First, I congratulate Deputy Byrne and wish her well in her role as an Opposition spokesperson. I will make it clear from the outset that there is no intention to replace the television license fee. The previous Government made a decision last July that the licence fee should be reformed and enhanced, not abolished. It is in that context that the programme for Government sets out our commitment to a strong, independent media sector that provides essential public service broadcasting, supports local journalism and upholds the freedom of the press. To achieve this, it commits to ensuring stable, sufficient funding for RTÉ and TG4 to maintain quality programming and public trust, and contains a range of specific commitments to support the independent sector to provide quality public service content. These commitments are underpinned by the new framework to finance public service broadcasting agreed by the Government last July, which was further reflected in the general scheme of the broadcasting (amendment) Bill, published last October. Under this framework, TG4 will continue to be financed entirely through the Exchequer, while RTÉ will be financed through the licence fee and an additional Exchequer allocation as appropriate. The broadcasting fund will be converted to a platform-neutral media fund to support public service content through the wider media sector. Public support for public service broadcasting and public service content will be €324 million in 2025. In this context, the television licence remains an important source of revenue which, it is estimated, will contribute more than €204 million in 2025, with more than €120 million of that forecast to be raised through the sale of television licences by An Post and the balance through funding for free television licences. This funding is not only for RTÉ; 7% of the net licence fee receipts will be paid into the broadcasting fund and, ultimately, into the new media fund. As part of its decision last July, the Government decided that the TV licence system will be underpinned by improvements in collection and compliance to maximise revenue generation. The Government reconvened the television licence technical working group to examine potential enhancements to the TV licence and agreed to provide An Post with an Exchequer allocation of €6 million over a three-year period for necessary improvements in the collection system and technology.

Sentiment score: 0.41

The opening line of my reply made clear where the Government is on the previous Government decision but, to put it in context for the Deputy, in 2020 the total licence fee revenue was of the order of €222 million. The latest figure for 2024 is approximately €195 million. I am not sure where the Deputy thinks that money will come from in the absence of the licence fee. Does she think it should come directly from the Exchequer? If it is to come directly from the Exchequer, €200 million is a lot of money. Where does the Deputy propose we get that money? Which schemes under my Department that are currently funded to the tune of €200 million should pay the cost?

Sentiment score: -0.02

I accept that the television licence is very important but €195 million is a fairly big hole. If Sinn Féin is now proposing I abolish it, I wonder where I will get €195 million. Should I get it from health, social welfare, housing or roads? That is a lot of money. If we are advocating for the abolition of a fee, the abolition of a charge, the reduction of a tax and that everybody gets everything for nothing, the Deputy might enlighten me as to where the money will come from. I do not see that substance in her question and I certainly do not see it in my Department. I do not have €195 million. If I did, I know where I would put it. There are a lot of demands for that kind of funding. If the Deputy would like to tell me where I can get €195 million, I will be delighted to know where it is.

Sentiment score: 0.19

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta Farrelly. Go n-éirí go geal leis. I hope he has an enjoyable period of time here and I wish him the best of luck in his endeavours, along with the other Deputies across the House and the new Deputies I see around me. As Minister, I have recently brought, in quick succession, two annual reports of bodies under the aegis of my Department which have raised concerns in regard to the management of taxpayers' money. The first related to a major expenditure of almost €7 million on a failed ICT project at the Arts Council and the second regarded the expenditure of almost €125,000 on a digital X-ray machine for the National Gallery which has not been useable due to the lack of a proper room to contain it. I therefore requested the Department write to all the State bodies in the culture, sport and media sectors under the aegis of my Department, seeking information with regard to expenditure on capital projects since 2020 to provide assurances to me and, more important, the public with regard to the management of capital expenditure. Bodies were asked to provide budgetary information on capital projects costing more than €500,000 since 2020. In addition, bodies were asked to identify if there were other capital projects below this level which should be brought to the Department’s attention for any other reason, such as where there has been significant expenditure on projects which were abandoned or have materially failed to deliver on their objectives. The need to ensure compliance with early warning protocol arrangements between the Department and the State body, as well as with Circular 14/21, relating to arrangements for oversight of digital and ICT-related initiatives in the civil and public service, was also set out in the correspondence. This exercise, which is designed to provide an additional layer of assurance around spending on capital projects, is in addition to the existing oversight arrangements in place, as well as the annual auditing process undertaken by the Comptroller and Auditor General. It should be noted that the code of practice for the governance of State bodies provides a framework for the application of best practice in corporate governance by State bodies. The board is responsible for ensuring that effective systems of internal control are instituted and implemented in the State body, including financial, operational and compliance control and risk management. I will read the rest of my written reply in a while.

