James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will develop multi-annual funding for the Arts Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4858/08]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on the way the failure of budget 2008 to provide the Arts Council with multi-annual funding or an increase in funding above the rate of inflation equates with his Department's stated goal of creating an environment which enables arts and culture to flourish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4769/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 121 together.

Funding of the Arts Council, as with all Departments and State agencies, is a matter for consideration under the annual budget and Estimates process. In doing so, the Government must balance competing demands from every part of our economy and society.

I am aware of the Arts Council's desire to have multi-annual budgets, having met with the council on a number of occasions. I appreciate the need for stability in budgeting that such a measure would provide, but my Department, like other Departments, must work within the annual current expenditure budgets provided through the Estimates process. However, I will continue to pursue this issue with my colleague, the Minister for Finance.

By any standards the Arts Council has seen dramatic increases in its funding allocation in recent years, increasing by over 72% from €47.67 million in 2002 to €82.102 million this year. These are significant amounts of taxpayers' money in any context which have effectively transformed the arts by facilitating increased access and participation in the full spectrum of art forms throughout the country.

The Government's sustained commitment to the arts is evidenced by these substantial increases in funding, including supplementary funding of €5 million at the end of 2007. Specifically, this level of funding has enabled the Arts Council to dramatically increase both the number of organisations it supports and the level of funding it provides. In 2006, the Arts Council supported 330 regularly-funded organisations which employ 2,000 people; 170 festivals; 251 artists, through bursaries and the Cnuas provided to members of Aosdána; and 41 artist-in-residence programmes, spread across hospitals, schools, communities and prisons. A number of new initiatives have been introduced by the Arts Council as a result of this additional funding, including touring, small festivals, opera and a community music scheme.

This Government is committed to supporting the arts and will continue to work with the Arts Council as part of this programme.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I have raised this issue before as have many others and I do not wish to labour the point. The Arts Council cannot plan if it does not have multi-annual funding. If the Arts Council cannot make plans then the groups it funds cannot make plans. The Minister and everybody else will know that any business unable to make plans will be inefficient. The money which the Minister gives the Arts Council will be partly wasted as a result and the outcomes will not be optimum because the money is not being expended efficiently. We all know this is the case. The Fianna Fáil manifesto said it and the programme for Government acknowledged the need for annual funding. Did the Minister make any pitch for multi-annual funding to the Minister for Finance? Such funding would be a more sensible approach. The Government acknowledges the need for efficiency in other areas such as in the roads programme where there is multi-annual funding. I am not asking for more money but rather a sensible way of allocating money so the groups funded through the Arts Council can have some ability to make forward plans.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I have informed the Arts Council that I will continue to pursue its interest in multi-annual funding. This should not distract the council from being able to anticipate a fairly strong level of funding and to be accurate in anticipating what that funding will be. If it considers the funding for recent years, it will be in a good position to calculate what the annual figures should be. I accept this does not work because the council needs to be able to make legal commitments. I have sympathy for the case and I will continue to pursue the matter and discuss it with my colleague, the Minister for Finance. However, it should not distract the Arts Council from its work, given that it has a fairly high level of funding which it is well able to calculate.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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The Minister has compared the figures for 2002 and 2008 and it gives the impression of a very substantial increase. However, the comparison of figures for 2007 and 2008 shows a modest €2 million. The Arts Council has requests for funding of more than €130 million. It is therefore a long way short of what the council needs in order to deliver on its programme.

The key point is the need for multi-annual funding. The Arts Council must book an orchestra or an international opera star two or three years in advance. It is extremely difficult for the council to do this if it cannot guarantee the funding in advance. This is at the heart of the need for the multi-annual funding, not to mention the layers of bureaucracy that go with having to repeat its application annually.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I can see the need for advance funding in the case of a special event. I have said to the Arts Council and to the other agencies under the aegis of the Department that if such a situation arises, the Department can discuss how the organisation being bid for can be reassured that the amount of payment will not be an issue. My Department could work with the Arts Council if it needs to pursue a particular project and requires that level of assurance from Government. I have undertaken to continue to work on this issue. Every organisation would prefer certainty and a rolling budget as opposed to an annual renewable budget but I do not accept it should hold back the council to any substantial extent. I agree it would be more comforting but I do not believe it will interfere with its day-to-day work.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister seems to be missing the point. It is not that it would be more comfortable but rather it would be efficient. People are questioning why we proceed with building new arts facilities around the country — although everybody wants their own arts facility — when we are unable to provide performances in the existing facilities. Neither can the existing facilities make plans for necessary refurbishment. For instance, a facility will not be able to pay for a new lighting system out of a single year's allocation; it must be able to plan ahead. If it makes sense to plan ahead at Government level then it surely makes sense at this lower level also.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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We should not confuse two streams of funds. The annual Arts Council funding is current money——

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am quite aware of what is meant by current money and capital money. When money is not available for the day-to-day running of the existing facilities why then produce new facilities?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I was about to explain that the second stream of money is called ACCESS and this provides capital money. I will make an announcement about those capital funds shortly. A total of €184 million in the national development programme is provided specifically for the kind of bricks and mortar and investment in infrastructure to which the Deputy refers. There would be no need to have facilities which are subject to under-investment, given the current ACCESS programme which is now complete and the future programme which I hope to begin shortly.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I think this is rubbish.