Sir, – It is now more than 10 years since Martin Cullen TD abolished Dúchas, the Heritage Service. Our national and built monuments are not adequately protected. When I questioned the OPW decision to allow filming on Skellig Michael, a general response was “it’s about jobs”. In the deep recession of the ’80s the OPW partnered with private agencies and owners to train young people in heritage protection and craft skills (stonework, wood-carving and preservation). These were jobs and skills geared toward protecting and conserving our heritage. In the 10 years since the abolition of Dúchas, 39 sites in Tara were demolished to facilitate the M3 toll road. There are robberies of stunning stonework and the job of Dúchas has been divided between the Department of the Environment and the OPW. Heritage is not adequately protected. We are not training the young in conservation techniques and we have no statutory agency for protecting our natural and built heritage. There are jobs in protecting our fragile heritage infrastructure in the long-term: people require skills training. The Hollywood machine is a temporary thing. Where is the long view on jobs, on awareness and on stewardship in Ireland? It is the job of the Minister to propose a far-sighted agenda for the work of the divided heritage agency, and yet I have seen no comment or response to the OPW decision on Skellig from her office. We are used to disgraceful decisions affecting our environment in Ireland. Why should we be surprised now? – Yours, etc, CHRISTINE MURRAY,
‘This week’s Budget, of course, represents the Coalition Government’s thinking on the role of the arts. Both Fine Gael and Labour, who are likely to form the next government, are due to issue cultural policy documents in coming weeks. The fact that they are putting the arts on their pre-election agenda indicates that both parties have taken note of the case that has been made for the relevance of the arts in any recovery programme – both economically and in the re-establishment of national identity.’ By Gerry Smith (Irish Times 10/12/2010)
This is the ultimate paragraph of The Irish Times article Do arts cuts hit the right note? I am adding itin here , along with a link to my post on Fianna Fáil Arts policy, Scribbling in the Margins. It’s my opinion thatsomething other than attrition is what is required in terms of cultural support, including a review of the 2003Arts Act, which has brought the work of Government too close to what should be a naturally evolving area ofconcern. I am looking forward to seeing oppositional party papers on the issues of arts, conservation andheritage over the coming weeks, and I will of course link them in these pages.
‘in only a few years Culture Ireland has become something of cornerstone of arts policy and it would appear that into the future, the potential for a company or artist to represent Ireland abroad could become a consideration in how well they are funded.
If such a criterion were to be cast in stone, the danger is the formation of an elite with advantaged access to State support and a loss of the risk-taking that is needed in the case of those who are only beginning their careers.’
The Full Irish Times article link is attached, along with my critique of Fianna Fáil’s policy in this area since the 2003 Arts Act.
Savings of €76 million need to be made by 2014 : NCFA Response to the NRP 24/11/2010.
The NCFA has issued a very restrained response to the proposed Governmental cuts in Arts andHeritage (Including Cultural Institutions), So it’s linked here, whilst I examine the faulty RSS feed:
These are being frontloaded in 2011 with a cut of €26 million. Final figures will be announced on Budget Day.€50 million will be saved over the remaining 3 years.
Only €5 million of this €26 million will come from a reduction in allocations to cultural institutions and cultural projects. See below:
* Reduced allocations to cultural institutions and cultural projects €5 million
* Reduced funding for sporting bodies and agencies including Irish Sports Council and National Sports Campus €3 million
* Reduction in tourism expenditure through operational efficiencies, prioritisation of activities and more focused tourism marketing investment €5 million
We checked with the Department today and we understand that the €5 million cut to culture covers Budget Lines D1-D10 in the annual budget . In other words €5 million has to be saved from across the following budget lines. How much each will be reduced by will be announced on Budget Day on Dec 7th.”
Slight Rant : Fianna Fáil Planning 2000-2010 and how it effects Ireland’s natural and built heritage.
Unfortunately , the issue here is of trust. The jaundiced and repellent Fianna Fáil approach to Arts, Heritageand Culture (including Gaelteacht Affairs) does not allow for green shoots, but presents instead a hackneyedand twee vision of Ireland. I do not think there will be a radical change in policy without a change in Government. Other Poethead Posts and Pages on this issue include petitions for Independent Writers Centresfunds not to be cut, the PH links to Save Tara and include the truly illiterate Blasphemy Criminalisation intoIrish law in January 2010. Even when the country was rolling in money , Fianna Fáil heritage policy involvedswapping actual Heritage centres for interpretative Centres, and under-funding the National Library archives tothe point of not providing them with heat, climate-control or decent storage spaces.
The Irish Green Party : ‘If you sup with the divil, best bring a long spoon made of Asbestos’.
Its pretty obvious that I have been opposed to Governmental policy in the Arts since the 2003 Arts Act,and since 2000 in relation to Fianna Fáil’s consistent negligence in heritage affairs, which have seen araft of planning bills introduced into the Dáil which have been not balanced with Bills that focus onConservation of Ireland’s natural and built Heritage. I suppose that when the EU , banks and planninginvestigations complete , the current Green party will hold up its hands and admit they didn’t know aboutwhat has been blindingly obvious to everyone else all along. The fact that we are and have been inBreach of EU Directive does not bother individuals or party members , because they have not beencriminalised and/or brutalised for pointing out years of abject failures or profit-centred planning, including the National Monuments Act 2004, The SIB 2006, The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002which is delightfully known as the Trespass Law . In the period between 2000-2006 , Fianna Fáil did notpresent a single Act wholly focused on conservation, one can see where their priorities lie quite clearly and itmust be said those of their junior coalition partner too.
Last year’s Dublin Culture night, wherein mostly all Dublin venues are open to everyone and include galleries, museums, film and readings was fantastic, especially the Poetry Ireland Open Mic sessions down at the Unitarian Church on St Stephen’s Green. The church is often used as a PI venue, indeed I visited to hear the belated International Women’s Day celebrations in 2008 also.
The evening begins at 6pm and goes through until 11pm; and once the poets are signed in for their allotted seven minutes they can come and go as they please. Last year slammers, irish poets and new poets vied on the pulpit memorably, with Ulick O Connor followed by an LA slammer (t’was hilarious). Ulick colour codes his pieces and had a sheaf of original material nested beneath his arm as he ascended to read. I highly recommend the evening and shall leave an info link at the base of this small piece.
I heard that Parnell Square had good writers doing the readings and talk also.
Poetry Ireland Open Mic evening, Unitarian Church, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. 6pm-11pm 2009.
Chris Murray 