Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. The point made by Deputy Ann Phelan was significant. It was news to me to hear that Kilkenny is the cultural heart of the country. Cork was the European capital of culture in 2005 and it was a remarkable year for the city. I echo the point Deputy Phelan made about our cities, that is, culture is of great importance to the regions of our nation. Unquestionably, the capital city has contributed a great deal to the sector as well. When people think about our country, our rich culture and tradition of music and art come to their minds. We are fortunate that the Minister understands the significance of these institutions. The recent donation of one of the country's most significant art collections to the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork was well received and a signal that culture spreads across our island.

Fianna Fáil's motion tries to erase the 14 years that party spent in Government. We are in difficult economic times and Ministers are forced to investigate reform and cost saving measures not only in the arts but also in our hospitals, the Garda and social welfare system. Nobody likes to speak about cuts or cost savings in the context of the arts and culture but several key cultural organisations have themselves suggested areas which could be streamlined while maintaining services and allowing people to enrich themselves through the cultural experiences our country offers. Some of the most important participants in this process are our local authorities. I encourage them to continue to provide funding for arts officers because cultural funding at local level provides some of the greatest benefits. This is an area which needs to be monitored by the Government.

More work can be done to develop a legacy from our significant investments in arts and culture, such as the capital of culture in 2005. Too often we call a halt after holding an event but there is potential to develop legacies from many of our cultural activities. I understand a major programme is planned for the Presidency of the European Union in 2013. We need to work towards securing a legacy from these events.

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