Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In a time of fiscal austerity, cutbacks, mass unemployment and national despondency the arts offer a valuable and creative outlet for people. In a mature society that values expression and creativity, the arts have the potential to enrich lives. They help us to think about the world and our place in it in a more imaginative, innovative and abstract way.

Sinn Féin again calls on the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, to respect and adhere to the arms length principle and to meet with the national campaign for the arts and other representative organisations. We urge the Minister to recognise that cuts to our key cultural institutions have the potential to cause long-term and irreparable damage to the National Archives and to the nation's collective history. For example, the National Library, which is primarily responsible for the processing and preserving of publications and historic documentary material, has again had its budget cut. This is in spite of the fact that since 2008, this key national institution has suffered a decline in purchasing power of 85% and had its overall budget cut by 44% in the same period.

As we begin the decade of commemoration, it is imperative that we have independent, robust, and well-funded national artistic and cultural institutions. Only then can the various commemorations be seen as an opportunity to revisit our past, with the aim of building a more equal and caring society. Sinn Féin calls on the Minister to develop an all-Ireland approach to arts and culture. We urge him to remember that the societal value of rare institutions often far exceeds their monetary value. On heritage, the Government's proposal to sell off Coillte harvesting rights will have a direct negative impact on 11 forest parks and more than 150 recreation sites. For more than 50 years, the use of the publically-owned Coillte estate by the people of Ireland has been made possible by the open access policy. Privatisation would undoubtedly bring an end to this and would also have a serious impact on domestic and international tourism. More importantly, according to the Bacon report no argument has been formulated to support the economic rationale for the sale.

On sport, we are in a situation where clubs, sporting organisations and community groups which were not successful in the recent allocation of grants under the sports capital programme will now have to wait until 2015before they can again apply for funding. This is an appalling situation and, as with everything else, its effects are felt more deeply in working class areas where sport is vitally important for young people.

The cuts I have outlined are the result of poorly thought out policy decisions which will have a negative impact on our country and people. Sinn Féin is deeply concerned about the proposal to merge the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Ireland and we also oppose the proposed merger of the National Archives and the Irish Manuscripts Commission. We are also opposed to any change in the arms length principle or to any proposals which would interfere with the independence of key artistic and cultural institutions. The Government has not produced any information on a cost benefit analysis or headcount reductions which would justify the proposed changes but is hell-bent on embarking on a process of amalgamations, mergers, dissolutions of independent boards and non-renewal of vital leadership roles.

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