SILE de Valera has worked hard to become the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. Just how hard doesn't really seem to be apparent to the many people involved in the arts who were laying their bets on her after the election, however. They remember the flow of statements and policy documents on the arts which has been steady since she became a member of the shadow cabinet two-and-a-half years ago. They don't seem to remember that she was once described by the Guardian as "the most controversial politician in the Republic" during her career.

For most of the early part of this career which began when she was elected to the Dail at the age of 22, she was seen as a one-issue politician and that one issue was "The National Question". In 1979 her name was all over the newspapers of the country, when she suggested in a speech to commemorate Liam Lynch, the IRA chief of staff who was killed in the last days of the Civil War, that Taoiseach Jack Lynch had departed from the republicanism of her grandfather, Eamon de Valera. She gave her support to Charles Haughey, but in, 1981 she was critical of his line on the Hunger Strikes and made a well-publicised visit to Bobby Sands in jail.

This stance served her ill with the denizens of Dublin South, and she lost her seat, only re-entering the Dail six years later, five years after moving to traditional de Valera turf in Co Clare. Then in 1993, she resigned from the Fianna Fail parliamentary party over the removal of the Shannon stop-over. She stated at the time that she would not consider rejoining the party unless the issue was resolved; a year later, she requested to be re-admitted, and was.

Early press cuttings do not hint that one day she would be seeking a career in the cultural area: there are passing references to an interest in "ballet, classical music and drama"; she is quoted as loving cinema, but finding theatre "more immediate, more involving". She grew up in a cultural household, however - her father, Terry de Valera, who was High Court Taxing Master, was an authority on Chopin. This surprises people, which is probably a throw-back to the old Civil War cliche of the rough, rural republicans. This cliche is still alive and well, particularly among the arts constituency, among whom one rarely finds a vocal Fianna Fail supporter.

In fact, of the three largest parties, Labour comes first in its support for the arts, on the basis of the last five years, but Fianna Fail definitely comes second, with Fine Gael trailing behind. However, de Valera will have to put in an exceptionally strong performance to gain widespread support among artists and arts workers.

THE following is an edited version of the interview with Sile de Valera.

What will be your approach to the ministry?

My general approach is that I believe very much in consultation. I wish to, first of all, consult with all of those groups (in the arts sector which come under the remit of the Department) before any major decisions are made. I took the opportunity last week to start visiting some of the institutions which come under the auspices of the Department, and I've got around well over 50 per cent of them. It was just a courtesy call, of course, but I wanted to signal that I was there to listen and see what the issues were and then work on a consultative basis to resolve them.

I have always believed in participation and consultation and I think a question that would be of great importance to me would be how best we can make the arts accessible to everyone. I think this would also be the argument of the Arts Council and how they see the future of the arts. Poverty is another issue. I think the outreach programmes of the national institutions are extremely important. Community arts, also, have a tremendous role to play.

Are these material differences to the policies of the last ministry, or is there rather a difference in emphasis?

I think it may well be a difference in emphasis. And in fairness to the previous Minister, (Michael D. Higgins) I would like to acknowledge that he did a tremendous amount for the arts - that although we may have had some differences over the last two-and-a-half years, there was an awful lot we could agree on.

I think another issue is that of cross-Border initiatives and this is something I want to put an emphasis on. I think with all the difficulties on a political and even a social level which exist now between North and South, the whole area of the arts can be a building bridge. And so I plan to go to the North as soon as this can be arranged to meet my counterpart there. The whole area of heritage and culture, of course, and identity, and those in the North who would identify with Britain and those who would identify with the rest of Ireland - there is obviously a clash of identities there, and I think the areas of arts and culture can help to bring people together.

Are you as committed as was your predecessor to the independence of the Arts Council?

Well, I think the Arts Council has played a tremendously important role and I want to take the opportunity of acknowledging that important role. It's interesting to note that in 2002 we have the 50th anniversary of the Arts Council, and perhaps that will be an opportunity to review structures and have a general discussion on how best we can serve the arts.

Do you think there is a need to review the structures of the council?

Any institution needs to look at its structures from time to time to see how they're answering the needs of their specific responsibilities. I say this in no criticism of the Arts Council, but simply, that it is an opportunity to see where the very strong points are and where the weaker points are and to be able to face those, and to face the new competitions which will be on stream. Because I think in the last 10 years we have seen a great difference with regard to the approach to the arts - and I'm not just talking about the setting up of the Department. I think the general public have seen the importance of the arts and of course, the whole area of arts in education is one of my hobby horses. I've asked the Department here if they would set up an interdepartmental unit with the Department of Education to see how we can further art within the educational structure, particularly at primary level.

When do you think you will appoint an Arts Council and what kind of person are you likely to appoint?

Obviously I'll only speak in general terms. There would be about a year before such appointments would take place and I've every intention of consulting with interested groups in the arts before any decision is made.

You described Michael D. Higgins's appointment of a Screen Commission to market Ireland as a location for film just before the election as "a stunt". Do you intend to establish a new one, and what do you see as the job of the Screen Commission?

I think if you were to ask the differences between the previous Minister's view of the Screen Commission and mine, the main difference would be that I would give further emphasis to the whole area of TV, and what TV can do. I'm referring obviously to RTE as our national broadcaster. What more can they do, if you like, to ensure the growth of an indigenous film industry here.

You committed yourself before the election to extending the Section 35 tax incentives for film. Would you have any specific proposals to face down the new competition which the new tax incentives for film in Britain have brought.

