Interview with Michael D. Higgins, Minister of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht between 1993 and 1997
Résumé
Dáil Éireann, Dublin, Ireland. 15th May 2001
Michael D. Higgins was the first minister of Culture in Ireland. A socialist cum criminologist cum poet, he is an outstanding figure on the Irish political scene. This interview aims at revealing the rationale of the creation of this Government department in Ireland and the role of intellectual and political justifications in the negotiations accompanying this initiative.
Alexandra Dilys-Slaby : To what extent were your notions of culture and cultural policy accepted by the rest of the government on an ideological and philosophical level?
AD-S : In an interview with Anne Kelly in 1994, you said that your colleagues in the government should go and read Habermas and Adorno. How did they respond to that theoretical background of yours?
AD-S : Is the word “Culture” a Labour word in Ireland?
AD-S : You mentioned meetings with European Ministers for Culture. How often would you meet?
AD-S : What issues were discussed at those meetings?
AD-S : Is Ireland taking an original path in the general international trends of State intervention into culture? There was a government Department created in 1993 and the relevance of the Arts Council is being put into question, and this seems to contrast with an increasing criticism of direct State intervention, represented by the dirigisme model in France for example.
AD-S : How do you interpret the withdrawal by your successor of the word « culture » from the heading of the Department?
AD-S : So that clearly indicates a radical change of emphasis?
AD-S : If you were to look back on your term and make an assessment, what were you pleased about and what left you disappointed?
AD-S : So cultural policy in Ireland needs that central involvement to acquire a social definition?
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