Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome the Minister to the House and this opportunity to debate the motion. I thank Independent Senators Mac Conghail and van Turnhout and the rest of their group for moving it. As colleagues will be aware, we held a similar debate on 7 June. It was a debate on the decade of commemorations. Many of us raised the important role to be played by the national cultural institutions during the coming decade. We referred to the critical issue of the independence of those institutions. I welcomed the Minister's response, in which he spoke in support of the principles of autonomy and independence.

I am glad the amendment to the motion emphasises the Government's commitment to introducing governance reforms with a view to supporting programming and curatorial independence. I am sorry that the amendment could not go further. I hope that the Minister will address some of the matters raised by the Independents, for example, their concerns regarding the appointment of directors to a number of the institutions in question.

The key point is that no Senator is against governance reform. Everyone understands the need for a review of governance structures if we are to ensure that all of our institutions, including those under discussion, are run in the most effective way possible and continue to make a significant contribution. The national campaign for the arts provided an excellent briefing. The Government's briefing acknowledged the significant economic, social and cultural contribution made by the arts to our society. We all share a voice in this regard.

There is no disagreement on the need to maintain a review. The institutions have been forthcoming in terms of making proposals for governance reform. In the Dáil, the Minister referred to the galleries' practical proposal on the sharing of back room services. However, it is key that there be rational, evidence-based cases for potential governance and structural reforms. A controversy has arisen, in that people working in the arts were fearful of forced mergers or amalgamations of institutions. This would not make sense or save money. The international experience is that mergers and amalgamations do not save money. They require long-term planning, investment and clear business strategies. While the national cultural institutions recognise the need to cut costs, they believe that this can be done in such a way as to preserve their independence and autonomy.

Labour is conscious of the legacy of President Michael D. Higgins, one of the Minister's predecessors. He introduced the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997, which set up the framework for many of the institutions currently under discussion.

Senator van Turnhout or Mac Conghail referred to Culture Ireland. There is a particular concern about Culture Ireland and it is worth saying that the body has played an important role in promoting Irish arts internationally. The issue of the director of Culture Ireland has been raised in the Independent Senators' motion. A number of issues have been raised that might be dealt with in the debate but we all agree about the need to ensure the most effective possible structures for the institutions that are so important to promoting our culture here.