Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Pratschke. My first question concerns the policy on local authority funding for the arts. One of the most significant moves we made as a society was to appoint arts officers in each local authority. We can see the benefit of that. Will the Arts Council review the policy whereby it matches funding up to the figure provided by the local authority? The policy holds back development in counties with a poor rates base and without a huge amount of funding to invest. I am talking about Offaly and I hold my hand up in being involved in a voluntary capacity in a regional theatre and an arts centre. We always felt hard done by because the local authority was doing its level best despite the fact that it did not have much money. We were doubly deprived by the Arts Council, which will not give us any more than the local authority. Does this policy warrant examination?

With regard to the future of young artists and people in the arts, Ms Pratschke referred to the development of multimedia and digital gaming. This also applies to young people coming out of drama colleges. Is Ms Pratschke concerned and will she examine whether there should be a business element to courses? In some countries, any arts course, whether literary, visual arts or drama, has a business aspect that prepares the person for seeking employment or becoming self-employed. Will the Arts Council examine this and liaise with the relevant Department? Are we preparing our young people, who are excellent and talented to the extent that we take it for granted? We must acknowledge that they must earn a living and they are entitled to do so. Are we doing enough to value them? We can all appreciate it but my question is whether we value it. Does the Arts Council have a role in examining this?