Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I believe the arts portfolio is in the wrong Department. It was a makey-up type of creation at the formation of the Government and the artistic community rightly rebelled against it. The one good dividend from it was that it led to a reconsideration by the Government as a whole on the arts front. While the Creative Ireland document is positive in itself, there is a lack of beef, a lack of capacity, in terms of the funding behind it. Overall, there has been a lack of vision regarding the arts and a lack of a national policy towards the arts in the last five or six years that fully embraces and utilises the energies of local authorities and the Department of Education and Skills, along with the Arts Council and others, to support artists and to develop strong support of arts and culture throughout the country.

When the Taoiseach says a majority of the €18 million in current funding was used in the 1916 spending programme, how much was retained for current arts funding in 2017? How much of the capital funding of €31 million was retained, or has it been classed as once-off and, hence, dramatically reduced?

Around the country there are a lot of art centre schemes that could be upgraded and that need development.

Maidir leis na Gaeltachtaí agus leis an nGaeilge, is léir go bhfuil feabhas mór tagtha ar labhairt agus ar chruinneas na Gaeilge ar fud na tíre de bharr an réablóid sa Ghaelscolaíocht. Tá i bhfad níos mó daoine óga anois in ann an teanga a labhairt go líofa agus go nádúrtha de bharr na Gaelscoileanna. Ach ní hé sin fáth nó réasún chun tacaíocht a tharraingt siar ós na Gaeltachtaí. Tá níos mó ná an Ghaeilge amháin ag baint leis na Gaeltachtaí. Tá cultúr ann agus, de ghnáth, is áiteanna iargúlta iad. Ba chóir an infheistíocht atá ann a choiméad sna Gaeltachtaí.

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