Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her opening statement. I have a number of questions on programme A - arts, culture and film. As outlined by the Minister the allocation for Cruinniú na Cásca was €1.25 million, which was a huge success and a flagship project nationally. An allocation of €0.6 million was provided to RTÉ to, produce, deliver and curate Cruinniú na Cásca and €850,000 was set aside to enable the OPW to organise the event in terms of logistics, security, event control etc.. Perhaps the Minister would provide us with a breakdown of the artists who participated in this event and what they received in monetary terms. Also, will this be an annual event going forward and, if so, how much will artists gain from it in terms of support?

A total of €0.9 million has been allocated for citizens' engagement. The Creative Ireland supplement in The Irish Timesand the Irish Independentis a huge part of that. They are both PR exercises for Creative Ireland. What do the artists gain from such expenditure or the events that are promoted?

I ask the Minister to comment further on the festivals partnership which got an overall allocation of €0.49 million. Some wonderful festivals have taken place such as the Dalkey book festival, the Galway Arts Festival, the Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Dublin Theatre Festival, among others. The expenditure to date is €350,000. Could the Minister provide a clear outline on how Creative Ireland funding was made available to the directors of those festivals and what was involved in the application procedure?

I ask the Minister to provide an update on the administration costs of Creative Ireland. The director, John Concannon, has moved on to the Taoiseach's office. I would like a brief outline on the position in terms of his replacement and the continuation of Creative Ireland.

Harassment and bullying comes under this section. The point we were trying to make in the Dáil yesterday and that Deputy Tóibín tried to make here today is that while nobody wants the Minister to interfere with the decisions of the Arts Council on where funding is allocated, if an arts organisation in Cavan or Monaghan or elsewhere in the country makes an application to the Arts Council for funding certain boxes would have to be ticked before the application is even considered. I refer to child protection, health and safety and other such issues. I am sure the Minister would agree with committee members that harassment and bullying should be of the utmost importance when we see what has transpired and the revelations that have come about in reputable cultural organisations and institutions. The question is whether the Minister will ensure that the Arts Council has a brief and meets criteria in terms of the successful applicants to whom it allocates funding, that it ticks the boxes and ensures there are policies in place that not only support and protect staff but facilitates them to speak up, have a voice and not live in fear. Getting funding should be contingent on the fact that such an important box would be ticked on any application form. The Minister has a role to play in that regard. It is not a question of asking the Minister to interfere with the decisions of the Arts Council but of asking her to ensure that a policy on the very important issue of harassments and bullying is in place before any cultural institution or arts organisation would be even considered for funding.