate people to the regional consultative committee of the Commission. We have some experience in this but it is a new area and we will have to approach it afresh and make sure, as the Deputy says, that all varied and disparate regional interests are represented to the greatest extent possible.