Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

In the previous Oireachtas I was Minister of State in this Department and we came to the view that the Department needed to change completely. We came to believe that there possibly needed to be a full Department of culture and the arts, with a Cabinet Minister as they have in other European countries. I am horrified that this Government has decided to make the arts a footnote in the Department and not to even have a dedicated Minister of State. This area can be accused unfairly as being elitist or a luxury but groups on the edge of Irish society, such as Travellers, migrants, people living in poverty or with an addiction always turn to the arts to give voice to what they are going through. It is often the only platform they have as they do not have access to mainstream media. I have found that the arts are fundamental to national conversations and if we reduce funding to the arts, as has happened, or do not promote them, we dilute the discussion about equality that every country needs to have.

What are the countries which have Bills or Acts on the status of artists and what has been the effect of such legislation? I believe there is legislation of this type in Canada. Why do the witnesses feel it is so important? My first sentence may have been political but I feel that one thing this cross-party committee can work on collectively would be to produce such a Bill or a report recommending a Bill.