Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the proactive response of both the Arts Council and the Minister.

Freelance workers are very vulnerable. I was trying to get my head around the distinction between employees and workers. Obviously, the employees of an organisation would have their staff handbooks in which all the grievance procedures would be outlined. Do our guests have any ideas on how one could extend that type of protection to freelancers such that when they walk into a new environment, there is some person to whom they can report directly if an issue arises. Does anyone have ideas in that regard? It seems that there is a real issue for freelance personnel because they do not have a procedure to follow should an issue arise.

The governance workshops and the regional information days are terrific ideas. Who will be running them, and who can attend them? Will everyone who wants to go get an opportunity to attend?