Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am referring to the video. Each should be separated and made available as a single contribution because their message would resonate deeply with thousands of people.

I acknowledge that we grossly underfund the arts in this country. Mr. Dorgan spoke about the art that happens every single day along the rural highways and byways and in the estates of this country. We must create an environment for a young person participating in Comhaltas for the first time or a potentially great actor treading the boards in a one-act drama in Roscommon, in which they feel at home and in the place they want to be.

As to whether we urgently need to examine the funding structure as currently constituted, I acknowledge that it is underfunded but excellence always seems to win out in terms of the largest portion of that structure. We seek to support and acknowledge excellence at the top of the pyramid instead of looking at the highways and byways, the school yards or the next Kodaline rehearsing right now in some kid's garage in Limerick.

I know some of the local authority arts officers in the west well. I know of their knowledge of the arts and their passion for nurturing them. Every year, and regardless of where they are in the country, they often tell me that they do not have the resources to fertilise and encourage nascent artistic endeavour. Do we need to invert the pyramid? Should excellence be able to fund itself? Should those who might be capable of creating excellence in future be the major recipients of arts funding?