Mr. Adrian Moynes:

I thank Deputies and Senators for the warmth of their endorsement. In respect of our connections with Creative Ireland, perhaps we are Creative Ireland avant la lettre. We have been at this for a long time. The job of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre is quite specific. It is to be a place where people do the core creative work. The question of how that plays out in terms of opportunities on the national stage is one for other people. We will always be open to the conversations and discussions with policymakers or any agency that is trying to improve the quality of arts life in Ireland.

Before Mr. McDonald talks about staff numbers, I wish to say that the people who work at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, those who maintain the grounds and make the beds, are absolutely key to the support of the creative artists. As the chairman, time and again the artists tell me the staff members at the centre are wonderful. These staff members are local men and women who live down the road in Annaghmakerrig, Newbliss or Cootehill and are in the centre every day making the beds and putting the food on the table. It is absolutely quintessential to the experience.