Arts Council put under governance review after wasting millions on IT project

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

All activities of the Arts Council are to be subjected to an external review after it accrued millions of euro in losses in pursuit of an unsuccessful IT project.

The Minister for Arts announced the governance review after it emerged the Arts Council has spent €6.67 million on a failed IT development project.

The secretary general of the Department of Culture initiated an examination of the Arts Council project last year and made 36 recommendations.

It found that the Arts Council was not prepared for the scale of the project and did not put in place adequate resources to deliver it.

The examination also found that the oversight, monitoring and reporting arrangements by the department over the lifespan of the project were inadequate.

Minister Patrick O’Donovan said he had expressed “deep concern” to the chairperson and director of the Arts Council over the project.

He said there are a range of “fundamental questions” about governance and culture within the Arts Council as to whether the corporate governance framework reflects best governance practice for state bodies

He added: “Assurance is also required that the culture of the Arts Council, at all levels, is open and transparent and that it engages with all stakeholders, both internal and external, in a manner appropriate to its statutory remit to develop the arts.”

Funding for the Arts Council has increased by 75 per cent in recent years to €140 million this year.

Mr O’Donovan said it was vital the taxpayer had confidence these resources were being used appropriately and that waste was avoided.

“I want to see these questions addressed as a matter of urgency and accordingly I have instructed my department to commence an external review of governance and culture at the Arts Council,” he said.

“The review will extend not only to capital projects but to all activities and expenditures under the remit of the Arts Council and will commence shortly.”