Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2013
53. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the projects that will be deferred and the schemes that will be curtailed in his Department as a result of the reduction in his Department's revenue in budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44628/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe overall allocation for my Department's Vote group, including the Vote for the National Gallery of Ireland, in the recently published budget Estimate for 2014 amounts to €245.7 million. This is a reduction of just under €17 million on 2013 and includes a reduction of some €2.21 million in respect of the EU Presidency cultural programme, which is now completed, and internal departmental administrative efficiencies of some €1.752 million. The remaining reduction of €13 million will be applied across my Department's programmes in a manner that maximises the value for money in this area from what is still a very substantial level of funding. For example, funding of the arts will still exceed €2.3 million per week in 2014.
In addition, the published allocation will be supplemented in 2014 by a number of measures announced on budget day by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. These include €6 million for the Limerick national city of culture 2014; €6 million to fund a number of 1916 commemoration projects; and €5 million for the traditional skills and buildings at risk jobs leverage scheme 2014. This will be directed at renovation projects for buildings which are protected. In that context, I am satisfied that the overall level of resources available to my Department next year will continue to allow it to support arts and culture, maintain our built and natural heritage, develop our language and Gaeltacht areas, and support island communities and the North-South implementation bodies under its aegis.
The final allocation for my Department will be set out in the forthcoming revised Estimates volume, due to be published before the end of the year. I will make a judgment at that time on which programmes and projects will be prioritised, having regard to the additional funding announced on budget day, as well as the reductions that necessarily have to be made as part of my Department's contribution to the overall fiscal consolidation.
I compliment the Minister on securing funding from the sale of the national lottery in particular for the works planned for the national city of culture in Limerick and the projects commemorating the decade of centenaries. This is the sixth successive year of cuts in funding to the Arts Council. Everyone in this House is conscious of the vital contribution the arts make to the quality of Irish life and the importance of the arts at this time of economic difficulties when the morale of the nation is particularly low. How will the Arts Council operate with the reduction envisaged for this year?
There has been a decrease - albeit somewhat modest - in funding to the Irish Film Board. In the past the House has discussed the great success of the film board and the very worthwhile economic activity it generates. Is this cut not unworthy and likely to be counterproductive?
The reduction in funding for the Arts Council is €3.967 million. For the past two years I did my best to cushion the reduction in the allocation for the Arts Council, keeping the reduction well below what it expected. I could not do that this year because there was major pressure from the national cultural institutions. At this stage we are trying to keep them open. For example, the National Museum is under considerable pressure as are the National Library and the other cultural institutions. It was with regret that I had to reduce funding to an extent that I did not have to do in the previous two years when I protected its funding as much as possible.
Artists will benefit and I thank the Deputy for acknowledging that I succeeded in getting €6 million for Limerick city of culture. A large number of artists who would normally get funding through the Arts Council will benefit from this. As there will be a large involvement from the arts community in Limerick city of culture, it will certainly help artists in various ways. I take the Deputy's point and from next year I hope we will be able to reduce the amount of reduction. In the meantime I hope the Arts Council will be able to fund its organisations. It was expecting a 6% reduction because that was in the framework, but I hope it will be able to make economies and live within the budget.
The National Campaign for the Arts has been a fairly stern critic of the Minister's in terms of how it envisages the cuts impacting. It believes that arts programmes will be impacted rather than the costs of administration. How does the Minister respond to that? Can he give the arts community an assurance that in 2015 it will not experience similar cuts impacting across the board? What arts projects and services are likely to be cut as a result of this year's reduction in funding?
The Arts Council is free to make its particular cuts and I cannot influence those or direct it in any way. For the past two years the Arts Council has always acknowledged that its reduction was not commensurate with other reductions. This year, unfortunately, because of so much pressure on the small budget I have, I could not do that to the same extent. However, I have tried other measures to compensate for that in certain ways. Next year, I will again do my best to reduce the impact as much as I can.
Whereas I cannot directly direct the Arts Council I will be talking to those responsible about ways we can work together to ensure economies of scale can be secured and so forth.
I take the Deputy's point. Organisations throughout the country will be challenged because of this reduction. It is important that the Arts Council in its capacity and I as Minister try to ensure that none of these organisations or individuals go out of business because of these reductions. I will do my best to advise and support people as much as possible towards ensuring that end.
