Sinn Féin TD slams government for stalling Arts Bill Amendment recognising comedy

Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has released a statement slamming the government’s choice to stall the progress of his Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024 for 18 months.

The bill would allow for the recognition of comedy as an artform, allowing comedians to secure recognition and access to Arts Council funding.

In his statement, Teachta Ó Snodaigh said that an absence of opposition to the bill from the government shows that “there is cross-party support in principle for the recognition of comedy as an artform.”

He also accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil of “placing an 18-month delay on the progress of this bill,” calling their excuses for the delay “both cynical and flimsy.”

Ó Snodaigh went on to cite media reports which said that Culture Minister Patrick O’Donovan TD had told cabinet that “the recognition of comedy as an artform is ‘premature pending the outcome’ of Prof. Brennan’s report recommendations which he insists must be considered before any legislative amendments to the Arts Act 2003.”

However, Ó Snodaigh TD quoted Minister O’Donovan’s answer to a parliamentary question in July, where he had said that “‘the examination of particular art forms is not within the terms of reference’ of Prof. Brennan’s review, which deals only with governance and organisational culture.”

He then asked whether or not Minister O’Donovan had claimed to his cabinet that the bill would be addressed in a review which is “entirely unrelated.”

“As well as potentially deceiving his cabinet colleagues of the true context for this delay,” Teachta Ó Snodaigh continued, “Minister O’Donovan is betraying his own commitment to making the Arts Council more inclusive of artforms such as comedy.

“Committee scrutiny on the recognition of artforms would help inform any future restructuring of the Arts Council proposed by the Minister, thereby assisting his work,” he concluded. “Denying TDs and Senators the opportunity to conduct scrutiny on a topic not even being considered in the Brennan review simply undermines the role of elected representatives.”