Minister: 'Fine Gael do not do stunts, and if we did, they'd be the best stunts in the world'
Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne, sport and media minister Patrick O'Donovan, and Independent TD Noel Grealish at the launch of the arts capital investment fund at the Mermaid in Bray, Co Wicklow. Picture: Micheal O Scannail/PA
Sport and media minister Patrick O’Donovan has insisted that Fine Gael does not pull stunts, but if it did, they would be “the best stunts in the world”.
It comes following a falling out among the Coalition last week over the announcement of a new sports capital grants programme.
Fianna Fáil held an emergency meeting of the party last week, believing that Fine Gael members and Independents who support the Government had prematurely shared details of the successor to the sports capital grant.
Details of the opening dates for the scheme were shared late last Tuesday, September 22, by several Fine Gael TDs.
Fianna Fáil sources said junior sports minister Charlie McConalogue had asked that his party members not follow suit as details were still being finalised.
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On Wednesday morning, Mr O’Donovan announced the arts version of the sports capital grant in the Mermaid Theatre in Bray, Co Wicklow.
The €6m arts capital investment fund will support arts and culture facilities and organisations throughout the country to purchase equipment and undertake refurbishment works.
Mr O’Donovan confirmed that applications would open on October 1.
When asked if his Coalition colleagues were aware of this or if Fine Gael was pulling a stunt, the arts minister downplayed the idea.
“Fine Gael do not do stunts, and if we did, they'd be the best stunts in the world," Mr O’Donovan said.
“As you can see, all of my government colleagues are represented here today, and it's very important that we have a wide geographical spread as well from the south-east and the west.
“The arts have been a hugely integral and important part of Irish cultural output for hundreds of years. So this is the first of its kind.”
The announcement was attended by Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne and Independent minister Noel Grealish.
There will be three categories of grants under the new arts capital investment fund:
- Equipment for arts and culture organisations or multi-use centres providing or developing dedicated arts and culture facilities;
- Construction works for arts and culture organisations or multi-use centres providing or developing dedicated arts and culture facilities;
- Equipment to increase participation in the arts for community/voluntary groups.
As budget negotiations continue, Mr O’Donovan noted that there will be a reduction in spending growth for government agencies, arguing most of his funding goes towards arts and sports bodies.
“Obviously, we haven't anything concluded with [public expenditure minister Jack] Chambers, but it is going to be very challenging,” Mr O’Donovan said.
“As all departments have, we have a levy imposed on us to make up for the shortfall of the Department of Education.
“As well as that, we're also reminded that this is not going to be a budget for agencies.
“But yet, most of the work that we do in our department is agency facing, and all of our agencies are public facing, whether it's Sport Ireland, the Arts Council, our agencies of that age, the national governing bodies of sport.”
Mr O’Donovan said he expects his budget negotiations to conclude “well in advance” of the budget next Tuesday.
However, several senior government sources predicted that the negotiations are likely to carry on into the weekend.
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