Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----of the exchanges we have had, which will be very useful in compiling our report. There are two items of information which the witnesses might enjoy and which the members should take on board. Next week, representatives of the Abbey Theatre, some of the people who wrote the letter and representatives of the Arts Council will appear before the committee because it is so important. It will not be to delve into the specifics but, as Garry Hynes said, to deal with the overarching issue of how we got to this position and how we can get out of it. It is not necessary to be always argumentative. Hopefully, members of the committee will benefit from that. Others will probably attend to give their tuppence worth.

The other item, which is interesting, is that every year there is an arts budget and the Minister must appear before the committee. The Minister will appear before the committee with the Estimates on 6 March next. The information the witnesses have given us arms us to argue with her that the budget presented is not strong enough to deliver on policies that have been presented to the people. Platitudes have been given to the arts over the years but one should put the money where one's mouth is or one's mouth where the money is. I do not know which applies in this context. There was some talk about the cost-benefit analysis. That is the first question for every investment. That has been shown and proven so there is no need for us to continue that argument.

That is an argument that prevailed in the current climate. I ask Fr. Hederman to elaborate on his point that there are many imperatives and considerations which should determine what steps we take to shape the future. He said that prominent among those should be the voices of artists, about which there is no doubt. He referred also to the educating influence of art. Mr. Dorgan and perhaps Mr. King alluded to the fact that this is a small country on the edge of the world. While we have had a huge influence, it seems that in future the world will be more technologically structured. To do that, the world needs artists and people with imagination. We would not have all the new gadgets we have, on which kids are sometimes stuck, if someone had not imagined. Unless we value imagination, which is a hard thing to quantify, and educate the influence, it will affect everything that is happening in technology in future. Art or imagination is stuck in there somewhere which is important. How do we get that across?

Some people know about the influences on me of artists and everything to do with the arts. I have known many artists over the years and I note the bravery and courage of those artists who seek to reflect their imagination, interpretation of the world and music and so on to eke out a living. It is literally an eking out. I have seen people in absolutely dire straits saved by other artists who have managed to be a little bit better off. The vast majority of artists in this country have not made a living from art alone. That is the biggest scandal considering what the witnesses have said about the influence of Irish artists on art around the world and on our standing in the world. That is an economic contribution as well as on our standing as people. If there is anything in what I said to which the witnesses wish to respond, I ask them to fire away.