Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, has today launched the second instalment of Sinn Féin’s Arts Survey results, which set out ideas for how the work of the Arts Council could be improved.
This follows a meeting yesterday between Teachta Ó Snodaigh and officials from the Arts Council – where they discussed both these ideas and the agency’s funding needs – as well as the publication last month of the preliminary statistical results of the Arts Survey in which 1,123 people participated in April 2024.
Teachta Ó Snodaigh explained:
“I welcome the opportunity to pass on the feedback we received from survey participants to the Arts Council upon whose work the livelihoods of so many in the arts sector depend. Many respondents highlighted a notable improvement in the work of the Arts Council in recent years, particularly with the additional funding available and innovative supports such as the Agility Award which must be commended.
“We were concerned however that more respondents in the 26 Counties described their experience of the Arts Council and other state funding bodies as negative (27%) than positive (22%) and that the largest response was neutral. Rather than simply asking people to tick a box, we wanted to know what needed fixing, and we are extremely grateful to the 562 – half of the total participants – who provided detailed feedback on this question, which we have summarised and provided directly to the Arts Council.
“Among the major issues raised were negative experiences with the applications process, the need for more funding to reach more sectors within the broader arts, and the need for greater work towards democratisation and outreach. You can read the ideas that were put forward to address these issues in the document published today.
“While the Arts Council is funded by the state and governed by legislation, it operates independent of government based on an arms-length principle which we in Sinn Féin respect and seek to protect. As such, for many of the problems identified, it will be up to the Arts Council to find solutions, and we hope the ideas provided by our survey participants help in that process.
“In some cases, there is need for clarity or even reform of the legislation underpinning the Arts Council’s functions, and for additional funding to enable the Arts Council to make improvements and reach more artists and organisation. This is where we as policy-makers and legislators must show leadership, and Sinn Féin will not be found wanting in this regard.
“Our meeting with the Arts Council comes as part of an ongoing consultation process in which Sinn Féin has met a number of organisations over the last week including the Council of Irish Fashion Designers (CIFD), the Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network (ISACS), Screen Producers Ireland (SPI), Irish Equity, the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), and The Complex arts centre. We look forward to meeting more organisations in the coming weeks, and I encourage anyone interested in discussing what our arts policy should look like to get in touch at aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie.”
Tuairimí suirbhé faoi conas feabhsú roinnte ag Sinn Féin leis an gComhairle Ealaíon – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD
Tá urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, tar éis an darna cuid de thorthaí Shuirbhé Ealaíon Shinn Féin a sheoladh inniu, a leagan amach tuairimí maidir le conas gur féidir obair an Chomhairle Ealaíon a fheabhsú.
Tagann sé seo anuas ar chruinniú inné idir an Teachta Ó Snodaigh agus oifigigh ón gComhairle Ealaíon – inar phlé siad na tuairimí seo agus riachtanais airgid an eagrais – agus tar éis foilsiú an mhí seo caite de réamhthorthaí staitisticiúil den Suirbhé Ealaíon inar ghlac 1,123 duine páirt ann i mí Aibreáin 2024.
Mhínigh an Teachta Ó Snodaigh:
“Fáiltím roimh an deir an aiseolas a fuair muid uathu siúd a ghlac páirt inár suirbhe a roinnt leis an gComhairle Ealaíon, agus an oiread sin san earnáil ealaíon ag brath ar a gcuid oibre chun maireachtáil. Tharraing a lán freagróirí aird ar an feabhas suntasach tarlaithe in obair an gComhairle Ealaíon leis na blianta beaga anuas, go háirithe leis an maoiniú breise ar fáil agus tacaíochtaí nuálaíoch ar nós an Dámhachtain Lúfaireachta nach mór dúinn a thréaslú.
“Bhíomar buartha áfach go ndearna níos mó freagróirí sna 26 Contae cur síos ar a dtaithí leis an gComhairle Ealaíon agus eagrais eile maoinitheach an stáit mar rud diúltach (27%) seachas dearfach (22%) agus go raibh an cuid is mó neodrach. In áit lorg tic sa bhosca, bhíomar ag iarraidh fáil amach cad a bhí le réiteach, agus táimid fíorbhuíoch as an 562 duine – leath den iomlán a ghlac páirt – a thug aiseolas sonrach ar an gceist seo. Tá achoimre déanta againn orthu agus curtha ar aghaidh chuig an gComhairle Ealaíon.
“I measc na mórchúiseanna ardaithe, bhí taithí diúltach leis an bpróiseas iarratas, an gá go shroicfidh tuilleadh maoiniú líon níos mó earnáil laistigh de na healaíona leathan, agus an gá le níos mó obair i dtreo daonlathú agus for-rochtain. Is féidir na tuairimí a cuireadh chun tosaigh chun na fadhbanna seo a réiteach a léamh sa doiciméad foilsithe inniu.
“Cé go bhfuil an Chomhairle Ealaíon maoinithe ag an stát agus faoi rialacháin ag reachtaíocht, feidhmíonn sé go neamhspleách ón rialtas bunaithe ar phrionsabal an fhaid láimhe, ar a bhfuil meas ag Sinn Féin agus muid ag iarraidh é a chosaint. Mar sin, i gcás a lán fadhbanna aitheanta, is é an Chomhairle Ealaíon féin a bheith freagrach as réiteach a aimsiú, agus ta súil againn go gcabhraíonn na tuairimí curtha chun cinn acu siúd a ghlac páirt inár suirbhé leo sa phróiseas sin.
“I gcásanna eile, tá gá le soiléiriú nó leasú fiú ar an reachtaíocht atá mar bhunús do feidhmeanna an Chomhairle Ealaíon, agus le maoiniú breise chun ligint don Chomhairle Ealaíon rudaí a fheabhsú agus tacú le líon níos mó ealaíontóirí agus eagrais. Seo an áit nach mór do dhéantúsóirí polasaí agus reachtóirí cosúil linne ceannaireacht a léiriú, agus déanfaidh Sinn Féin amhlaidh.
“Bhí ár gcruinniú leis an gComhairle Ealaíon mar chuid de phróiseas leanúnach comhairliúcháin ina bhfuil Sinn Féin tar éis bualadh le scata eagrais sa tseachtain seo caite, lena n-áirítear Comhairle Dearthóirí Faisin na hÉireann (CIFD), Gréasáin na hÉireann um Ealaíon Sráide, Sorcas agus Taispeántas (ISACS), Déantóirí Físe Éireann (SPI), Equity Éireann, Eagríocht um Chearta Ceol na hÉireann (IMRO), agus ionad ealaíon an Chomplex.
“Táimid ag súil go mór bualadh le heagraíochtaí eile sna seachtainí amach romhainn, agus molaim do dhuine ar bith a bheadh suim acu caint linn faoi cad a theastaíonn ónár bpolasaí ealaíon teacht i dteagmháil linn ag aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie.”
