Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Mo bhuíochas do Fhianna Fáil gur chuir siad an rún seo síos. I will first declare an interest as I am a director of Féile an Phobail, the west Belfast people's festival, which is an unpaid position. I cannot imagine life without the arts, without music, dance, theatre, writing, language, our customs and traditions and all that makes us a people. Gan seo bheimís gan anam. Sin mo bharúil in aon chor.

I commend Professor Diarmaid Ferriter on his principled stand in protest against the Government's proposal to merge several key national institutions. However, the Government does not appear to have any intention of listening to or of allowing the views of the cultural sector into its considerations. It appears that the Government believes that it, and only it, will determine the future of our nation's cultural and artistic heritage. This is wrong. The arts in any society are unique because they encompass all that is creative and good about the human condition. They occupy a special place which should be guarded, protected, independent and free from political interference.

The National Cultural Institutions Act 1997, which was initiated by President Michael D. Higgins when he was Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, envisaged such safeguards. However, since the McCarthy report and since the Government started implementing austerity measures, there is real concern across the arts and cultural sector, among scholars and in civil society about the future of the arts. I formed the view some time ago, and before he was appointed the Minister, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, was well disposed to the arts. In fairness, he is a fine writer, an artist in his own right and a proud Kerryman steeped in Cumann Lúthchleas Gael.

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