Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the response to his call to arts centres here to become more commercial; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32308/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The suggestion by my Department that the national cultural institutions look to develop and exploit more commercial opportunities for their own financial benefit was well received. It is a matter for the statutorily independent boards to decide on the precise way that such development and exploitation will take place.

There is no doubt in my mind that the performance of all of the national institutions and agencies funded by the Department and their contribution to our national economic, social and cultural well-being and to the cultural tourism strategy merits continued support. However, in the current financial climate stark choices are faced by Government and, difficult choices will have to be made by the Department in relation to the budgets which can be provided for agencies. Clearly the outcome of the annual budgetary process will pose significant challenges in the years ahead for those agencies.

Having reflected on the position of the cultural institutions, we feel that there may be some opportunity to mitigate the impacts of reductions in Exchequer funding by seeking out commercial opportunities for the organisations. In that respect I would acknowledge, of course, that many commercial opportunities and businesses are currently pursued by them.

What my Department asked was that the boards take a focused opportunity to examine afresh whether all commercialisation and commoditization opportunities were being exploited to the maximum by them. Was the most being made of their shops and restaurants? Were publication opportunities being explored? Could exhibitions' policies be more populist? Were there partnership opportunities with high street retailers, with the education community, with the sports community? In a difficult market, can more be made of sponsorship opportunities? I understand that the cultural institutions are currently considering their options in relation to this suggestion and I look forward to hearing from them in due course.