Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy put a point to me about the arts. Of course the arts community wants the further €50 million made available to it last year to be maintained. Of course it does. I understand why it would want that to be maintained. However, the challenge I have, and I am engaged in this with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Humphreys, is how we maintain and how we deal with that need versus all the other needs I must manage at the moment. I am engaged in that matter with the Minister and I, like the Deputy, have a great appreciation for the contribution made by the arts. I know the funding challenges which face the arts community, but I am dealing with many different needs at the moment, and I am working on trying to come up with a fair settlement.

The Deputy raised the issue of our future contribution to the European Union for 2017. I do not have that figure available to me now, but I will get it today or tomorrow for the Deputy. It is something which the Department of Finance manages and we will get the figure for the Deputy directly. I believe I have addressed all the questions.