Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for taking the time to come in. Perhaps it is my age, but even with all the governance in the world, if the behaviour of people in power structures is out of order, that is what it is. I am loath to get into more legislation, as Ms O'Loughlin said.

I thought the survey was very interesting. It was very simple and concise. The witness complained that it was not academic. I have found that some academic surveys are so appalling that one cannot get through the chaos to get to the actual results. One of the most interesting things was that only 26% of respondents actually reported anything, for the very reasons outlined by the witness.

There is a huge dichotomy between the freelancer and the permanent worker. There is creativity in working freelance. Many artists want to be free and want to move, so it is very hard to find what the witnesses are advocating and at the same time allow the artist to be free to go and take part in projects with theatres and visual arts organisations as they please. It is a dichotomy, but the witnesses make a very interesting point about how one can hold that independence but have a standard of governance as opposed to a standard of accountancy. In the past, it seems we were more interested in accountancy than we were in actual people.

How do the Department or the Arts Council see this committee? Do the witnesses find it relevant? If so, what is the relevance? I ask because I am worried about what is our role. Do we just make statements? Should we be part of the role the Department and the Arts Council are playing with the Minister, in terms of the joint approach they spoke about? Orlaith McBride's talk was very comprehensive in terms of what they are doing and what they are trying to do by coming together. What do the witnesses see our role as? I am sitting here and wondering what exactly I am supposed to be doing beyond making the odd statement.

There was a controversy in the arts, and in politics too. The art of the individual is equally as evident in politics. In my long and awful life, the one place I felt bullied was in the arts sector. It was some years ago and it does not matter who, where or when. When all this came up, I almost went into hiding myself because it reminded me so much about it. Creativity is so free, and it is free for other people to take over. There are no rules because of its creativity. That is both its strength and its weakness. What is our role? What are we supposed to be doing here? It is important to the Department that we are not sitting here as a committee making little speeches. Today there happens to be something controversial. I want the Arts Council to answer that question as well, because I do not see the point of remaining on the committee and sitting here if we are not relevant.