Ms Catherine Heaney:

I will answer the question on the ceramics room and leave the other question to Mr. Ó Floinn. I have my favourite objects as well, but regarding the ceramics room and facilitating the Seanad, I think one of the lessons the Houses of the Oireachtas have learned, the museum has learned and our other neighbour has perhaps learned is that it is better to work collaboratively. The National Museum of Ireland has quite a number of shortcomings. I outlined when I made my first presentation here the fact that we have a beautiful but leaking roof in the rotunda that needs to be fixed. We have many infrastructural problems. I also mentioned the fact that we do not have a lift, so anyone with a mobility issue cannot access the upper galleries in our national museum. I am not happy about that. What we can do collaboratively to improve access and the condition of these historic buildings are two very important matters. At that level, there has been more than one good outcome. Not only will the Seanad be able to sit somewhere very convenient to the facilities of Leinster House, but we also now have a much better collaborative working relationship. The Ceann Comhairle is leading on that and we very much appreciate that support.