Sentiment score: 0.19

I do not disagree with the Deputy. The committee I have established to examine the governance of the Arts Council is being led by Professor Niamh Brennan. It includes Margaret Cullen and John McCarthy. They have all in their own right plenty of experience of examining corporate governance in other areas as well. I do not disagree with the Deputy with regard to the Department's role but I have to find out first of all the level of detail that is required here. I will bring a report to the Government first and I will lay it before the Dáil. It is in my interests and in the Department's interests to get public confidence in the moneys that are voted from here to the Department in order to make sure that the Department and its agencies spend money wisely on behalf of the taxpayer. I have no issue with that. I am not suggesting that the Deputy is suggesting this, but I am not in any way attempting to hide anything here. The most important thing is that Niamh Brennan's committee be asked to do a body of work by me and get it done as quickly as possible. Separately, I will deal with the National Gallery and any other issues there as well, and I will lay all of them before the Houses of the Oireachtas. There is no issue in that regard.

Sentiment score: 0.11

To take the last point first, it is not my intention that anybody who is legitimately doing very good work on behalf of the arts community across the country should suffer. That is not my concern here at all. My concern is the same as the Deputy's concern, that is, that if there is voted expenditure from the Oireachtas to Government Departments, it must be for the purpose that it is for. I will also say - I said this in the course of an interview - that the Minister for Health does not know, nor should she know, nor could she know, how many thermometers are in University Hospital Waterford and how much they cost. We have civil and public servants within the Department and within different agencies to make sure that the moneys that are spent on our behalf as Members of Dáil Éireann are spent appropriately. The first thing I have to find out here is who knew what when, to bring that information before the Dáil and to make the necessary changes in terms of governance and oversight from within my own Department, but as well as that, within the Department's relationship with the bodies concerned. We will do that, and if people have any suggestions, I am all ears and I will not rule anything out.

Sentiment score: 0.09

The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for artists pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. The basic income for the arts pilot research scheme will conclude in August this year and the data from the pilot will be fed into the Government's consideration of the next steps. Recipients have been receiving payments and responding to surveys under the scheme since August 2022. Some 2,000 artists and creative arts workers have benefited from the payment of €325 a week since August 2022. There were over 8,000 eligible applicants for the scheme and the 2,000 recipients were chosen through an anonymised random selection process. In budget 2025, the Government made an allocation of €35 million for the basic income for the arts scheme in 2025. It is important to note that the pilot is a research programme and that no decision has been taken as to its continuation. The research evaluating the impact of the pilot scheme is ongoing and it is a priority for me to ensure the research is completed to assess and maximise the impact of the scheme ahead of budget 2026. While the research phase of the pilot scheme is still ongoing, it is clear from the evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on the participants. The latest data is available through published reports on the basic income for the arts website on gov.ie. This data shows that the scheme payment is having a consistent positive impact across almost all indicators affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being and deprivation. Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, experience a boost to their well-being through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precarious nature of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those not receiving the support. I will shortly publish a qualitative research paper on the scheme and work is starting to undertake a cost benefit analysis for a more complete assessment of the impacts of the scheme. A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme to the pilot and the future of the scheme will be decided when the final results of the research are available. These will provide the Government with the evidence base upon which to base future policy decisions about the basic income for the arts.

Sentiment score: 0.22

As the Deputy will appreciate, I have been rather busy since I went into the Department. The total cost of this scheme is €105 million. It was committed by the previous Government of which the Deputy was a member. Undoubtedly, this scheme has certainly had major benefits for the individual artists concerned. Now, we have an opportunity to do not only qualitative but also quantitative research regarding the output from the scheme. From the Deputy's time as the Minister for children, he will know that any decisions taken this far out from a budget cannot be undertaken without the context and input of the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Once I have the research concluded, however, and have a qualitative and quantitative piece of work I can bring to the Government on the value accrued to the State from that €105 million allocated from the previous Government, I think that will probably colour the decision going forward. I am looking forward to seeing that research concluded soon.

Sentiment score: 0.23

I do not disagree with the Deputy, except on his last point. There is no point in having research carried out and then making the decision ahead of it. I have to bring this matter to the Government and, as a former Minister for children, the Deputy will know what this involves. I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of the research, which is looking at the scheme under a variety of headings, including practice development, well-being, deprivation, sectoral retention and others. The benefits of the scheme have been well enunciated. The Deputy is right in saying there are a limited number of people in it and several different options that could possibly be looked at. People outside the scheme now might ask if it is their turn or is it somebody else's turn. All these aspects will have to be looked at in the round. Once I have the research before me and I can bring a memorandum to the Government, which I hope to do soon, there will be clarity regarding the scheme's future.

