Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For example, Music Network, NAPD, National Association for Principals and Deputy Principals, Other Voices, which is Philip King's project. We had a very successful philanthropy scheme last year. The programme for Government gave a commitment to promote philanthropy as much as possible in order to make up for the shortfall in funds. A pilot scheme was introduced last year with €210,000 which yielded almost €1 million. This was a strict evaluation for the arts community. It encouraged people to start looking beyond the Arts Council or the local authority for funding and to instead connect with the business community and to identify people who would be well-disposed towards funding the arts. That philanthropy scheme was successfully funded under subhead A7 and it worked very well overall.

I refer to paintings and other artistic objects held by the banks and which could or should come into public ownership. For example, AIB provided 39 very important and iconic pieces. From memory these included, Men of the South, Men of the West, On the Run, a portrait of Seán Moylan and many more. These iconic pieces are very representative of the period of the War of Independence and afterwards and are the work of some of our greatest artists. AIB has also made available all of its art collection to the Crawford Gallery of Art. These works can be displayed in any part of the country. AIB has been very generous with such valuable works of art. Anglo Irish Bank donated a number of pieces-----