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

I thank the Minister for her response. I recently met ARRO, the Association of Artists Representative Organisations, which represents organisations such as Irish Equity, the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, Visual Artists Ireland, the Musicians' Union of Ireland, the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and the Association of Irish Composers, all of which represent working artists. The story ARRO had to tell was one of cuts in the allocation to the Arts Council over the years and their impact on artists. The budgets of the organisations for which ARRO works have been cut and, in turn, payments to artists and the contracts available have all been reduced.

Approximately 60,000 people work in the arts, the great majority of whom make a valued contribution not only to the welfare of the country, but also to its commercial life. Two issues arose from my meeting with ARRO, the first of which related to copyright, while the second related to competition rules for artists. I ask the Minister to address both these issues.

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