DIL IREANN

Fgra Tairisceana : Notice of Motion

GN COMHALTA PROBHIDEACHA PRIVATE MEMBERS BUSINESS

That Dil ireann: endorsing the positive contribution that a thriving arts and culture sector makes to Irish society as a whole; acknowledging the value of our cultural heritage; recognising the impact on the economy and jobs of our wider arts sector, contributing 4.7 billion to the economy and directly and indirectly supporting 79,000 jobs; noting that in the period 2005 to 2010 alone over 1.1 billion was invested in the sector; highlighting that these funds facilitated a transformation in our national, regional and community arts and culture infrastructure, performance venues and film and television production capacity; recognising the need to protect and promote our cultural heritage as we approach the centenary of the 1916 Rising; accepting that there should be a consultation process with the National Cultural Institutions before any changes take place in their governance structure as a result of the Public Service Reform Plan;

requests that a cost-benefit analysis of proposed changes to the sector be published; agrees that independence and autonomy of this sector is crucial, that political interference should be avoided and that the arms length principle should remain; accepts the necessity for an independent recruitment process for the CEO vacancies in some of the National Cultural Institutions and that these positions should be filled without delay; acknowledges the detrimental effects the proposed mergers of cultural and arts institutions would have on our cultural infrastructure and heritage; and rejects: the proposed merger of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Crawford Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Ireland; the proposed merger of the National Archives and the Irish Manuscripts Commission; and the proposed merger of the National Library and the National Museum. Michel Martin, John Browne, Dara Calleary, Niall Collins, Barry Cowen, Timmy Dooley, Sen Fleming, Billy Kelleher, Seamus Kirk, Michael P. Kitt, Charlie McConalogue, Michael McGrath, John McGuinness, Michael Moynihan, amon Cuv, Willie O'Dea, Sen Fearghal, Brendan Smith, Robert Troy. [22 June, 2012]