Liz O'Donnell
Ceist:9 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the plans, if any, he has to provide the Arts Council with a per capita grant-in-aid equal to that of the Arts Council in Northern Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Arts Council Funding.
The Deputy will be aware that under this Government, funding of An Chomhairle Ealaíon has increased by 13 per cent in 1993 — a remarkable achievement in these difficult times. In addition, under the Programme for a Partnership Government 1993-1997, I am committed to achieving the Programme for Economic and Social Progress funding target of £12-£13 million in 1994 and to at least maintaining that level of funding in subsequent years. This trend will clearly lead to incremental increases in the per capita grant-in-aid of An Chomhairle Ealaíon. I am convinced that this is the way to proceed rather than engage in comparisons with trends elsewhere which serve no useful purpose in the absence of precise comparative data regarding structures and functions of the organisations in question.
What I mean by this is that the range of activities within the different bodies are not exactly similar, that one would need a better base upon which to make comparisons.
Would the Minister accept that we have to use some yardstick because in the area of art development, as in all other areas of artistic and economic development, we are competing with our nearest neighbours? I will accept that there has been an improvement in funding for the arts in this financial year, and I welcome that. Using the base line of 1992, because that is the last year for which we have figures, we are at the bottom of the league in terms of grant-in-aid per capita, vis-á-vis our nearest neighbours.
I want to assist Deputy Quill to elicit information, but it must be by way of supplementary question rather than by imparting information to the House.
Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. Will the Minister accept that this base line is no longer acceptable, a base line leaving us with £2.90 per IR£ in the Republic in terms of per capita expenditure compared with £3.90 in Northern Ireland——
We are still having statements and the imparting of information. That is not quite in order in Question Time.
I do find it hard to frame a question without giving some background information to give meaning and substance to my question.
Doubtless the Deputy will become more expert with the passing of time.
That may be so indeed. I accept that, and I stand reprimanded. Will the Minister accept that by any yardstick there is an overwhelming need to bring our per capita grant in aid into line with and onto the level of the prevailing grant in aid in our neighbouring countries in the EC?
How well you bear your reprimand, Deputy.
It is the badge of all my gender, long suffering.
I have every intention of improving the ratio in regard to the figures the Deputy refers to. Certainly the gap has been narrowing. This latest allocation between 1992-93 will change matters considerably. I am committed to ensuring greater provision, not as much on the basis of comparison as on my belief that arts expenditure is part of the intellectual infrastructure of our people. For that reason, as I have said in answer to other questions, one may anticipate that there will be better provision in structural programmes with related benefits for the people. I will, if the Deputy wishes, seek a mechanism for giving comparative information to her.
That would be very much appreciated. I thank the Minister for his answer and I accept, of course, that proper expenditure is an essential part of the maintenance of the intellectual infrastructure. I would ask the Minister also to accept that it is a very important part of our economic development. I would ask the Minister to acknowledge that for every £1 expended by the Arts Council £1.80 has been generated in the economy.
We cannot have a debate now.
(Laois-Offaly): Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Aire. Sna pleananna a leag sé amach don Chomhairle Ealaíon, an bhfuil sé ar intinn aige go mbeadh an Chomhairle in ann cur leis an gcuidiú do chomhairlí contae maidir le poist d'oifigigh ealaíon a chur ar fáil? Níl ach 14 dhuine ann, ar feadh m'eolais, ach tá a lán comhairlí ag iarraidh feabhas a chur ar an staid seo. An mbeadh an tAire in ann a rá linn go mbeidh ar chumas na Comhairle Ealaíon a thuilleadh cuidithe a thabhairt dóibh.
Ar an gcéad dul síos, bhí an Teachta Quill ag tagairt don tuarascáil Myerscough. Glacaim leis go bhfuil buntáistí eacnamaíochta ag baint le caiteachas ar na healaíona. Ach is é a bhunús ná pearsantacht an duine a fhorbairt mar ba cheart.
Le freagra a thabhairt ar an cheist a chur an Teachta Gallagher orm, aontaím leis nach bhfuil sé sásúil nach mbeadh ach 14 oifigeach sna hudaráis áitiúla ag plé le cúrsaí ealaíon. Tá sé ráite ag cheana féin go bhfuil mé ag tabhairt caoi ar bhonn deonach do na húdaráis áitiúla an bealach a réiteach maidir leis na poist ealaíon seo. Tá sé d'oibleagáid ar na comhairlí de réir an Chlár Rialtais plean forbartha do na healaíona a chur le chéile faoi mhí na Samhna seo chugainn. Mura mbíonn aon dul chun cinn ann faoin sprioc-am sin caithfidh mé féachaint ar cad atá riachtanach maidir le ceapadh na n-oifigeach sin.
Ba mhaith liom a rá, áfach, go bhfuil údaráis áitiula ann a thugann dea-shampla uathu. Bhí mé i gCill Mhántáin an tseachtain seo caite, áit a bhfuil ionad ann d'ealaíontóirí óga le taispeántais a chur ar siúl, agus imeachtaí ar an dul sin, agus is é sin an sórt dea-shampla atá uainn. Tá sé ar intinn agam an chuid sin a bhaineann leis na healaíona sa Chlár Rialtais a thabhairt i gcrích, agus tá súil agam go mbeidh an comhoibriú ann chuige sin.
