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

There has been some rhetorical acknowledgement of that issue by the Government and Fianna Fáil, largely because of the work of the National Campaign for the Arts and others. In reality, however, the arts budget for 2017 was reduced by 16% on what it was in 2016 and we are at the bottom of the league table when it comes to expenditure on arts as a proportion of gross domestic product, GDP. We do not recognise the value, potential, work or contribution of artists. There is probably nothing that has enhanced Ireland's reputation at every level on the international stage more than arts, poetry and music, yet the level of interest of the political establishment beyond rhetoric is pathetic. That is borne out by the pitifully low level of investment in the arts. Is the Taoiseach's new regime going to recognise this huge gap, begin to back the arts and artists and invest in our cultural talent?

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