Aósdana, the elite artists association founded by Charles Haughey in the early 1980s should be scrapped and the money saved ploughed into providing a properly funded health service.

This self-selected group receive taxpayers' money through the Arts Council funding the "Cnuas" to artists. Irrespective of where an artist is based or whatever they do in their spare time, they still get approximately €17,000 per annum from you and me. A list of those on the Cnuas is on the Aósdana website.

They waste public money on flummery like golden torcs so that they can dress up and appoint each other as "saoi". The torcs should be melted down and the gold sold on the open market to help address the appaling gap between public and private hospital provision. If they want to persist with this lark they can do it at their own expense and refund the people of this country.

Call a stop to this fantasy nonsense and spend taxpayers' money on the real priority for this country.

Originally Posted by RBinge

Aósdana, the elite artists association founded by Charles Haughey in the early 1980s should be scrapped and the money saved ploughed into providing a properly funded health service.

This self-selected group receive taxpayers' money through the Arts Council funding the "Cnuas" to artists. Irrespective of where an artist is based or whatever they do in their spare time, they still get approximately €17,000 per annum from you and me. A list of those on the Cnuas is on the Aósdana website.

They waste public money on flummery like golden torcs so that they can dress up and appoint each other as "saoi". The torcs should be melted down and the gold sold on the open market to help address the appaling gap between public and private hospital provision. If they want to persist with this lark they can do it at their own expense and refund the people of this country.

Call a stop to this fantasy nonsense and spend taxpayers' money on the real priority for this country.

How many get €17,000?

I disagree. It was the best thing CH did.

Why were architects and choreographers included?

Originally Posted by RBinge

Aósdana, the elite artists association founded by Charles Haughey in the early 1980s should be scrapped and the money saved ploughed into providing a properly funded health service.

This self-selected group receive taxpayers' money through the Arts Council funding the "Cnuas" to artists. Irrespective of where an artist is based or whatever they do in their spare time, they still get approximately €17,000 per annum from you and me. A list of those on the Cnuas is on the Aósdana website.

They waste public money on flummery like golden torcs so that they can dress up and appoint each other as "saoi". The torcs should be melted down and the gold sold on the open market to help address the appaling gap between public and private hospital provision. If they want to persist with this lark they can do it at their own expense and refund the people of this country.

Call a stop to this fantasy nonsense and spend taxpayers' money on the real priority for this country.

Originally Posted by MaireadKelly1

Why were architects and choreographers included?

Cos they're artists?

Or at least some of them are...

Originally Posted by RBinge

Aósdana, the elite artists association founded by Charles Haughey in the early 1980s should be scrapped and the money saved ploughed into providing a properly funded health service.

This self-selected group receive taxpayers' money through the Arts Council funding the "Cnuas" to artists. Irrespective of where an artist is based or whatever they do in their spare time, they still get approximately €17,000 per annum from you and me. A list of those on the Cnuas is on the Aósdana website.

They waste public money on flummery like golden torcs so that they can dress up and appoint each other as "saoi". The torcs should be melted down and the gold sold on the open market to help address the appaling gap between public and private hospital provision. If they want to persist with this lark they can do it at their own expense and refund the people of this country.

Call a stop to this fantasy nonsense and spend taxpayers' money on the real priority for this country.

Do you have a list of those on €17,000?

Originally Posted by RBinge

Aósdana, the elite artists association founded by Charles Haughey in the early 1980s should be scrapped and the money saved ploughed into providing a properly funded health service.

This self-selected group receive taxpayers' money through the Arts Council funding the "Cnuas" to artists. Irrespective of where an artist is based or whatever they do in their spare time, they still get approximately €17,000 per annum from you and me. A list of those on the Cnuas is on the Aósdana website.

They waste public money on flummery like golden torcs so that they can dress up and appoint each other as "saoi". The torcs should be melted down and the gold sold on the open market to help address the appaling gap between public and private hospital provision. If they want to persist with this lark they can do it at their own expense and refund the people of this country.

Call a stop to this fantasy nonsense and spend taxpayers' money on the real priority for this country.

Don't know enough about what they do or who picks 'em but I do think artists should be taxed the same as everyone else to stop them losing the run of themselves.

What about really good artists who can't make money from their stuff and would have to get a regular job thereby depriving the country of their stuff?

I suppose they could sign on the dole?

Excellent op. It was a god idea by Charlie but of course the parasites moved in - and endorsed O'Searcaigh's antics, if memory servies me rightly.

This thread will be useful for finding out who can be ignored in future. Art and artists may not be valued by the ill-educated (who probably think Irish language spending should be cut as well) but the rest of us prefer to live in a society not an economy.