16% CUT IN ARTS BUDGET DISAPPOINTING: BURTON

Labour TD and Spokesperson on the Arts, Joan Burton, has expressed her disappointment with the overall reduction of 16 per cent in the Arts Budget for 2017.

The estimates show that the provision for current expenditure in the sector has fallen by a million euro on 2016 levels, while capital spending will be slashed by €19 million.

In government, Labour provided an extra €49 million to fund the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.

“I welcome the budget increases for the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, the Film Board and the National Cultural Institutions, as had been proposed by Labour in our alternative budget,” said Deputy Burton.

“However the failure to retain the 1916 Commemoration Budget as a permanent expansion of the Arts funding base is a rather sad comment on the shortness of vision in this Government when it comes to the Arts- particularly in the context of Brexit with the need to sell ourselves to the UK and our European partners.”