Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The reason I asked the question is because I agree with Ms Pratschke that there is not enough conversation about the genius of the arts in our society. It happens only at times like this when gender quotas or controversial issues arise. We do not really infiltrate it. It is not even infiltrated through the Departments. It is not infiltrated thought education as a statutory and absolute right. It may happen under the new creative pillars. I feel that we are constantly battling something else to get through to it and that the conduits to it are very chaotic. This is my first time serving on this committee. I served on the education and social welfare committees prior to this. Even at those forums it was not discussed. It is also not discussed in the context of mental health or the elderly. The arts are not referenced all the time. It is, however, the one thing that makes us who we are. It is most important. Perhaps we need more voices at this committee and more platforms. We are constantly battling to it through something else or talking about it, from a default position, in the context of tourism or the economy. We do not talk about it in its own right. I am aware that our guests who are involved in this area - entirely and independently - for the sake of it. I am just trying to get through that chaos in the context of this committee's discussions and not just to talk about the controversiality or the gender quotas, which are extraordinarily important. The arts are genderless - they are human.