Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have two queries for the Minister. First, I welcome the announcement of €25 million in funding for the Arts Council. Many politicians here and at local authority level were lobbied hard on this matter over recent months and the funding is broadly welcomed. Following on from that, a number of small cinemas, theatres, local arts groups and arts centres are looking to reopen post-Covid but many of them have charitable status and, therefore, may not be eligible for the programme that is being offered in terms of rates rebates and so on. Has any facility been opened specifically for those groups, particularly if they do not qualify for the existing programme because they did not pay rates in 2019? We all know the importance of the arts, especially in this period. Many of us who attend small cinemas and local theatres miss that form of entertainment. As soon as we can get those buildings retrofitted and kitted out for life post-Covid, it will be most welcome. I would like to hear what steps the Department is taking to allow that to happen.

The second issue I want to raise concerns the Harper's Island bird sanctuary in Glounthaune, County Cork. Both the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Cork County Council are doing a great job in funding that facility, which protects the predominantly winter birds there, and the associated local amenity walk. As I was reading the programme for Government document, I was hoping that all the funding that is being sidelined for greenways and that type of activity will have a trickle-down effect on wildlife habitats like Harper's Island. Anybody in this House who, like me, comes from a local authority background - I spent six years on Cork County Council - will know that we are great to talk about heritage, ecology and biodiversity but when it comes to boots on the ground in each of the local authorities, it can be a different matter. In Cork County Council, for example, we have one heritage officer and one ecologist. We are great in here at talking about the tremendous work these people do but that is not much use if we do not resource them.

I hope that if a Government is formed and a programme for Government is delivered there will be real emphasis on these areas. We need to stop using the issue as a talking point and deliver on the ground. Unfortunately, while the local authorities are doing great work in this area they are under-resourced and so much of the responsibility is surrendered to local community groups. That needs to change.

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