Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am not being political when I highlight that the concerns expressed in the motion correspond to measures promised in the budget of 2009 by the party then in government. I raise this because at the time I was wary of the proposals and I would still be wary were they to be introduced as fashioned at that time, that is, without any real public consultation, any cost benefit analysis or any functional rationale for the changes. The debate is timely and I am glad that a public consultation process is ongoing. I urge the Minister to ensure it will be a real public consultation process and that there will be an opportunity for the artistic community to respond to any proposals before they are set in legislation.

I welcome the Minister's statement that the Government has committed to programming and curatorial independence, whatever reforms are brought forward. The absence of this is a real fear of the artistic community, a fear I share. It is the fear that the freedom and independence traditionally held by these institutions would be taken from them upon being absorbed into the Department, a move seen as the kiss of death to creativity. Changes to boards and changes to terms of reference and administration can have the same effect and I urge the Minister to be cautious in how he proceeds in this regard.

One thing this country has got right is support for the arts. A small but significant investment has leveraged considerable creative activity and audience participation, which is equally important. There is a considerable payback for the taxpayer's investment. I acknowledge that some of the artistic community take the view that we should not discuss the effect that we have abroad by driving inward investment and artistic tourism. These people maintain that there should be art for art's sake in Ireland but I disagree because an internationally successful and cultural and artistic image is good for our economy. Through music, literature, dance and film Ireland, as a small and remote island in the world, can communicate its sense of identity to the rest of the world. Projecting a positive identity is important not only for our economy but for our sense of self worth. We need only recall the desolation we felt as a nation only some years ago when the international media referred to us as the economic basket-case of Europe. At that time the only good news coming from Ireland was from the artistic community and its successes. We all basked in these successes and they reinforced our sense of national self worth.

Success is fragile and I put it to the Minster that we tamper at our peril with structures that have allowed the arts to thrive in Ireland. The Minister is correct to state that no organisation or recipient of taxpayer's money is above examination or reform. The institutions involved have brought forward ideas to save money and improve their activities.

The artistic community is not inflexible or resistant to change. On the contrary, it is one of the drivers of change in society and the challengers of the status quo and when it expresses reservations about change we should listen to what it has to say. Naturally, we all recognise that there must be savings, changes to back-room services, sharing of services and so on. There should be more outward-looking boards as well and perhaps the organisations should be somewhat more commercial. This much is accepted but I put it to the Minister that it should be sacrosanct that the artistic and cultural instructions maintain their independent and freedom, especially from political interference.

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