CULTURE minister Caral Ni Chuilin is facing criticism after it emerged she attended just two events funded by the north's Arts Council.
According to the Arts Council it funds "hundreds of events" every year, ranging from plays by independent theatre companies to major cultural showcases like the Belfast Festival at Queen's.
However, in response to a question in the assembly from Alliance MLA Anna Lo, Ms Ni Chuilin revealed that in the past 12 months she has attended just two performing arts events funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
"I receive a large number of invitations to attend performances and other events and meetings related to the arts but due to competing commitments across the spectrum of my department's responsibilities I am only available to attend a limited number of performing arts events," she told the assembly.
"Not all of these will have received funding from the Arts Council."
Ms Lo said as the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Ms Ni Chuilin needed to be "proactive" in attending events backed by the region's main arts body.
"She should be demonstrating that she has some level of interest in the performing arts," the South Belfast MLA said.
The Alliance representative said the performing arts were something that needed to be experienced to be understood rather than "read about in a ministerial briefing paper".
In October 2011, the culture minister chose not to attend the Royal UIster Academy's annual art exhibition in which a painting of Mary Travers was on display.
Schoolteacher Ms Travers was shot dead as she returned with her family from Mass at St Brigid's Church off the Malone Road in south Belfast in 1984.
Mary McArdle, who was Ms Ni Chuilin's special adviser, was jailed for her part in the murder and the attempted murder of magistrate Tom Travers.