MAYBE because he created the role to use a theatrical analogy but it's almost hard to imagine another Minister for Arts and Culture after the flamboyant Michael D. Higgins, writes Mic Moroney. Mind you, his term has coincided with a number of godsends for any politician - the windfall of the EU structural funds, the launch of TnaG etc. But he has managed to demonstrate an unprecedented grasp of arts issues, a commitment to regionalisation and infrastructure and an evidently forceful enough style at the Cabinet table, where he has winkled from the Department of Finance an Arts Council budget which has risen from £12.5 million in 1993 to £20.8 million this year. His seat in Galway West, where he topped the poll in the last election, seems secure - even more so by the Michael D - even more so by the withdrawal of Maire Geoghegan-Quinn from the contest - where his high profile perceived achievements include presiding over the opening of the successful Town Hall Theatre; building the Black Box for Macnas; relocating the Film Board; and now refurbishing the Galway Arts Centre. Against that, some might criticise the disappointing amount of new legislation he has managed to push through, or aspects of his record in the Gaeltacht, where thousands of people in Connemara currently cannot even receive T na G.
But rumours are circulating that, even in the event of some form of the current Coalition re entering government, Higgins might not seek the Arts portfolio again and that perhaps he might pitch, for example, for Education - an area on which, as a former lecturer, he has strong views. Of course, all of this is contingent, firstly on Labour being re elected, then on whatever decisions Dick Spring might make in terms of doling out posts. It is hard enough to identify alternative candidates within the party (Niamh Breathnach, Joan Burton, Eithne Fitgerald?) or even Fine Gael (Frances Fitzgerald?). Meanwhile Democratic Left is pushing the new face of Helen Lahert, a community arts worker polling well in Dublin North Central, although she would be highly unlikely to leapfrog people of the calibre and experience of, say, Liz McManus, while the Green party's Dan Boyle might come into the spotlight if the Greens were to hold the balance of power.
If you swing your head in the direction of a FF/PD coalition, the PD's Mairin Quill in Cork has always been keen to achieve an arts profile, although she would be overshadowed by Sile de Valera, FF Spokesperson for Arts Culture and Heritage. Interestingly, the Gaeltacht section of the portfolio lies with Micheal Martin, the party spokesman for Education, yet FF and de Valera's recent position paper on Heritage proclaim that FF will retain the Department as it currently stands, merely changing the title to Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to emphasise the value of tradition and architecture.
A further FF position paper on the arts was due for publication in June but with the probability of a May election, de Valera will now make her first major statement on the arts at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis this weekend. It's not quite an area which is likely to command many votes but at least, for the first time, it is on everyone's political agenda.
