Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The intention is to copperfasten the legal position of each of the cultural institutions to ensure that there is absolute clarity and certainty as to their roles and responsibilities. The reform of the cultural institutions was first mooted by Fianna Fáil as far back as 2008 when little or no progress was made in relation to this issue. Indeed, it was that Government which proposed wholesale amalgamations and mergers of these venerable institutions. Those amalgamation proposals were reviewed by the Fine Gael-Labour Government and I am pleased to say they were subsequently scrapped. My Department carried out an in-depth examination of the position in each of the cultural institutions and following this review the then Minister, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan brought proposals to Government which were accepted in relation to the institutions which I have already mentioned. This includes creating a legislative basis for three cultural institutions, the National Concert Hall, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Crawford Art Gallery and updating the legislation in relation to the National Gallery of Ireland, which dates back to Victorian times. The proposal also provides for a range of operational reform measures, including shared services, governance reform, reduced board sizes and enhanced processes for board appointments.

I am pleased to report that significant progress has already been made on an administrative basis in relation to a number of reform measures. For example, the three main art galleries in the country, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Crawford Art gallery are already sharing support services and improving co-operation in a number of different areas. Shared HR services are in operation and there is good progress towards shared financial support services.

Draft heads of a Bill have been produced, approved by Government and submitted to the relevant Oireachtas committee for scrutiny. It is important to re-emphasise that artistic policy at the national cultural institutions has never been nor ever will be the remit of the Minister and this is guaranteed in all of the draft legislation currently being prepared. I come to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht with no baggage, and I bring an open door policy. In my opinion, nobody has a monopoly on good ideas and I am open to consultation and listening, because at the end of the day, what I want is the best workable solution possible, so that our national institutions can thrive and flourish, while at the same time operate within the principles of probity, fitness and good corporate governance. My priority as Minister is to advance the policy areas I have outlined this evening: the commemorations, the cultural strategy, progressing the arts in education charter and arts in the community.

When this Government took office in 2011 we inherited a catastrophic financial position. Unfortunately it has not been possible to save the arts and culture sectors from what by any standards have been substantial reductions in funding. Since 2011 over €580 million has been invested in the arts, culture and film sector. This Government is committed to the arts. I will make every effort to secure as much funding as is possible for both the national cultural institutions and the overall arts and culture sector. That will not be easy, but I will be fighting tooth and nail and I want to see the arts contribute to and benefit from our economic recovery.

In conclusion, I want to say it is an absolute privilege and an honour for me to serve as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and to work hand in hand with such a dynamic and creative sector. The arts are for everyone - for every human being who ever wanted to lift their voice to sing, who felt the need to write a

poem, who took a pencil in their hand to create a thing of beauty. The arts are not about just passive enjoyment. They are about active participation and dialogue. The arts are how we explain our world to ourselves in song and story. They are the end product of when we dream dreams and see visions. But that is only the beginning of what they are. They are connectors. They are enablers. States that prioritise the arts, from when their citizens are toddlers — those states do well, not

just in the arts, but in industry, technology and innovation. So here is the bottom line, as I see it. It is my job to help make everybody own the arts, enjoy the arts, gain from the arts. That is a big, complicated task, but I am up for it.