Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am also pleased to contribute to this discussion. I welcome the Minister and compliment him on his interest in this area. He has for a long time demonstrated great interest and support for the arts. One Government backbencher said some people thought the Government would attack the arts. We are living in difficult times and there is always time for assessment, with value for money never being more important than it is now. It is only right and proper that we would review the position. The Minister has launched a number of initiatives and he has given more than €63 million to the Arts Council this year. He also launched a two-year pilot project recently, the Arts Council's RAISE: Building Fundraising Capacity, which is a second important development in philanthropic support for the arts.

The arts is a broad term and gives expression to many different forms of culture and preservation of our culture. I compliment the various groups, individuals and promoters of arts festivals throughout the country who have given a great bang for their buck over the years. I also compliment the arts officers, including Sally O'Leary and Melanie Scott, in my own county for the work they have done over the years, as they ploughed a lone furrow.

I refer to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, CCE, and Fleadh Ceol na hÉireann, which gives great expression to music, song and dance. I visited the event in Cavan earlier this year and I was very impressed. I am delighted some of my own family achieved an all-Ireland win in set dancing. I saw a report on RTE's "Nationwide" programme presented by Mary Kennedy about the arts events taking place in tandem with the fleadh before I attended. I visited the various artistic events and it was amazing. I acknowledge it is the third year the fleadh has been held in Cavan and the county manager is supportive of the event but this is a new concept. We had the fleadh in Clonmel three years in a row more than a decade ago. The fleadh generates €30 million for the economy and it is right to embrace the wider arts. There is a vibrant arts officer in Cavan and she brought in more people involved in different forms of the arts such as live art and modern art, which was viewable in churches and other grounds and outdoor exhibitions. It was wonderful and these events will continue when the fleadh takes place in Derry next year. I wish those involved great success as it will the first year the fleadh will be held across the Border in the 60 years of its existence.

Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú is director general of CCE and I must compliment his wife, Una Bean Uí Murchú, for the work she has done in the Brú Ború cultural centre in Caiseal Mumhan, Contae Tiobraid Arann. Gach samhradh, tá rince, ceol agus craic agus baineann a lán daoine an taitneamh as an chomhluadar sin. Many foreign groups visit the centre and the Brú Ború group has travelled the world and done tremendous work abroad on behalf of Irish culture, heritage and tourism.

We were at a presentation about The Gathering in the Leinster House audiovisual room. I encourage co-operation with Ceoltas and other groups throughout the country that have done so much. They should be facilitated by the Government and others in assisting with The Gathering. They have the contacts and the appeal of shows such as Riverdance.

The Brú Ború Cultural Centre has a wonderful archive operating on a shoestring budget, with assistance from FÁS. It is the vision of Una Bean Uí Murchú and has done tremendous work in preserving the archive and much of our folklore, history, family names and traditions in Tipperary and beyond. I hope it will be embraced in the National Archives. Painstaking work has been done over the course of two decades by students who seek careers as archivists. They have not received the recognition they deserve.

Business to Arts and Philanthropy Ireland must work together to get value for money. I have no hangups about people of wealth or business people engaging in philanthropy. As a small-time organiser involved in boards and initiatives in my community, I have often approached business people - without discussion about philanthropy - and asked upfront for donations. This may have been to help a naíonra, a gaelcholáiste, an arts festival or a community festival. They always gave the money up front and willingly. Many of them did not want their names to be known or did not want to benefit from sponsorship.

The Minister has another problem with the sponsorship by drink companies in the area that the former Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, worked. The companies get bang for their buck but we cannot close the door on it. Sporting organisations and other groups cannot be left to swing and told that we have changed and moved on. This must be dealt with delicately and we must also deal with the multiples in the way they sell and market drink. The drinks companies have given good value for money to community groups and national sporting organisations.

Compared to our nearest neighbours, Irish people are very generous. We have become more generous since the recession. We have a proud record of being missionary people all over the world. With the proper education and encouragement, we will give more to the arts. People recognise this as a valuable part of our heritage, ár dúchas. I compliment South Tipperary Count Council on its involvement in projects before and during the Celtic tiger. The per cent for arts scheme was very good but I am disappointed with the reaction of the Minister for Justice and Equality to the fact that so many artistic features have been attacked, stripped down and melted for scrap. Many Members on the Government benches supported my Bill to deal with this but there is no sign of a Government Bill to address the point. Our arts, our artistic features, our heritage and our protected buildings are under attack. These are all part of the artistic scene. Not only is it a savage blow to the artists who created features, in many cases plebiscites had been held to decide on the artistic feature. There is great interest from artists, who make submissions on what artistic feature should be chosen. After they are commissioned, completed and unveiled, for them to be violently taken down in the matter of minutes with machinery, then taken away, melted and sold with no traceability is an appalling attack and a shame. It undoes the good work of the per cent for art scheme and has a devastating affect on the artist. In County Laois, a memorial for young people who had been killed in the community was attacked by cowardly gangsters, who have respect for neither man nor beast. They destroyed this feature and melted it down for sheer naked greed.

It is timely to have statements today but we would not have had the debate but for the flight of the earls on the Government jet to Brussels. The Government jet could not take them all so they had to fly on Aer Lingus. I wish them a speedy trip and a safe journey back but it is an ill wind that blows no good.

See this speech in context