Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Moynihan for her interesting presentation. It is obvious the work in which she has been involved and this presentation cover a wide area of activity that works to address a significant number of issues of critical importance. In her presentation she mentioned that Acting for the Future uses theatre to promote positive mental health and suicide prevention, an area of significant importance for society. This issue is not just critical for young people but for older people as well. Unfortunately, all age groups are afflicted by suicide and mental health difficulties. Any presentations, productions and work in that area which get across a message and act towards prevention are extremely important.

Ms Moynihan mentioned work in both the Six Counties and the Border counties of the South. What presentations have taken place in these Border counties and what level of activity has Smashing Times had in the Cavan-Monaghan area or the other Border counties of the South? It is critical that this work has a solid basis for planning for the future and I hope it is supported and funded. Is the company reaching out to people in the most disadvantaged areas? We are all aware that it is often people from more affluent areas and from more settled communities with a good standard of living who are more likely to attend arts activities, and often these important and welcome productions do not reach the less well-off in society.

This committee has had formal presentations made here, but often when we visit communities in the Six Counties, whether loyalist or Nationalist communities, we learn that those communities feel disenfranchised and that they are not benefitting to the extent they should from the dividends that follow on from the Good Friday Agreement and the St. Andrews Agreement. Therefore, we need to ensure that those communities at particular disadvantage are targeted specifically in the work of Smashing Times.