Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

I thank the Minister for his reply. Certain exemption schemes involve holiday homes, or stallion services, and nobody can say that the work of a stallion is of any intrinsic artistic merit. Could the Minister give a commitment before the House that he will ask the Arts Council to commission a cost benefit analysis so that the intrinsic social and economic benefit to this country of this scheme, even for high earners, can be finally proven, and that when the silly season comes around again we will not see the same stories scaring the life out of the poorer section of the artistic community?

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