Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister the very best in her new role as Minister for regional development, rural affairs, arts and the Gaeltacht. It is a huge role and she has a huge task ahead.

Arts are a fundamental part of our society, not only because of their intrinsic value but also due to the measurable impact on our physical health, mental health, social well-being, our education system, our national status and our economy. Our arts and culture are a strategic national resource that need to be cherished and invested in. The Government needs to truly take on board the enormous contribution which the arts have made and can continue to make to our economy and society.

I call on the Minister to fight for investment in the arts and to bring the capital investment from 0.11% of GDP to at least 0.3%, bearing in mind that the EU average is 0.6% of GDP. I also call on the Minister to examine the level of arts funding provided to west Cork. The arts in west Cork are among the lowest funded in the country. When measured as Arts Council funding per capita, Dublin gets €51.31, Cork City gets €22.95 and County Cork gets only €3.42. West Cork is a hub for the arts with over 530,000 people visiting the area for the arts last year. An example of the success of the arts in west Cork is its three music festivals in Bantry which deliver an economic impact of just under €2.5 million and 21 local jobs. Visitor numbers exceed 5,000 with 26% of the visitors coming from abroad. For every €1 provided in funding €7.60 is delivered. I call on the Minister to improve the arts funding for west Cork and please to treat rural Ireland equally in terms of funding and therefore opportunities. I also urge the Minister to consider creating tax incentives for those who wish to support the arts in this country.

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, [and] to enjoy the arts”. I ask the Minister please to increase funding for the arts to ensure that everyone in Ireland can experience and participate in the arts. Like Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, I congratulate the Minister on the work she did to bring "Star Wars" to Kerry. It came to my area too, which will be a huge economic boost to Brow Head, Crookhaven, Goleen and west Cork. It has left a mark that will not be forgotten and may encourage others to invest there.

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