Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reasons that complaints against the Arts Council of Ireland cannot be brought before the Ombudsman in the interest of transparency; if progress has been made to extend the remit of the Ombudsman to the Arts Council of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46363/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the primary purpose of the Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill, which it is planned to enact by end-year, is to extend the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction to all public bodies, other than in circumstances where a public body does not have a significant administrative interface with the general public. As my colleague, Mr Brendan Howlin, T.D., Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, indicated in the course of the Committee Stage debate on this Bill in the Seanad, the process will secure the extension of the Ombudsman’s power to review administrative decision-making to 140 public bodies which are currently not within her remit. This will include the Arts Council.