Ms Orlaith McBride:

The Deputy is absolutely right. We have withdrawn funding to more than 100 organisations since 2008. As we lost one third of our funding, we ceased to fund approximately one third of the organisations we were funding in 2008. That was an inevitable consequence of our reduction in funding.

The Deputy asked about balanced distribution across the country and the perception of disproportionate cuts to venues and local authorities. We apportion the same reduction across all art forms and all areas of practice. So it is not true to say that venues across the country have been disproportionately cut in terms of their funding. It would have taken the same proportionate cut as every other area of our expenditure. I accept there have been cuts and we have had to make tough decisions. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis as opposed to comparing one organisation with another in a particular county.

Mr. Ó Coigligh spoke about arts venues and spatial planning. Many venues throughout the country were built without any conversation with the Arts Council. So they were not part of a planned policy of the Arts Council working in partnership with local authorities. Our new strategy document clearly states that there needs to be a much more strategic partnership between the national government spend on capital investment and the Arts Council's spend. For the past 30 years, national government has made decisions on capital expenditure and then the Arts Council has been asked to step up to the plate in terms of the day-to-day running costs. We need to have greater alignment between national and local investment in infrastructure in coming years.

I did not understand what was implied about a conflict of interests and that the Arts Council should not be making-----