Sentiment score: 0.08

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Mar is eol dó, tá cúraimí na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge ag aistriú chuig an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, go luath. Is é an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, a bheidh freagrach as polasaí a fhorbairt faoi na ceisteanna seo. Tá mé ag súil go mbeidh an obair go léir críochnaithe go luath chun na feidhmeanna a aistriú go foirmiúil ó mo Roinn chuig an Roinn nua, is í sin, an Roinn pobail, gnóthaí tuaithe agus Gaeltachta. Is í an Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh-Theas, CATT, a cheadaíonn buiséid do na hinstitiúidí Thuaidh-Theas, lena n-áirítear an Foras Teanga Thuaidh-Theas. Cuireann mo Roinn 75% den bhuiséad ar fáil d'Fhoras na Gaeilge agus tagann an chuid eile ón Roinn Pobal ó Thuaidh. Tá méadú curtha ar fáil ag Rialtas na hÉireann i mbuiséad 2025 le cur i dtreo an Fhorais Teanga Thuaidh-Theas. Cuirtear tús le bliain bhuiséid an Fheidhmeannais ó Thuaidh i mí Aibreáin, áfach, agus dá réir sin, níl buiséid na bliana seo deimhnithe go fóill ag an Roinn Pobal ó Thuaidh. Nuair a bheidh buiséad 2025 deimhnithe agus aontaithe ag na Ranna urraíochta, ó Thuaidh agus ó Dheas, cuirfear é faoi bhráid an chéad chruinniú eile de chuid an CATT. Rinne Foras na Gaeilge cinneadh ag tús na bliana seo ciorraithe a chur i bhfeidhm ar roinnt dá chuid scéimeanna bunaithe ar an mbuiséad a bhí aige anuraidh. Tá na Ranna urraíochta ó Thuaidh agus ó Dheas ag obair go dlúth le chéile chun na roghanna go léir a scrúdú ar mhaithe le teacht ar réiteach sa ghearrthéarma agus san fhadtéarma araon ar na ceisteanna faoin mhaoiniú. Idir an dá linn, tá sé tábhachtach a thabhairt faoi deara go gcuireann an Rialtas maoiniú suntasach breise ar fáil d'Fhoras na Gaeilge agus dá sé cheanneagraíocht maidir le gníomhaíochtaí eile Gaeilge. Le dhá bhliain anuas amháin, tá dúbailt tagtha ar an sciar den mhaoiniú sin a chuireann an Rialtas ar fáil go díreach do cheanneagraíochtaí Fhoras na Gaeilge, ó €1.8 milliún in 2023 go dtí €3.6 milliún i mbliana.

Sentiment score: -0.13

Tá a fhios ag an Teachta an méid oibre a rinne mé nuair a bhí mé mar Aire Stáit ag plé leis an ábhar sin. Tá sé an-deacair. Níl aon amhras orainn faoin bpointe sin. Tá sé an-tábhachtach freisin d’Fhoras na Gaeilge go réiteofar an fhadhb seo chomh luath agus is féidir. B’fhéidir go mbeadh seans ag an Teachta buaileadh leis an Aire nua, an Teachta Calleary, agus an t-ábhar sin a phlé. B’fhéidir go mbunófar na coistí go luath agus go mbeidh an Teachta Ó Snodaigh ina chathaoirleach ar an gcoiste Gaelainne agus Gaeltachta arís. Tá an t-ábhar seo an-tábhachtach, ní hamháin don dream atá ag lorg tacaíochta ó Fhoras na Gaeilge ach d’aon duine le suim i gcúrsaí Gaeltachta agus Gaelainne. Tá sé an-tábhachtach domsa freisin an t-ábhar seo a réiteach go luath.

Sentiment score: -0.18

Cinnte. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta go bhfuil an fhoireann Gaeltachta agus Gaelainne imithe ó mo Roinn agus mar sin is é an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, atá ag plé agus a bheidh freagrach as na polasaithe a bhaineann le cúrsaí Gaeltachta agus Gaelainne. Ach tuigim go bhfuil mé os comhair an Dála inniu agus beidh mé in ann an t-ábhar sin a phlé leis an Aire chomh luath agus is féidir. Níl aon amhras orm ach go bhfuil sé sin an-tábhachtach do na daoine ar fad sa tír seo a bhfuil suim acu i gcúrsaí Gaelainne agus Gaeltachta. Tá sé an-tábhachtach an t-ábhar sin a réiteach go luath.

Sentiment score: -0.41