Madam, - In my 25 years experience of partnership with the Arts Council, I have experienced from their officials and hardworking voluntary council members - dignity, knowledge, sensitivity and a real caring approach to the needs of publishers, writers and artists. What has happened that allows Maurice Harmon to write(March 19th) "But it is shameful to harry, obstruct and demean those who work hard and selflessly to promote writers and the values they represent."
Your readers have heard about Poetry Ireland's 25 per cent cut in funding, but not about the cut of 100 per cent to O'Brien Press for its fiction and illustration for young readers.
The public has a right to know the following: there was no discussion, advance warning or notification of this decision - months passed before we had a meeting with the Literature Officer who said our books were excellent and worthy of support, that the cut was for 2003 only, that we were the only literature organisation that could afford a 100 per cent cut. Are we to be punished for our success? We requested confirmation of support for 2004, and this was refused.
Introducing new creative authors to the public is surely what the Arts Council should encourage. We have introduced dozens. However, literature for young readers seems to come low in the order of priorities.
Many of our authors are enraged, pointing out in letters to us and to the Arts Council that the Poetry Ireland cuts removed payment for school visits (often a core income for them) and that O'Brien Press "encouraged talented new writers", "opened up the delights of reading". Thanks to O'Brien Press, "our children can read books.... which reflect their own lives and values"..
Writers who have reacted include Eoin Colfer, William Trevor, Morgan Llywelyn, Marilyn Taylor, Gerard Whelan, Patrick Deeley, Dan Kissane, Liam MacUistin, Una Leavy, Marita Conlon-McKenna, Ulick O'Connor and Vincent McDonnell.
To cap it all, the Arts Council announced that their substantial intake of new staff would not affect grants and that they would reward excellence (while assuring us of our excellence). How can a government cut to the Arts Council of 8 per cent become 100 per cent for children's fiction? - Yours, etc.
MICHAEL O'BRIEN, The O'Brien Press Ltd, 20 Victoria Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6