BRIAN PRIOR,
A chara, - It is inconceivable that Patricia Quinn, Director of the Arts Council (December 11th) is not aware of the purpose of the grant which Comhaltas receives from the Department. It is unambiguous: "mar chabhair do Chomhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann chun leas na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn ina chuid imeachtaí." How, then, could the issue of double funding arise?
Ms Quinn refers to funding to Comhaltas branches. This is so insignificant and derisory that it would not pay for the cocktails at one of the Arts Council's contemporary festivals.
The issues raised by the Director are obviously intended to be diversionary. However, the Arts Minister, John O'Donoghue, has made it quite clear that (a) the 1 per cent provided by the Arts Council for the traditional arts is no longer acceptable and (b) that the Arts Council has no coherent policy on the traditional arts. This, coupled with the findings of Price Waterhouse Coopers is an indictment of the Arts Council over the years. Comhaltas and others engaged in this debate feel vindicated that at long last the apartheid policy towards traditional arts has been exposed.
The present arts plan is once again designed to exclude the major part of traditional arts activity particularly at community level. This will make most of these activities ineligible for funding and will enable the Arts Council to say it receives only a small number of applications. - Is mise, etc.,
BRIAN PRIOR,
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.