The poet, Michael Hartnett, has a special place in my heart, not only because of his poetry but because his maternal home place in Camas, outside Raheenagh, is a part of the world that I know very well. When the Minister was launching the Éigse Michael Hartnett Literary and Arts Festival earlier this year, he acknowledged that there is a need for capital funding for arts in this country. The Limerick Leader reported that he said he wanted to help to develop arts centres, theatres and other artistic infrastructure around the country. I am delighted he said that. However, in a letter to an arts space in Dublin yesterday, the Minister said something completely different. He passed the buck to local authorities and washed his hands of any responsibility for his Department. Why would he be so positive in his message in Limerick and so negative and dismissive of an arts centre in Dublin? Are we to take it that his interest in the arts is only confined to areas outside Dublin?

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Answer the question, please. The Minister is so dismissive.

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The Department has been approached. There was a letter.

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I am working on the basis of what was said to The Complex.

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