Labour slams decision for ‘Arts' to be removed from Department's name
This week, the name of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media was changed to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
Responsibility for Tourism has moved to the Department of Enterprise, while responsibility for the Gaeltacht has moved to the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Labour TD and spokesperson for the Arts, Rob O'Donoghue, said the move sent 'a clear message to artists across the country that they don't matter'.
'As of June 2, this Government has made the decision to remove the word 'arts' from the Department, despite having a Department of Arts since 1994 with now President Michael D Higgins as Minister for responsibility with the Department,' Mr O'Donoghue said.
'This move sends a clear message to artists across the country that they don't matter and aren't a priority. It's shameful,' he added.
Mr O'Donoghue said arts and music were 'at the heart of Ireland's identity, but that sectoral change was needed to support workers.
'Subsuming arts into merely culture will lead to a further dilution of Government attention towards the thousands of artists in Ireland who are so passionate about what they do,' Mr O'Donoghue said.
The Arts spokesperson said while the arts has an economic impact, by attracting tourism to the country, there had been a 'hollowing out of many arts spaces and venues' across the country.
'What artists need is more engagement from Government, not less. We saw the enormous positive impact of initiatives like the basic income scheme for artists,' Mr O'Donoghue said.
'Having a carved out section within the Department is so important for artists to have trust and faith in the system that their livelihoods are being taken seriously by Government,' he added.
The Basic Income for the Arts scheme (BIA) was introduced in 2022 as a three-year pilot project to help artists deal with precarious incomes.
The first of its kind in Ireland, the BIA gives a payment of €325 per week to 2,000 artists and creative arts workers.
It was massively oversubscribed when introduced, with more than 8,200 eligible applications received when it opened.
With the scheme due to come to an end in August, uncertainty over the BIA's future has caused considerable anxiety within the sector.
Minister Patrick O'Donovan has signaled his support for retaining and expanding the scheme.
However, a government decision is yet to be made on the future of the scheme.
In response, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport said the new name 'more succinctly captures the full remit of the Department'.
"The word Culture includes the Arts and is a common term used in the title of equivalent Ministries in the EU, noting also that EU Ministers meet at the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council,' a department spokesperson said.
'It should be noted that a previous format of the Department was the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht,' they added.
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