Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Humphreys, a number of questions about Creative Ireland which the Taoiseach and the Minister announced to a great deal of fanfare before Christmas. The answers were distinctly lacking in detail about what exactly Creative Ireland is going to mean and what is the long-term commitment. I understand that €5 million is allocated to Creative Ireland, which does not seem to be a very large amount. Some €1 million allocated to local authorities for community programmes and spread out among all our local authorities seems like a fairly derisory amount. The arts community has a question. Is that additional €5 million a long-term, ongoing commitment or is it a once-off €5 million? How is that money to be spent and what will it be spent on?

I also asked the Minister, and did not get clarity, about social welfare entitlements for artists.

There was a specific request that artists, who often work intermittently but who do not get paid when they are not directly employed or employed in the business of creating work, would need specific recognition in regard to jobseeker's allowance. I seek clarity on what the Government is going to do to assist our artists and not have them chased up.

I have no doubt about the Taoiseach's creative talents and his talent for storytelling and so on but I was a little surprised that Creative Ireland is going to be directed by himself and a number of senior Ministers with no advice from actual artists themselves. Will he explain why it is the Taoiseach and Ministers who will direct Creative Ireland, rather than having advice from actual artists, if we are to have a grassroots approach to developing the arts?

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