Obviously, not all the information (about the British incentives) is available to us. I'm basing what I'm saying now on what we've read in the papers - I would think that they may not have as negative an effect on Irish film as perhaps some people might fear. We may see a positive element of them with regard to co-production. I think, whatever we do, we can't be looking over our shoulder all the time, wondering what is going to come out of the blue at us, what we have to do as an industry is sit down and work out as an industry where we want to be in five years and 10 years, and work towards that without any distraction. That's why I proposed in my policy document that we would have a think-tank, where all elements of the industry would come together and discuss this.

Who would be in the think-tank?

I want to make sure that all the major players are represented, so I'm looking at that at the moment and how best to instigate that - the whole question of education is obviously something we can look at. We would be looking at the idea of setting up an international school for film.

How would that be financed?

I would envisage perhaps not just Exchequer funding but private funding from international students who would come. I don't want to pre-empt any discussions that we would have. I also want to take the opportunity of underlining the fact that there are a number of excellent courses and modules which are already on stream for the film industry.

You gave a commitment in the Fianna Fail manifesto to set up a music board with overall responsibility for implementing music industry strategy "immediately upon entering government". When will you set up this board and what exactly will it do?

This was first intimated in the FORTE report (the report of the Task Force on Irish music as an international industry set up by Minister Higgins). The FORTE report said this should be done in conjunction with the industry itself and I'm very concerned that those who are practically involved on a day-to-day basis have a direct say and input into these decisions. I understand that at the minute discussions are on-going within the industry and I would hope that they would look at this as a favourable recommendation from FORTE, and that we could go from there.

But what exactly would this board do?

Well, it would have a number of functions and these are outlined in the report; to help to co-ordinate the industry, which is very important. It's a very important and successful industry here in Ireland and there's an awful lot of potential. It's something I think which - gives Ireland a good name.

You have suggested the setting up of a national academy for the performing arts and music as a millennium project. How would you see this being financed, and how would it fit in with the structures which already exist, including the plan for the Pounds 1 million dance centre which the Arts Council has just announced?

I would think it most important that we have a centre for the performing arts in Dublin. We're the only European country which doesn't have such a centre. It has also been proposed that a suitable site for such a centre is Earlsfort Terrace, and I'm certainly inclined to that view. I certainly am very glad to see that the Arts Council is prepared to put aside money for dance. Now I understand that this is very much at a beginning stage and I would hope that perhaps there could be some co-ordination between the plans that the Arts Council would have and the performing arts centre.

You described an opera house as a "missing ingredient" in Dublin in your ardfheis speech. Where should it be located and how could it be funded?

It's marvellous to see these exciting proposals being put forward. However, I think we also have to look at the capital - costs and the sustainability of any of these projects. I'd want to have more details on what is being proposed (by the Arts Council) because I would also like to look at how we use the spaces that are already available here within the Dublin area.

Would you see the Abbey theatre as being involved in the development of a new performance space?

The Arts Council were talking about a performing arts centre down in the docklands area. Now personally I think the place for the performing arts is in Earlsfort Terrace. With regard to the Abbey, I know that there is quite some opposition (to a Docklands location)

from the Abbey that they wouldn't wish to change their present location for historical and traditional reasons.

How will you "confirm the status of the Abbey as a national institution", as you have promised? Should it be funded through your Department, as are IMMA and the National Concert Hall?

My inclination would be that the Abbey would be treated like the National Concert Hall and IMMA and have a different type of structure that is at present available to them.

The National Symphony Orchestra is looking for special provisions within RTE's new plans for music: it does not want to be part, with all of RTE's other orchestras and performing groups, of RTE's new subsidiary company for music. How do you feel about this issue?

I look forward to talking to them. I don't want to pre-empt anything that would be discussed at those meetings.

You have proposed the setting up of a national cultural institutions council as a forum for the different national institutions. What would it do?

It would hopefully be a co-ordinating body of those involved in our national institutions. It would be an opportunity for them to talk to each other as national institutions about areas such as collectors' policy, conservation, exhibitions, outreach and education. It would also be there to give advice to the Minister and consultations with that particular council would, I think, be of major help and importance in the direction of policy.

You made a promise, if elected, to finance fully the Arts Council's Arts Plan by the end of next year, a year before it was scheduled to be financed by the previous administration. Can you get this funding (Pounds 26 million) from the Department of Finance?

Yes, it was in the Fianna Fail discussion document and also it was underlined as being a priority for us because it is in the programme of Government as well between Fianna Fail and the PDs. That's extremely important and I believe, yes, that the commitment is there and we'll be working towards that.

Will that be a plateau of funding, or will there be another arts plan when it is completed, which is the Arts Council's aim?

Once the five years have been completed, I think there should be a review at that point and then we'll see what we can do about the planning for the arts in the future.

Will you be a strong advocate for the arts at the Cabinet table?

I'll be a strong voice, certainly. I have strong views and quite radical views which you'll be asking me about and perhaps reading about in the forthcoming months and years. I'm very commit-ed to this new ministry - new in the sense that ideas are constantly evolving - and I think that it's tremendously challenging. I've had the opportunity over the past few months to do my apprenticeship, as it were, to meet with the groups and to draw up certain proposals. What I would say is that the Fianna Fail document is a working document. It isn't something that is carved in stone. I'm very interested in hearing further views and further ideas. As I say, my whole philosophy is to work as a facilitator.