Mr. Declan Conlon:

This has to continue. There is also Mark O'Rowe. There are also younger playwrights. Something is happening on that front. However, there is a lack of opportunity for them. We need more cognisance of the fact the Abbey has been a writer's theatre and the spoken word has been very important historically in the Abbey Theatre.

For a separate discussion for a separate time, I would like to see more plays produced because what we have at present are adaptations of other works of art. We have adaptations of films and novels. Playwriting is a very specific skill. Being a dramatist is a very specific skill. It is a skill we have to nurture if we are going to have great works of theatre in our canon for the future.