merrion street

• €48 million in taxpayer funding must be utilised as effectively, efficiently as possible
• Periodic examination of organisations funded by taxpayer is necessary

Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will present Government counter motions this week in both Dáil and Seanad Éireann in relation to the Public Service Reform Plan and institutions which come under the remit of his Department.As part of the Public Service Reform Plan the Minister is examining a range of reform proposals that involve institutions including the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery, the National Archives, the Irish Manuscripts Commission, the National Library, the National Museum and Culture Ireland.

In advance of these debates, the Minister has commented:

"Ireland’s national cultural institutions hold and manage nationally and internationally important collections of art, literature and diverse artifacts on everyone’s behalf. They are vital components of our academic, cultural and artistic heritage, and rank alongside their international counterparts in terms of the collections they hold.

"This year, the taxpayer has funded these major institutions with more than €48 million. This is neither as much as I would like nor as much as these institutions need. However, whilst the constraints on funding in my Department – and across Government – have impacted on the level of resources that I can allocate this remains a very significant portion of the funding available to my department in the arts, culture and film bracket.

"As part of the Government’s Public Service Reform Plan I’m examining reforms at a range of cultural institutions. What I have to establish is how these institutions can maximise the funding they receive from the taxpayer and be equipped to deal with the range of challenges they face today and into the future.

"In a time of tight resources we have to maximise the use of every cent taxpayers give to every institution. These are the times we live in. No organisation is above examination for reform. I think that the periodic examination of organisations – especially those receiving money from the taxpayer – is a healthy and necessary exercise.

"I will be bringing reform proposals based on the Public Service Reform Plan to my colleague Minister Howlin, and the Government, in the near future. I look forward to the debate this week in Dáil and Seanad Éireann on the topic."