Government orders review of Arts Council governance after €7m IT project failure

Arts minister Patrick O’Donovan brought the external review to the Government today, which is set to be overseen by an Expert Advisory Committee. Picture: Gareth Chaney

The Cabinet has agreed on terms of reference for an expert review of governance at the Arts Council after an unsuccessful IT project cost almost €7m.

The Arts Council has faced significant scrutiny in recent weeks after it emerged that an IT project, initially slated to cost €3m, had spiralled to €6.7m and was scrapped in 2024 after being found unfit for purpose.

Arts minister Patrick O’Donovan brought the external review to the Government today, which is set to be overseen by an Expert Advisory Committee.

This committee is due to be made up of three experts: Professor Niamh Brennan, Dr Margaret Cullen, and John McCarthy.

“The committee will ensure that the review process is robust, fair and transparent, and will lead to practical, actionable recommendations to improve the Arts Council’s governance arrangements. I will keep Government informed of the review’s findings as it progresses,” Mr O’Donovan said.

The terms of reference for the review state that it will consider whether the existing corporate governance framework for the Arts Council “reflects best governance practice for State Bodies.” 

The review itself will include an examination of procurement processes, as well as oversight, project governance, and accountability of the Arts Council’s board to Mr O’Donovan.

It will also make recommendations to Mr O’Donovan on any required reforms to the Arts Council’s corporate governance, organisational culture, and legislative basis if necessary.

A separate review of the Department of Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media will take place, with Mr O’Donovan stating that this will assess lessons learned from the failed IT project.

“The review will ensure that the Department has a comprehensive and effective oversight and governance framework for all bodies under its aegis to ensure full compliance with all public policy directives,” Mr O’Donovan said.

The arts minister also confirmed that his department had written to all bodies under its control to seek details of any capital projects costing at least €500,000 or projects that had significant expenditure but were abandoned or failed to deliver.

Mr O’Donovan said that this was “in order to provide assurance around financial management and value-for-money principles.” 

The Irish Examiner first reported that Mr O’Donovan had sought an explanation for spending as part of a bid to uncover any issues similar to those at the Arts Council.