Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The charter is really well written and clearly laid out. Bearing in mind my involvement, I would have no apprehension regarding duplication. I am very conscious always that there should not be two separate bodies providing the very same service.

What was super about the arts and education charter is that it focused on delivering the expertise of the professional arts sector to schools rather than expecting teachers to pick up the pieces or expecting a maths teacher or primary school teacher to start teaching an art class. There is a great opportunity to provide professional artists with a job. We know professional artists have very little job security. They could deliver a very professional, contemporary arts practice within primary and secondary schools and in the adult and further education sectors. It has received considerable attention. I would not be fearful at all about duplication. As I understand it, the remit of the local authority arts officer is to focus on the professional development of an artist within the community. By contrast, the job of the arts education officer is to bring professional artists into the education sector so we will not expect our academic teachers to pick up the pieces and start teaching as part of an artistic programme.

The initiative has great potential. I acknowledge the Minister was very supportive. She got to see the benefits of the initiative in Cavan-Monaghan. With the amalgamation of the ETBs, there is now a great opportunity. A I stated, there are only 16 ETBs across the island. Appointing an arts education officer would have far-reaching benefits for artists, whom we said have very little job security, and young people, because it is with them that it really starts.