Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)

In March 2010, the Minister appointed an interim board for Irish National Opera. The task of the interim board was to examine the legal financial, artistic, staffing and institutional structures necessary to set up an Irish national opera company. In the event, Irish National Opera company was not incorporated so the question of a collapse, as referred to by the Deputy, does not arise.

The interim board contained a very significant gathering of expertise in the area of opera, including the chairman, Mr. Ray Bates, former director of the National Lottery; Ms Virginia Kerr, an internationally renowned soprano and chair of the Opera Theatre Company; Mr. Thomas Lynch, chair of Opera Ireland; and Sir Brian McMaster, chairman of the National Opera Studio in the UK and former managing director of the Welsh National Opera. The interim board also sought the advice of international opera experts on the necessary funding required for an Irish national opera company.

These opera experts, following a thorough examination of all aspects, concluded that an Irish national opera company would require a minimum annual State contribution of €4.5 million in a full year of production if it were to be successful. This compared to a total of €2.2 million paid in 2010 to Opera Ireland and the Opera Theatre Company.

The opera experts further advised that the project should not proceed if this level of funding was not forthcoming. It is possible that at another juncture this project would have proceeded but, given the current budgetary climate, it was not possible to increase opera provision by this level.

New proposals such as an Irish national opera company should be carefully analysed before taking action. The interim board of Irish National Opera, over the past year, carefully considered and analysed the situation, consulting with the relevant parties and with the best available expertise. This meant that the advice available to the interim board commanded due consideration and could not be easily set aside.

When I assumed the role of Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, I examined the available advice and I considered that the best option was the resumption of the arrangement whereby the Arts Council would assume the entire responsibility for all opera policy provision and implementation into the future. I communicated that to the chair and director of the Arts Council last month.

As part of the overall provision for opera, the council may consider it appropriate to draw on the expertise and information which was developed under the auspices of the interim board. Future funding is a matter statutorily for the council.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the chairman and members of the interim board for their work and commitment over the past year. The members received no payment for their work on the interim board.

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