John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

In the course of the passage of this Bill through the Dáil, I explained that although it was drafted and published before I assumed ministerial responsibility for the arts, I was very happy to take it on and sponsor its passage through the Oireachtas. There are some areas of the Bill that I felt it necessary to change, and I will deal with these issues later.

The Irish arts sector today is much bigger, more dynamic and more diverse than has ever before been the case. This has happened for many reasons. The opportunity is being taken to bring many of the provisions of the 1951 and 1973 Acts into line with what are now standard provisions relating to the functioning of statutory authorities. However, the Bill proposes a number of key changes I want to outline to the House in more detail.

The arts will be defined, for the purposes of the Bill, in a way that continues to refer to constituent art forms, but which will be sufficiently flexible to include traditional, as well as emerging and innovative art forms and art forms in any language. Dance and circus will be included for the first time.

As Minister, I will have overall responsibility for the promotion of the arts both inside and outside the State. The Bill provides that, in performing my functions, I may consult with the Arts Council and with such other Ministers, public bodies, or other persons, as I consider appropriate. As the Minister with overall responsibility for the promotion of the arts, I will be empowered to give a direction in writing to the council requiring it to comply with policies of the Minister or of the Government. Such a direction may include a requirement that the council prepare and submit to me a plan specifying strategies or measures that it proposes to adopt in relation to the arts during a specified period.

These provisions recognise this legitimate role for the Minister of the day, but will not affect the independence of the Arts Council regarding individual funding decisions, and indeed statutory recognition is given in the Bill for the first time in legislation to that independence.

It is important that the potential impact of local authorities on the arts be optimised, and that these efforts dovetail as far as is practicable with overall Government policy. Section 6 requires local authorities to prepare and implement plans for the development of the arts within their functional areas and in so doing to take account of Government policies on the arts. Local authorities may provide financial or other assistance to stimulate public interest in the arts, promote knowledge of the arts, or improve standards in the arts.

To ensure overall coherence, the arts activities of other public bodies must also operate within the parameters of Government arts policy and section 7 therefore requires public bodies, in doing anything that relates to the arts, to have regard to such Government policies.