Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will have to agree to disagree on the issue of operating at arm's length. That said, I am not expecting the Minister to micro-manage arts centres, as he knows, but it is reasonable for the public to expect the Minister responsible for the arts to have a discussion with the local authorities and the Arts Council to ensure there are proper models of financial management in place. The taxpayer has invested substantially in arts centres. We depend on them to bring the arts alive for so many citizens. They play a vital role in that regard. I encourage the Minister, while adopting an arm's length approach, to stimulate both the Arts Council and local authorities to fulfil the role they should be playing in this regard.

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