John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

After the establishment of the Arts Council, I established a committee to examine policy for the traditional arts. Subsequently, the committee's report set out a policy framework. It was accepted there was no coherent policy for the traditional arts and they were under-resourced. As a result of the policy document being accepted by the Arts Council, we succeeded in funding the traditional arts. Ever since, they have been flowering.

Following on from this, I established the education and arts committee under Mary Nunan. It is continuing its deliberations with a view to producing a policy document which will be presented some time in May. In the autumn during the Estimates process I hope that under the tenure of whoever is the Minister responsible, the arts and education policy document will be implemented with the same fervour, enthusiasm and enlightenment as the traditional arts policy was.

See this speech in context