Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Parsons. I read his submission and his curriculum vitae, which is wonderful because he has come from an educational background. He went through education at night and worked his way up to vocational education. It is a wonderful route to come this way from the ground up into what he does now.

Does Mr. Parsons consider that working with communities is a major part of what he does? What is his opinion on the dissipation of our communities, and the fact we are being told every day by the press, radio and television that they are falling apart and they have many problems, beginning with the post office and ending with emigration? Where does he see the Heritage Council in all of this? He mentions it a lot.

Does Mr. Parsons think he might make solid links with education at second level as opposed to, say, the Arts Council? It has its job to do. If I were to look at heritage week in Ireland every year it is better than the theatre festival in so far as it happens. I say this not in a comparable way because it happens in every street, town, village, lane, road, church, lawn and field in Ireland. It is extraordinary. There is more of an educational link. Mr. Parsons has planned for definite disciplined links in second level education, as opposed to the Arts Council, because it has its own work to do. It still has not addressed the issue that music as a subject in the leaving certificate examinations is not given 25 points while mathematics is. What are Mr. Parsons's views on such issues?