Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms Pratschke and wish her the best of luck as chairman designate of the Arts Council. She may be a somewhat inspired choice, having come from the background in film writing and international culture. I am delighted she is to take up this position and wish her the best of luck in the role.

I have found this meeting quite joyless. The arts is about joy and it was a bit too serious. The arts is inspiring, elevating and joyous and we sometimes forget that. Apropos of something Ms Pratschke and other colleagues said, we need to highlight the arts in every citizen's life and we need to talk about and have a sense of the arts in our own lives. The only way we will be able to do that is through the arts in education, and my colleague, Senator Naughten, mentioned this.

The arts in education is enormous. I am not a member of this committee, hence I am the final questioner. I am a member of the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection-----