Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans regarding the Irish National Opera Company in view of the company's recent collapse. [16749/11]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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In March 2010, the Minister appointed an interim board for Irish National Opera. The task of the interim board was to examine the legal financial, artistic, staffing and institutional structures necessary to set up an Irish national opera company. In the event, Irish National Opera company was not incorporated so the question of a collapse, as referred to by the Deputy, does not arise.

The interim board contained a very significant gathering of expertise in the area of opera, including the chairman, Mr. Ray Bates, former director of the National Lottery; Ms Virginia Kerr, an internationally renowned soprano and chair of the Opera Theatre Company; Mr. Thomas Lynch, chair of Opera Ireland; and Sir Brian McMaster, chairman of the National Opera Studio in the UK and former managing director of the Welsh National Opera. The interim board also sought the advice of international opera experts on the necessary funding required for an Irish national opera company.

These opera experts, following a thorough examination of all aspects, concluded that an Irish national opera company would require a minimum annual State contribution of €4.5 million in a full year of production if it were to be successful. This compared to a total of €2.2 million paid in 2010 to Opera Ireland and the Opera Theatre Company.

The opera experts further advised that the project should not proceed if this level of funding was not forthcoming. It is possible that at another juncture this project would have proceeded but, given the current budgetary climate, it was not possible to increase opera provision by this level.

New proposals such as an Irish national opera company should be carefully analysed before taking action. The interim board of Irish National Opera, over the past year, carefully considered and analysed the situation, consulting with the relevant parties and with the best available expertise. This meant that the advice available to the interim board commanded due consideration and could not be easily set aside.

When I assumed the role of Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, I examined the available advice and I considered that the best option was the resumption of the arrangement whereby the Arts Council would assume the entire responsibility for all opera policy provision and implementation into the future. I communicated that to the chair and director of the Arts Council last month.

As part of the overall provision for opera, the council may consider it appropriate to draw on the expertise and information which was developed under the auspices of the interim board. Future funding is a matter statutorily for the council.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the chairman and members of the interim board for their work and commitment over the past year. The members received no payment for their work on the interim board.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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It is a tragedy that we find ourselves in this position. The new Government has continually emphasised the importance of cultural tourism but now top quality opera will be unable to be produced in our capital city. Figures suggest that cultural tourists spend seven times more than ordinary tourists.

Given the reduction in funding to the Arts Council in recent years, has the Minister received an assessment yet from the council on the financing of opera up to 2013? If he has, he might explain how it intends to finance opera and, if he has not, when does he expect to receive it?

What is the Minister's view on the development of opera in Ireland in the future? Does he intend to honour the outstanding debts of Opera Ireland guaranteed by his predecessor?

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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During the past five years the taxpayer has spent €50 million on opera here, which is probably more than has been spent on any other genre of music and the arts. The Grand Canal Theatre is currently putting on the opera, "Rigoletto" and the Opera Theatre Company is continuing with its programme so the country is not devoid of opera. This year the Wexford Festival Opera will increase its number of days to 16, which will be an expansive programme. In 2011 the taxpayer or the Government will contribute more than €1.7 million to the Wexford Festival Opera, which is a considerable sum of money given that the Government already spent €30 million on providing a state of the art opera house of international standard.

The Arts Council always had responsibility for the promotion of opera. It has a budget of €2.2 million this year for opera development, promotion and support. I will encourage it to support opera as much as possible in the future.

As the Deputy mentioned, there were problems with Opera Ireland which received a large sum of funding over the years. It received €1.6 million in 2010. There were problems internally in the company and the Arts Council had to help to bail it out.

Overall I am confident that opera will be supported here, that the Arts Council will examine ways and means of promoting opera and making it available to a broader audience not only in the capital city but throughout the country. That can be done in the future.

I advise the Arts Council to consider the Shannon report, which saw Wexford Festival Opera play a major role in the promotion of opera here. Some good proposals were made prior to the Minister deciding we would have a national opera company. The Minister set up an interim board but the Minister who succeeded the former Minister, Mr. Martin Cullen, decided not to provide any funding. Therefore, I had no other option but to hand back responsibility to the Arts Council.