Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I remind the Minister and I am sure she will remember that as Tánaiste I constantly fought as part of the previous Government with the two Ministers for Finance, including the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to get more funding into the arts. The Minister might acknowledge that when I was Tánaiste I was probably one of her strongest backers around the Cabinet table. I also met many artists. We should remember that many very fine artists in Ireland do not even earn the minimum wage, never mind the living wage. I acknowledge the Minister is saying she does not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the Arts Council but she has just spent time talking to colleagues about arts policy, which must include artists and how they can survive and live.

The initiative I have been involved with in social welfare leads to acknowledgement of people working in the arts, with a certain protocol in place. I was involved with setting that up. I hope it is nothing to do with Aosdána and the cnuas, which is a very specific payment. It is very successful in Ireland and I wish the Minister would acknowledge it, although it was the initiative of a former Taoiseach from another party, Charles J. Haughey and, in particular, Mr. Anthony Cronin. He was one of our finest arts figures and died recently. This is wrong so will the Minister rethink it rapidly please?

See this speech in context