Ms Olga Barry:

I will respond briefly to the Senator Fintan Warfield's question about capital versus current expenditure. In Kilkenny, not unlike what Mr. Paul Fahy has just described, last year we presented a folk opera in a cattle mart, premiered a new aerial dance piece of physical theatre in a disused brewhouse and mounted an arts exhibition of the work of the fine artist Mick O'Dea in a disused meat factory. I am not proposing that we build all of this infrastructure, but I am trying to persuade the elected representatives that in current spending there might be some way to recognise what we must build in terms of regional infrastructure in order to mount work. If one can find the money and the partners and thinks one can deliver an audience for a great piece of work, on top of this one must build the stage, the seating, the lighting and so forth. We are presenting Shakespeare in a stunning open air theatre this year, the Castle Yard. We must build the seats, the stage and the lighting. I am not proposing that we build a new theatre, but there must be a more realistic approach to what is required in current spending to mount what we can with top quality professional production values.

Second - this might also respond to Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív's question, one of the things that constantly strikes me about funding and reporting is the competing mandates of our funders. The things on which one has to report to the Arts Council and which will now have to be reported to Creative Ireland will be very distinct from and possibly in conflict with what we have to report to Fáilte Ireland. We are being pulled in perhaps too broad a spectrum of direction. While our core is artistic integrity, we must also satisfy funders who want bed nights. Sometimes there are inherent conflicts and competing demands within that structure also.

For the record, I am from Cork; therefore, I am agnostic about what happens in Galway and Kilkenny. Once they get to Cork, I will make my opinion known.