Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I am pleased to hear that changes are to be proposed. Correspondence I received in August stated that the Department then employed 156 staff, of whom 77, or 48 full-time equivalents, had responsibilities in the arts and culture section. Given the number of staff employed by the Department, why do several quangos continue to exist? The replies to seven parliamentary questions I submitted today state that the Minister has no responsibility to Dáil Éireann for these matters. It is extraordinary that my questions cannot be answered. Why is there such a need for consultancy given the number of staff employed by the Department?

See this speech in context