Overview:
The Estimates proposals submitted by the Department of Arts, Sport & Tourism identified measures totalling €29m which would be required to manage within its approved pre-Budget Estimate. The Committee identified additional measure which had the potential to generate a further €23m. Implementation of all these measures would result in an allocation of €375m.

Additional comments:
Tourism - In identifying the scope for a €5m reduction, the Committee believes that the potential for a more coordinated and cost-effective approach to tourism marketing between Bord Fáilte and Tourism Ireland Ltd (TIL) should be investigated, along with potential savings in administration and overheads between the two agencies. In addition, the tourism promotion and development bodies (Bord Fáilte, TIL, CERT and Shannon Development) should explore the scope for increasing their annual contributions from the industry through increased charges for their services, provision of consultancy services and the implementation of partnership arrangements with the industry whereby marketing and training programmes would be undertaken in conjunction with the industry and jointly financed.

Arts & Culture - The Committee is proposing a reduction of €8m across the combined arts/culture programmes in the Department's Vote and the Arts Council. While the Committee has suggested how this total saving might be achieved, it does not have complete information on contractual and other commitments and believes therefore that the flexibility to decide on the precise allocation by subhead to deliver this saving should rest with the Department and the Arts Council.

Irish Film Board - The Committee considers that there is sufficient financial incentive provided to the film industry in Ireland through the Finance Act. In the tax year 2000/2001, for example, reliefs under section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 amounted to €29.2m. In view of this the Committee believes that the continuation of the Irish Film Board is unwarranted. The immediate scaling back of activity should yield savings of €4m in 2003.
Sports Capital - The Committee is conscious of the high level of commitments in the area of sports capital grants (subhead C1 refers). Commitments have now reached a level where the Committee considers it prudent to afford priority to honouring existing commitments before any new announcements on grants to local sports clubs, etc. are made.

Horse & Greyhound Fund - Unusually, the resources being allocated to the horse and greyhound industry are determined by the income received from off-course betting rather than an analysis of the industry's needs and an assessment of other expenditure priorities.