Mr. Eugene Downes:

Absolutely. At the National Campaign for the Arts, there is a strong commitment both to the arm's-length principle and a feeling this is something that must be clearly articulated even at this high-level framework policy, let alone in the implementation plans, for example. That is why we were conscious that there seems to be a gap in the current document in this regard.

As for potential risks, three or four areas could be mentioned. The previous Fine Gael-Labour Party Government announced it would abolish the boards of the National Museum, the National Library and Culture Ireland. The Government proceeded to abolish the board of Culture Ireland and I believe Senator Ó Ríordáin was a Minister of State in that Administration at a later date. While I should declare that I am a former chief executive of Culture Ireland, there was a full board when I was there. The board was abolished and has been replaced by an advisory committee which, shall we say, sounds less robust than a board, notwithstanding the strengths and skills of the people on that advisory committee. Having stated the Government's intention to abolish the boards of the National Museum and National Library, luckily there was a lot of opposition to that and it has not been proceeded with. The Minister has just recently appointed a new board to the National Museum, although there was a long intermissory period without a board. For example, for a long time - until very recently - there has been only a chair and no board members other than the chair of the Heritage Council. Consequently, from the point of view of the National Campaign for the Arts, what would be welcome would be a clear statement by the current Government that the prior policy to abolish the two boards of the National Museum and the National library has been reversed. It de facto appears to have been reversed because a new board has just been appointed to the museum but it would be good to have a clear statement that this policy has been reversed.

As for Culture Ireland, the National Campaign for the Arts certainly would call for the reinstatement of an independent board for that body. In addition, while this is not about a particular Minister or civil servants, there has been a broader pattern in recent years in which significant funding schemes, be they capital or current funding schemes for certain arts projects, for example, are administered by the Department rather than by one of the arm's-length agencies such as the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board or others. Structurally, there is a risk that if one does not have an arm's-length entity administering a funding scheme for particular projects, be they current or capital, one runs the risk of the Minister or a senior civil servant being directly implicated in deciding on the merits, including the artistic merits, of these projects. Again, the National Campaign for the Arts would support the idea of a consistent arm's-length principle when public funds are being awarded in capital or current projects. I do not suggest there should be no exceptions but the expectation should be that the arm's-length principle should be applied. These are a number of areas to which I would point in this regard.