Vol. 427 No. 6
29 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht his views on whether an imbalance exists which is caused by the presence of so many major art institutions in Dublin; and if so the measures, if any, he proposes to take to redress this imbalance and to provide better resources for the regions.
Every capital city will attract to itself major institutions both administrative, political and cultural. Dublin is no different from other capital cities throughout the world in this regard. It should be a matter of pride for us all as Irish people, and not just for Dubliners, that we have cultural institutions — such as the National Museum, the National Gallery, the National Library and the National Archives — comparable with any similar institutions throughout the world.
However, notwithstanding the realities that pertain to the status of a capital city, I acknowledge that some imbalance exists in the arts infrastructure of the State. Implementation of the relevant commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government, which are primarily the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment will go a considerable way to redress this imbalance and I will be in consultation with my colleague in the matter. The commitments in the programme provide that funding of the Arts by local authorities will also be on a planned basis. Local authorities will be required to produce a cultural development plan and they will be encouraged to appoint Arts Officers and to establish an Arts Department with requisite staff.
