Vol. 518 No. 1
62 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if her attention has been drawn to the findings of the recent report commissioned by the Arts Council which found that Ireland came close to the bottom of a list of countries surveyed regarding spending on the arts; the proposals, if any, she has to bring spending on the arts more into line with the international norm; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10904/00]
I have read with interest the study prepared for the Arts Council by the International Arts Bureau on comparative study of levels of arts expenditure in selected countries and regions. In drawing conclusions from this study it is important to bear in mind the methodology used and the caveats on international comparisons detailed in section 2. In particular it should be borne in mind that the comparisons relate in general to the period 1995-97 and that certain elements of Irish Government policy in support of the arts have been excluded because it was not possible to quantify the extent of similar elements in other countries.
For this reason, I do not wish to read too much into the position of Ireland in any international league table. The programme for Government, An Action Plan for the Millennium, gives a clear and positive commitment to the development of the arts in Ireland and since my appointment as Minister I have secured dramatic increases in funding for the arts using the definition employed in this study. I welcome this study which will contribute to future debate about appropriate levels of funding for the development of the arts.
