Mr. Robert McDonald:

With regard to Creative Ireland, we have noted a lot more artists coming to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre with projects. Siobhan McDonald from Monaghan is currently working on a piece about the Black Pig's Dyke, for example, and this is funded through the Monaghan-Cavan Creative Ireland project. There is a lot more work coming to artists and then they arrive to us to work on the project. Creative Ireland has given the centre a lift by giving the artists a lift through giving them some finance to prepare their work. Creative Ireland is very positively received in rural areas, especially in Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan, where I work with a lot of artists. The arts officers in particular seem to find the whole process very engaging and supportive for current practices. We have had a number of artists knocking on the centre's door looking for a week in which they can get a project ready and we try to facilitate this as best we can.

Reference was made to whether or not we assist festivals. Bryan Delaney is currently with us and he is heading to the Galway Film Fleadh to showcase his new film. Little John Nee has just finished a new show, which will be at the Earagail Arts Festival and perhaps at the Galway festival also. There are many people making the work, which sometimes is showcased very early and sometimes it is two or three years down the line before the work is ready to be staged at a festival or venue.

I thank Deputy Niamh Smyth for her complimentary comments about the estate. For the record, the Office of Public Works looks after the grounds at Annaghmakerrig. They have maintained the house and the grounds very effectively for the last 15 years. We are very fortunate to have the OPW. The house belongs to the State and the OPW maintains it. This is why it looks so well. I must give credit to the OPW on that front.

We employ ten people locally. We are open for 50 weeks of the year and we have to cover every night and every weekend. Dinner is served every evening at 7 p.m. and we are very lucky to have two wonderful chefs living within ten minutes of the centre as otherwise, the artists would not come back to us.