Unfulfilled promises to writers and artists

WITH a general election looming, writers and artists should be asking questions about the new dawn the Government promised 19 months ago.

In August 2005, Trade and Commerce Minister Michael Ahern said the Government would be introducing legislation “before the end of the year” to ensure authors in Ireland would get paid whenever their books were borrowed from public libraries. And he assured the Dáil that artists would be paid royalties every time their original works were re-sold through the art trade.

The minister promised that a “public rental rights payment system” for writers and an “artists’ re-sale rights payments system” would become legally enshrined.

The year 2005 passed and these innovations failed to materialise. Those of us who stand to gain, however modestly, from the promised schemes are still waiting.

It was not out of the goodness of its heart or a love of art that the Government made these commitments. In 2003, the EU Commission was compelled to initiate legal action against Ireland in the European Court of Justice to force our Government to implement its rental and lending directive. Such pressure ought not to have been necessary, and wouldn’t have been if politicians were sincere in the frequent homage they heap on the “creative sector”.

Many writers and artists are struggling to eke out a living, or to pursue a part-time involvement in their work. The provision of the promised payment rights schemes would make a world of difference to many of them.

I have had four books dealing with aspects of Co Kilkenny’s heritage and history published in recent years. All are on loan from a number of public libraries in the southeast. Under the public rental rights payment scheme, I would expect to be paid every time somebody borrows one of my books. This financial boost would be welcome. One doesn’t become rich on the earnings from sales of local publications.

I am sure there are many people like myself who have put a lot of time and energy into their artistic, literary or historical research work and who could do with a little extra income.

I suggest to anyone in this situation to quiz election candidates about when the royalty system for writers and artists will become a reality. They will be asking for nothing more or less than what the Government promised.

John Fitzgerald

Lower Coyne St

Callan

Co Kilkenny.