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

The process was undertaken on the advice of Government; it was a Government direction outlined in the programme for Government.

The Department set up a reform unit and a reform committee and took the entire process very seriously. A vast amount of consultation was carried out by people who have been dealing with these national cultural institutions for the past 20 years in many cases and who know precisely what is going on within them. Consequently, I believe the result the Department comes up with will be in the best interest of the aforementioned cultural institutions and I have absolute confidence in the people who carried out this review. They have served with many Ministers, most of them from the Deputy's own party, over the past 20 years. I reiterate I have the highest confidence in and esteem for these people.

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