During the debate on the Estimates I sounded a warning bell about the approach of the Department of Finance to investment in the arts. Given the pay off of increasing investment in the arts, will the Minister confirm that there will be a separate operational programme for the arts under the Structural Funds?
The Deputy will appreciate that when I became Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht through a process that evolved from 12 January last, when functions were transferred to me by statutory instrument, a great deal of preparation had been made for the structural programmes of last year. However, my new Department with very dedicated work by my staff, some of whom had come with me and most of whom are with the Department of the Gaeltacht, in co-operation with each other and with my own advisers and programme manager worked very hard to submit a new comprehensive proposal to the Department of Finance. What we have proposed for Roinn na Gaeltachta is very observable. In other areas, too, what is for the arts, culture and heritage will be clearly identifiable in the National Development Plan when it is published.
Maidir le deontais agus airgeadú, an aontaíonn an tAire go bhfuil an-chuid cúnaimh tugtha ag an earnáil phríobháideach, ó thaobh na n-ealaíon de? Conas a chuireann sé sin i gcomhthéacs na fógraíochta a dhéantar dá réir agus an bhfuil aon rud le rá aige faoin tionchar atá aigesean ar chúrsaí ealaíon? Mar shampla amháin den fhadhb ganntanas airgid, ar chuala sé faoin chailín, 11 bhliain d'aois, ar ceoltóir an-éirimiúil í, go bhfuil uirthi dul go Corcaigh gach seachtain i gcomhair ranganna? Faigheann sí deontas ón gComhairle Ealaíon ach bíonn uirthi dul ina haonair os rud é nach bhfuil cúnamh airgid ann chuige sin. Nach dona an scéal é ó thaobh sábháilteachta de? An mbeadh aon leigheas ag an Aire ar a leithéid de chás?
Ba mhaith liom a chur i gcuimhne don Teachta arís go raibh cruinniú agam féin le baill Cothú, cruinniú a bhí beagáinín neamhfhoirmeálta mar go raibh mé ag oscail comórtais a bhí acu. Ar chúpla ócáid eile bhuail mé leis na baill ag fiontar príobháideach chun cabhrú le himeachtaí ealaíon. Fáiltím go mór roimh na daoine nua ach go háirithe agus moláim na daoine a bhunaigh eagraíochtaí ar nós Cothú. Thar aon rud eile, bhí daoine ann, d'ainneoin na dtosca eacnamaíochta agus an ghanntanas airgid a lean leis an obair a bhí ar siúl acu agus tá mise iontach buíoch díobh as sin. Rinne siad an-íobairt.
Maidir leis an chás a luaigh an Teachta, níl mise sásta go mbeadh iallach ar thuismitheoirí ligean do dhaoine óga imeacht as réigiún ar bith de dheasca gan na háiseanna cuí bheith ar fáil acu ann chun an ceol a shaothrú. Luaigh an Teachta cailín óg a raibh uirthi taisteal go Corcaigh agus tá cailíní eile agus buachaillí ag plé leis an cheol san iarthar agus nuair a bhaineann siad staid áirithe amach níl aon áit ann dóibh. Tá mé ag smaoineamh ar áiseanna réigúnacha agus tá mé ag déanamh iarrachta na bunstruchtúir a shocrú. Má éiríonn liom maidir leis na Cistí Struchtúrtha beidh seans ann freastal ar na riachtanais sin ionas nach mbeidh ar dhaoine óga taisteal.
Maidir leis an phointe eile, faoi dhuine fhásta dul in éineacht léi, cuirfidh mé an cheist seo faoi bhráid na Comhairle Ealaíon; b'fhéidir go dtabharfaidh an Teachta na sonraí dom. Ar bhealach is rud sealadach é sin. Tá bearnaí atá níos práinní fós a chaithfear a líonadh.
We have talked a great deal about allocations for various bodies and increasing expenditure in respect of those bodies. Would the Minister agree that what is most needed is a statement from him in regard to his cultural policy? I do not mean a press statement or a short statement in the Dáil but a considered long term statement about the development of culture, the arts and broadcasting which would enable us address the issue on which we are seeking to obtain information in the context of the Minister's overall policy in respect of that.
I appreciate the philosophical correctness and practicality of the Deputy's suggestion. Since I became Minister on January 12 much has happened in those five areas. They have absorbed nearly all my time. I am happy with the progress that has been made. I agree with the Deputy's suggestion and I intend to prepare a document on the lines he referred to. I have gone a great deal of the way towards that in preparing the heritage initiative for submission to the Department of Finance for Structural Funds. I do not wish to delay the House but the Deputy's suggestion is a good one. It has been my practice to leave the Department at night and visit different groups, for example, the film community, broadcasters, community arts people and others and explain to them what I am doing. I will prepare a paper and I can tell the Deputy what its departure point is. It is towards a democratic theory of culture emphasising participation that will immediately reject theories of elitism and within this democratic theory of culture I will give expression to strategies for achieving participation across the five areas. For example, I have said in debates on broadcasting that I have favoured the democratic right of people within the communicative order to be the arrow in communication rather than to be its target. Having regard to that commitment I will be developing these values and it will assist if I put it together in a comprehensive statement.