Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
477. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide a progress report on each of the 149 recommendations contained within the recent Arts Council report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33365/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) concluded its Independent Review of the Governance and Organisational Culture of the Arts Council of Ireland earlier this year.
149 recommendations are set out in the review. Of these;
• 3 are to all Government Departments regarding decision making and communication protocols.
• 17 are made to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform concerning the regulatory framework governing State Bodies, risk management and the role of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer.
• 31 relate to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport covering a number of issues including oversight of State Bodies, appointments to these bodies and, critically, changes to the Arts Act 2003.
• The remaining 100 recommendations apply specifically to the Arts Council and relate to a wide range of issues including the operation of the Board and its subcommittees, the role of the Director and the Senior Management Team, internal audit, compliance with public policy directives and communication with this Department.
When I brought this review, with its findings and recommendations, to Government on 20 January this year, I confirmed my intention to implement in full the recommendations that fall under my remit.
To ensure the robust and timely implementation of the recommendations which are appropriate to the Arts Council, my Department officials and I engaged with the Chair and Interim Director requesting they prepare and submit an implementation plan outlining the actions and associated timelines that the Arts Council will take to implement the recommendations.
That implementation plan has now been finalised and is available on the Arts Councils website at the following link: https://artscouncil.ie/publications/. The plan envisages multiple policy and procedural changes, with the overarching aim being the production of a revised governance framework for the Arts Council on a schedule due to complete before the end of 2027. The Arts Council's progress on implementing these actions will be monitored by my officials on a quarterly basis.
With respect to the recommendations addressed to my Department, these have been accepted in full and work is ongoing to ensure their effective implementation.
