OPPOSITION MEMBERS OF the Oireachtas have hit out at cuts to the Arts in Budget 2017.
A reduction of 16% totalling over €30 million was announced on Tuesday, drawing condemnation from both Sinn Féín and the Labour Party.
Sinn Féín senator Fintan Warfield said he was shocked by the cuts.
He explained: “Cuts of over €30 million to the programme areas of Arts, Culture and Film in Budget 2017 amount to cultural vandalism.
“Despite that overall reduction, Minister Heather Humphries announced increased funding to a number of state bodies.
“No citizen can go about their day without engaging with the arts.
Former Labour leader Joan Burton also expressed her disappointment with the overall reduction of 16% in the arts budget.
She added: “The failure to retain the 1916 commemoration budget as a permanent expansion of the arts funding base is a rather sad comment on the shortness of vision in this Government when it comes to the Arts- particularly in the context of Brexit with the need to sell ourselves to the UK and our European partners.”
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