Angry exchanges as arts minister says Derry gets larger allocation of funding than its population share

SDLP MLA Mark Durkan asked Mr. Lyons what steps his Department was taking to ensure that there is a regional balance when allocating arts funding between Belfast and other regions, particularly the north-west.

Mr. Durkan specifically raised the recent 100 per cent cut in Arts Council funding to the Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company in Derry.

“Will the Minister commit to meeting Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company, which recently received the shattering news that it is to lose 100% of its funding, and other arts organisations in the north-west to hear their concerns and improve his understanding of their value?” he asked.

In answering Mr. Lyons said Derry gets higher spending on the arts per capita than other areas.

“I understand the concerns that the Member has expressed about his council area. Although it has 8 per cent of Northern Ireland's population, it gets 12 per cent of arts funding.

"My council area [Mid and East Antrim] has 7 per cent of Northern Ireland's population but receives only 0.6 per cent of arts funding. That is disgraceful, and that is why I am working to make sure that we get an even spread across Northern Ireland, recognising that many arts organisations are based in cities.

“I have done more to ensure that there is fairer distribution — a fairer spread — across Northern Ireland and will continue to make sure that that is the case.”

Following the exchange SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin accused the Minister of raising ‘the issue of Derry getting too much money for the arts’.

Mr. Lyons denied this but Mrs. McLaughlin insisted: “You did. You qualified it with percentages of population against percentages of funding.

“Minister, based on that, do you believe that more funding should be removed from the arts sector in Derry? That was the suggestion that you made in the House.”

The Minister responded: “I am sorry. That was not my suggestion at all. I simply laid out the figures. I am not saying in any way that funding should be removed. Those were her words — that was her suggestion — not mine.

"I said that bigger cities in Northern Ireland, including Belfast and Londonderry, are often the bases for arts organisations that do work elsewhere. That is the point that I was making.

"I was highlighting that there was underinvestment elsewhere, but I am not pitting areas against each other. I want to see more funding right across Northern Ireland.

"The Member will understand my reluctance to get involved with a specific funding issue and decision of the Arts Council. I do not always think that it is appropriate for the Minister to individually get involved in those decisions.

"I met some people who were very concerned about that issue when I was last in Londonderry a few weeks ago, but it is important that those concerns are dealt with through the normal channels. Let me repeat this: I want to see more money for funding right across Northern Ireland.”