I am disappointed to learn that The Sun and The Irish Independent have joined an increasingly lengthy list of newspapers that have quietly undone the price reductions that were implemented as a result of the VAT reduction in July.

Following the reduction of the rate of VAT for this sector, the price of The Sun went down from €1.00 to €0.95, with the state effectively paying the difference. However, The Sun has now raised the price back to €1.00 today and has pocketed the difference. This is greed at the cost of both the public and the government.

The Sun isn’t the only newspaper that seems to be doing this. As part of my VATWatch campaign, people have been contacting me about other newspapers quietly undoing the reductions – these include The Mirror, the Irish Independent, the Financial Times and the Sunday Independent.

This VAT reduction was brought in as a temporary measure in order to assist this sector, and individual titles in this business seem to be taking the money for consumers and holding onto it. This isn’t good enough, and I’d urge members of the public to keep their eyes open and let these newspapers know that this sort of thing won’t be accepted.

In October, I spoke at the launch of Arts Disabilities Ireland first strategic publication, Next Steps Forward. It was a magnificent experience, and reminded me of the power that organisations – including the Government – can have in changing and shaping people’s lives. As I noted in my speech, I believe that the arts has the capacity to change lives, particularly those of people with disabilities, and as someone with experience of how the visual arts in particular can achieve this, I have maintained a great interest in the field. It was a pleasure to speak at the launch of such an important document, and I am convinced that, with this sort of foresight, ADI will do many good things as they work to incorporate Arts and disabilities.

As I said at the launch, it “marks a new phase in the organisation’s history. I was struck, while reading the document, by how comprehensive their strategy was and, indeed, how clear their vision is for the next five years in relation to both artists and audiences.” I believe that this document, if adhered to, will genuinely improve integration of those with disabilities into the Arts and, as such, enrich the Arts as a whole as well as the lives of those engaged with it.