Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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12. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views regarding the recommendations to change the method of funding to the National Gallery and the impact it will have on its perceived independence. [40049/14]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The 2013 Comptroller and Auditor General Report contained a recommendation that the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, should consider including all resources of the National Gallery within the appropriations process and that restricted funds from non-Exchequer resources (such as fundraising) should be accounted for within existing appropriation accounting rules. The C&AG recommendation went on to say that, alternatively, consideration should be given to treating the National Gallery, like other national cultural institutions, as a grant subhead within the estimate for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, with appropriate and timely financial reporting on a comprehensive basis.

My Department consulted with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on this issue and agreed that, in the interest of transparency, Exchequer funding should in future be provided through a subhead of the Vote for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. In addition, an agency statement setting out expected receipts and payments for the coming year will be provided in the Revised Estimates for 2015 prepared by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. On this basis, the separate Vote for the National Gallery will cease to operate on 31 December 2014.

This means that the National Gallery will, like all other national cultural institutions under the aegis of my Department such as the National Museum and the National Library, be included in future as a grant subhead within the estimate for my Department from 2015 onwards. This will not affect the amount of funding that will be provided to the Gallery. Similarly, there is no change whatsoever to the powers of the Board of the Gallery, which, along with the executive of the Gallery, will retain full control over the management of the institution's funds.

This change, as recommended by the C&AG, will have no impact on the independence of the National Gallery. My Department will, of course, be working with management at the Gallery to ensure that the transition process takes place as smoothly as possible.