Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because much of what I wanted to say or ask has been dealt with. The witnesses are most welcome. Going back to the petition that came in, it was very important because it has opened up a new debate on the orchestras. I was just thinking of all the fantastic performances involving the orchestras, whether on "The Late Late Show" or with Daniel O'Donnell, Mike Denver or some of the pop stars. Amazing shows have been put on. I cannot think of the name of the guy from Mullingar with whom the RTÉ Concert Orchestra did one recently. It was fantastic. Right throughout the country there is huge - I will not say "recognition" as I think there is an issue with recognition - but acknowledgement of the good thing this is. I hope from what is happening here we will have further recognition of the orchestras. I am just looking at a piece of material about the RTÉ Concert Orchestra here, which states "Enhancing life through music's extraordinary capacity to communicate, motivate, uplift, educate and entertain is at the heart of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra." From my 20 years of involvement in media - producing, presenting and doing a lot of music at times - I can really appreciate that.

I have just one or two very brief questions. First, how many full-time musicians do the orchestras have? I do not know whether that has been clarified yet. Second, obviously, financial constraints perhaps in recent years have been an issue. If the orchestras had a substantial sponsor - I do not know whether they can get one; I am just asking - could they get out into the country more? I think this type of music would be a hit in every county. Obviously, the orchestras cannot be on the road every week of the year but I think this would be a significant area of creating more finance and getting better known. Everyone will talk about the orchestra when they see it on "The Late Late Show", "The Ray D'Arcy Show" or some other show or in concert with someone but I think it goes out of people's minds then. What the orchestras do is fantastic, and they are staffed by absolutely amazing people, so it could be very positive if they had the right financial backing.

They are the two things I would like clarified.