Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I would be interested to hear from the Deputy exactly which of the quangos in my Department she feels should be removed. When we talk about any one of them on an individual basis all of us can appreciate the value of what they do. The Arts Council does what it does as does the Irish Film Board. For its size the Irish Film Board generates enormous interest in film in this country and brings a great deal of money here. I have met with producers the board has brought in from abroad. The board provides a superb programme and does superb work in promoting young Irish and independent filmmakers and attracting investment into Ireland. The same is true of Culture Ireland which is under the Department, as it were, but is separate in all the international work it does. It has outlined a programme for the United States for next year which I believe will have a significant knock-on effect, not only for culture and the arts here but in profiling a very positive image of Ireland at a time when we need to get that positive message out.

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