Arts policy in Ireland in 2025 was shaped by a significant change at the very top of the pile. This time it switched from Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, which at least has the virtue of (relative) brevity. RTÉ continued to face governance difficulties and financial strain, and the Minister adopted a firm but narrow approach to its reform. But for a sector accustomed to operating on tight margins, 2025 was a year spent waiting: waiting for the Arts Council review, waiting for clarity on RTÉ. The Kennedy Center’s mission has narrowed to accommodate a worldview that treats culture as a battlefield on which loyalty must be performed.

Source: The Irish Times December 20, 2025 17:15 UTC