Minister for Culture Patrick O’Donovan commissioned an external review of the governance and organisational culture in the Arts Council and this review has been under way since February, his department said. Photograph: Sam Boal/CollinsThe Department of Culture should “develop and enforce stronger oversight mechanisms” for organisations it funds, according to a report by the Dáil’s spending watchdog. Earlier this year it emerged that an abandoned IT project at the Arts Council aimed at replacing existing systems led to a net loss of €5.3 million. A statement from the Department of Culture said it had not seen the PAC report and “obviously cannot comment on the contents”. The statement said Minister for Culture Patrick O’Donovan commissioned an external review of the governance and organisational culture in the Arts Council and this review has been under way since February.

Source: The Irish Times November 25, 2025 10:30 UTC