The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands is inviting submissions from the public on the future direction of arts legislation.
Presenting a report on the issue yesterday, Ms de Valera said she wished to "initiate a debate on the structures and legislation required to support, encourage, expand and develop the arts in the new millennium".
Artists, administrators, promoters and audiences have been asked to participate in the consultative process in advance of a new Arts Bill to be published next year.
Ms de Valera stressed that "access and excellence" were the twin pillars on which her policy on the arts was based.
The report, Towards a New Framework for the Arts, contains a review of the 1951 and 1973 Arts Acts and suggests possible revisions. It notes "the development of arts and cultural institutions and agencies in this country have been spasmodic and have tended to eschew general strategies or blueprints".
In recent years, however, there has been a more structured approach to the arts with the involvement of local authorities, the Arts Council and the Department. Funding has also increased substantially with a budget allocation to the council of £100 million for 1999-2001.
Among the issues examined are whether separate agencies should be established to promote Irish art and culture abroad and at local level. On the role of the council itself, the report asks whether change in its structure and membership is necessary.
"It has been argued that a council of 17 is unwieldy and that a smaller council would be more efficient and effective," the report says. The fact that all members end their term of office on the same date is also seen as less than satisfactory.
The report also contains a comparative study of structures in other countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, New Zealand and Denmark.
Welcoming the publication, the council's chairman, Mr Patrick J. Murphy, said it would be making a full and detailed submission.
Copies are available from the Department's arts division or can be viewed at the National Library's website. Submissions should reach the Department by October 20th.
