Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will share time with Senator van Turnhout.

Government policy for the arts is set out in the Programme for Government, and it is to promote and strengthen the arts in all its forms, increase access to and participation in the arts and to make the arts an integral and valued part of our national life. I will omit much of what I had proposed to say and focus on the proposed commemorations of the 1916 Rising. Development of an inclusive and detailed programme of events for commemoration of the 1916 Rising is continuing, with the Minister happy to meet spokespersons to discuss plans for commemoration, which is to be applauded. There is a desire for this process to be as inclusive as possible, and all suggestions are welcome. It is important that commemorations be respectful, inclusive and sensitive, as this is a major commemoration for our country because of its significance in our history. The tone must be respectful and appropriate.

I ask the Minister to do her best in protecting our national cultural institutions from further budget cuts for the forthcoming year. Our national cultural institutions are doing fantastic work, although they have suffered unavoidable cuts in their allocation in recent years. Every publicly funded body has had to deal with this difficult reality during the economic crisis.