Patrick O'Donovan

I propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 138 and 141 together. As the Deputies will be aware, the programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. The scheme has now been operating for almost three years and is underpinned by a robust research programme collecting data about all aspects of the lives of the artists and creative a…

I thank both Deputies for their support. To reply to Deputy Tóibín, this is not a difficult decision that has been kicked down the road. The scheme was due to end in August and the easy thing to do would have been to wind it up but I did not do that. I have extended it past the budgetary date at the end of the year and into the new year. This will give me an opportunity to use empirical quantitati…

I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil. At a recent meeting of culture ministers in Brussels, a number of colleagues from other member states spoke to me about this and they could not believe, to be quite honest about it, that we had introduced a scheme of this nature. They were envious, to put it mildly, that we have a scheme of this nature and that we have the resources and capacity, based on the economy and …

I thank Deputy Aird. As outlined in the programme for Government, the Government believes that culture and the arts are essential to a well-rounded society. Ireland is well-known for our rich, diverse and vibrant arts sector. There have been significant increases in support for arts and culture across the country, including in County Laois, in recent years. Within my Department, a number of measur…

Deputy Aird has given a good report with regard to the cultural offering of County Laois. I know he is a very proud Laois man representing them in the Dáil. As I said earlier, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to examine the feasibility of a minor capital works grant scheme for the arts scene, which is currently not available. We are looking at it. I would like to develop it un…

As I said, I am committed to trying to do something in this space. The national cultural institutions are very Dublin-centric. Between the library, the concert hall and the gallery, pretty much all of them are based in Dublin, with the exception of the Crawford Gallery. I am very conscious of the fact that a person should have access to facilities that promote and encourage our cultural and artist…

Galway’s designation as European Capital of Culture 2020 provided an opportunity to promote the city’s culture nationally and internationally. The Government allocated €15 million in two stages, with €14 million allocated to deliver the cultural programme of Galway European Capital of Culture and €1 million allocated for its legacy programme. The drawdown of €14 million allocated to deliver the c…

To finish my earlier response, the analysis of spending found that the €1 million budget had been allocated under the following strategic objectives: €191,920 to facilitate international and EU relationships and funding; €537,413 to support place-based cultural programming; and €270,668 in supports to the cultural and creative sector. Galway 2020 was delivered in the most efficient circumstances d…

The Deputy is right in respect of what I did on assuming the office of Minister with responsibility for culture, communications and sport. I became aware of a substantial problem in the Department and a legacy problem in the Arts Council. I have dealt with this in a manner that I believe to be proportionate and responsible in the sense that I have asked Professor Niamh Brennan, in the first instan…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 149 together. I launched the grassroots music venue support scheme in March this year to support small, established music venues that promote themselves and are known in the community for programming grassroots music artists, in recognition of the contribution they make to the music industry and the wider night-time economy. The scheme aims to provide emp…

I have outlined the rationale for the distribution of funding under the scheme and I have said that I am committed to additional schemes of this nature in the future. It is remiss of the Deputy to try to run down the officials in the Department. Ultimately, this was a pilot scheme. We tried to give out the money as quickly as possible. I have outlined the number of people outside of Dublin who got…

I thank the Deputy for the single transferable speech. No matter what I did on this, the Deputy was going to be opposed to it any way. Let us call a spade a spade. There was one eligible application from Ulster. I have said and made it very clear that as soon as we get an opportunity to have a second scheme, I am sure the Deputy will have all the wisdom of Job in articulating what should be in tha…

You have had a good run now for your video. My priority was to get the maximum amount of money out to the maximum number of locations. Rather than run down the locations that got it-----

The Deputy's party should be supportive of the locations that got it, rather than running them down.

How is Sinn Féin's infrastructure Minister doing?

Has Sinn Féin's infrastructure Minister heard of the north west and the hames they made of the A5?

You effectively did.

There you go.

Hear, hear.

Withdraw that.

Sound bites.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann declines to give a second reading to the Broadcasting (Oversight of RTÉ Accounts) (Amendment) Bill 2024, on the grounds that a general scheme achieving the same policy objective has been referred to the relevant Oireachtas Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny.". Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis seo…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 93 together. I thank the Deputy. Following my appointment as Minister, issues were brought to my attention regarding a failed ICT project in the Arts Council and an unused X-ray machine in the National Gallery. Both projects were funded directly from my Department. Given the serious nature of the issues, I wanted assurance in relation to capital expenditure…

I do not know if there is a question there. There is certainly a big statement, and I have addressed that statement previously with regard to the OPW. The Deputy will appreciate the Accounting Officer for the OPW came before the finance committee and the public accounts committee and laid out in real terms what happened with regard to the Office of Public Works. No more than I did not know what ha…

We have beaten the Deputy to it because RTÉ has been put under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General and all State entities, including An Post and the other ones I will be taking responsibility for once there is a transfer of function order, come under the auspices of NewERA, which to all intents and purposes is a holding agency or accounting body to keep a watchful eye on the semi-Stat…