I call Deputy Burton.

The Taoiseach attended the Kennedy centre in Washington yesterday for the opening of Ireland 100, a major festival of the Irish Arts, which I believe will be enormously successful but while he was quite properly attending those celebrations, it is a little incongruous that at home there is widespread concern in the arts committee at the downgrading and lack of commitment in the programme for Government to the critical role of the arts and culture in modern Ireland. We have a new Department which is called the Department of Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht. The commitments in the programme for Government to the arts are very vague and it has very few costings. Will the Government provide for a debate on the important role of arts and culture both at home and abroad and on what the programme for Government means in terms of funding for the arts in Ireland? It is our calling card when we go abroad and it is tremendously important for us at home as well. When the appointments of Ministers of State are announced, which I believe will happen by the weekend, will there be a dedicated Minister of State for the arts to underlie the significance and importance of the sector?

My second question about the programme for Government is a simple one. Who is the Minister for the environment? I note from reading the programme for Government that we have a Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and a Department of Communications and Climate Change but we no longer seem to have a Minister who deals with the environment. That particular job seems to have gone AWOL from the programme for Government.

The last one was AWOL.

It is critical in terms of how we live our lives in this country that there should be a Minister for the environment. Can the Tánaiste tell us who is the Minister for the environment? Could the word "environment" be reinstated in the title of the Department? Would that require legislation? It is absolutely important that we are clear on this. It is very good to have a Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government but we actually need a Minister for the environment.

On the Deputy's question about the arts, I want to reiterate the central role of the arts and the fact the Government remains fully committed to supporting the arts, culture and heritage sectors. I agree entirely with what she has to say about the contribution of the arts to our economy and to our international reputation. The reconfiguration of the Department of the arts and the wider responsibility in regard to rural affairs does not represent in any way a downgrading of the arts, and I want to be very clear about that. The programme for Government contains a number of commitments to the arts, including a specific commitment to progressively increase funding for the arts, including for the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy grows. As the Deputy is well aware, the outgoing Government was very committed to the arts and made a number of very significant capital investments in the arts, including an investment of €30 million at the National Gallery, an €8 million expansion project at the National Archives and a €10 million renovation project, which has been long awaited, will get under way at the National Library. It should be noted that the investment in the National Gallery was given at a time when the public finances were still in a very fragile state.

Funding for the Arts Council, the Irish Film Board and the national cultural institutions has been increased over the last two years. It is worth noting that the investment in the arts has continued and increased as the economy has improved. A great deal of work has been done on drafting the first ever national cultural policy, Culture 2025, which the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, hopes to publish shortly. It will be a boost to the arts community in that there will be a very well laid out arts strategy following a great deal of consultation. Importantly, there will also be a new investment programme for regional arts centres which will amount to €18 million over the next six years. That will make a significant contribution to the provision of arts in the community at local and regional level.

On the Deputy's question on Ministers of State, that is a decision for the Taoiseach which I understand will be made later this week. I have no doubt the priority the Government gives to the arts will be reflected in those appointments.

On the Deputy's question on the environment, the areas of climate change, air quality, the EPA and waste management are now the responsibility of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Denis Naughten, while the other areas of housing, planning and so on remain with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney.

Where is the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government?