Mr. Gerard Keenan:

As this meeting relates to music in Ireland, I wish to raise a small concern on behalf of some of the practitioners. The Creative Ireland initiative is often thrown around, so to speak, these days. I am not quite sure what it is and everyone needs to find out. The Arts Council, with all its faults, has been the standard bearer and funder for many of us for years. Despite having had many a row with them over various bits of funding over the years, I believe it has fought quite honourably.

I was wheeled out to a meeting in Limerick last year where I made myself very unpopular because someone from Creative Ireland said that every child in the country will have access to a music education. I responded that that was fantastic but asked where was the budget. I was told there was not one. It is something that has immersed itself into the system but there are no definitions about the where or why. I note that a new head of Creative Ireland will begin work in June, I think, and I wish Ms Banotti the best. However, the Arts Council should not suffer because of this.

Money will come from one and go from the other. With the Arts Council, there is accountability when there is funding.