Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for his positive remarks. Any suggestions that will be made on this will be welcome. As I said a while ago, once I have had a chance to meet all the relevant stakeholders and also had the chance to review the documentation that is going to be submitted to the Department when it is done, I will have no problem in engaging with Opposition spokespersons on their suggestions. We are going to be heading fast into the budgetary cycle when we are going to be preparing for the Estimates for next year. I would like to hear the practical ideas of how people feel that town centres and city centres can be improved both from a cultural and social point of view but also in terms of practical measures the Department can help with and with which local authorities can also help. Many people often refer to things that are outside the scope of the Department in terms of arts and culture - it might be public realm- or it might be local authority-related matters - but there is no reason that our role cannot be used as a conduit for information to flow to the relevant agency in that matter.

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