Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late. I missed the Galway Arts Festival presentation but Deputy Ó Cuív will have me well tuned in and, hopefully, I will get to hear more from the witnesses also.

It is fantastic to have the witnesses here this morning. I would be singing off the same hymn sheet as my colleague, Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell. It is wonderful to have people from the arts speak to us this morning with such enthusiasm about what they do. As a former arts student of the National College of Art and Design, NCAD, and having studied with the Institute of Art, Design and Technology, IADT, in curatorial studies I know what it is like at the coalface in terms of trying to curate, conduct and pull together festivals, as the witnesses do. I take my hat off to them because they do amazing work with sometimes very little appreciation for it. However, as alluded to already, the witnesses are one of this country's best human resources, both nationally and internationally. That is hugely important.

I am from County Cavan and a former member of Cavan County Council. The first bursary I was ever given was to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. I remember thinking that I was going down to road to County Monaghan but wondering what I would do there. At the time I had been commissioned to do a public art piece for the first fleadh held in Cavan. I recall going through the gates into the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and seeing the beautiful estate and grounds. I wrote down three words about that, namely, the atmosphere, the isolation and the conversations I had with other artists. I was not in any way prepared for that experience, which was probably one of the most precious I ever had when I was working as an artist. I returned a few years later as a curator to do a different type of work. I was not producing the art work but thinking about artists, themes and briefs for exhibitions I wanted to curate. As a fellow Cavan-Monaghan person, I am proud and delighted to see the witnesses here today. They do amazing work in the centre. The wonderful aspect of it is that it touches all the arts disciplines in terms of its dance studio and artists' studio. It is wonderful to hear that it is expanding the centre with its cottages and one can to go down the road to Monaghan town for coffee and a bit of civilisation if that is needed.

I found the meal and the conversation in the evening very helpful. I have spoken to many people who have spent time in the centre and they found it exhilarating to get that opportunity. Being a curator or an artist can be a very lonely place because most of the time is spent on one's own so to have the opportunity to produce one's work during the day and have those conversations in the evening was hugely important. The witnesses are doing fabulous work and long may it continue.

I have to say I have never attended the Galway Arts Festival for the simple reason that I was always correcting the leaving certificate art papers at that time. However, I was in Galway at the weekend, saw the signs for the festival and decided to make it my business to get to some of the events.

Mr. Downes answered Senator O'Donnell's question about letting us know as Oireachtas Members know what is happening because the witnesses wrote out and we all got their very articulate and colourful brochure yesterday about what is happening with the Kilkenny Arts Festival. I thank Mr. Downes and Ms Barry for the invitation to the launch in Dublin and Kilkenny. I certainly intend to attend some of the events down there. I apologise for not having made it down to Listowel Writers' Week yet but perhaps I will get the opportunity to do that this summer.

Any town, city or rural area is so lucky to have the witnesses who are creating festivals and providing visitors with an opportunity to come to an area. My questions are similar to those of Senator O'Donnell. Mr. Downes gave us an idea of the small number of staff. I put the same question to Mr. Crumlish and Mr. Fahy. Will they tell us about the Galway International Arts Festival's staffing and numbers? What engagement have the witnesses had with Creative Ireland so far? Creative Ireland has been in existence for two or three years. Have they received funding from Creative Ireland for their festivals and, if so, under what guise, scheme or umbrella?

In their professional capacity as directors and curators, will the witnesses tell me about Creative Ireland and its relationship with the Arts Council? Are we doing things right? Could we do things better? Is there duplication? I would like to hear the witnesses' opinion on that.

Will the witnesses keep us informed about what they are doing? That is very important. I do not think we are in a bubble. It is just that we have so much going on and it is very helpful to get the brochures like the one we received from Mr. Downes and invitations to launches. I ask that the witnesses keep us posted because we want to know what is happening throughout the country. I asked three very specific questions. Will each organisation answer them because we could learn a lot from that?