Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

It makes no sense. With a minimal injection of funding into the arts sector, there is an accumulator effect and jobs are provided. These benefits and the international prestige gained far outweigh the investment.

Sinn Féin is probably the only party that has stood against the austerity measures. It argues that money should not be given to the unguaranteed bondholders but invested in the arts, health and social services. The arts and structural organisations have their part to play in making sure the relevant economies are put in place and that as much money as possible gets to the individual artists and arts groups providing services on the ground.

Oscar Wilde stated, "Ordinary riches can be stolen from a man. Real riches cannot. In the treasury-house of your soul, there are infinitely precious things, that may not be taken from you." The arts are those things. We have seen our riches stolen from us but they cannot steal our arts.