Ms Liz Meaney:

The Arts Council has memorandum of understanding with the County and City Management Association, CCMA, where we discuss issues as they are referred to the arts. What we can commit to doing today is bringing this forward to the next management liaison group meeting with the CCMA to discuss this matter and look at that. We share common priorities around how we transparently allocate and support the arts on a joint basis. As Ms Traynor said, it is a very complex pattern. There are small venues that are supported by local authorities and there are venues that are supported by both the Arts Council and, on occasion, the Department. There is a whole range of different circumstances.

In the first instance, the Arts Council is deeply committed to leading forward strongly in ensuring that our organisations are upholding the highest standards and pushing forward as leaders. However, we need to look at the broader context and what we can do to effect change.