Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am aware of those calls and I met representatives of the National Campaign for the Arts. I will meet them again next week. Representatives of cultural institutions were here earlier and I regularly meet their chairpersons. I am in touch with all the different organisations, including the Heritage Council and the Arts Council, where I attended an event this morning. I am very conscious of the need for resources to be maintained and increased in all these areas, as they all do tremendous work. The point is there must be a level of realism in expectations for the budget. I will certainly make the case but it will not be easy. The budget negotiations continue and it must be agreed. We have all been told the envelope is very small.