Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for appearing today and for their presentations. This has been very refreshing. The arts could teach politics so much, from the voice to the body. Working in politics, we tend to live in our heads. We have other ways of walking here. All the presentations took the philosophical view of dance as an artistic discipline that is necessary for us as human beings as we have become so sedentary. It is also important in light of the fact that Ireland is set to become the fattest nation in Europe in 2020.

I was also interested in what the witnesses had to say about our elders. I congratulate the witnesses on all the outreach and collaborative programmes which were mentioned. My own pathology kicks in here. I refer to concerns around dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and the emphasis on movement and keeping people alive, walking and moving. I do not think the Government has locked into that. I would like to ask all the witnesses a general question. When I finish they can chime in with their answers. Has any of the witnesses had a meeting with the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht?

My second question is for Dr. Foley, as well as the other witnesses. Does this come down to a lack of money? The Arts Council of Ireland does great work, but is dance at the end of the table with a many other things coming before it? It does not quite get the scraps but €3 million does not sound like much for either of these projects, although it is extremely well used. Has there been insufficient projection of what could happen, as Ms Webster said? Has this sector failed to highlight resources that have been given to it and have actually worked?

Is it also the case that the witnesses have not spoken loudly enough about elders when talking to the Department of Health? We only think of dance in connection with the Arts Council. We do not connect it with social welfare, Tusla, education and the HSE. Some collaborations were mentioned. Do we not talk about those collaborations or is nobody listening? Apart from the development of artists trying to live and work as dancers, form contemporary companies and promote dance in the same way as oral theatre, these collaborations are the most defined issue I have heard about here. They are the most educationally and physically useful aspect. The organisations represented here have done extraordinary work there.

My questions are general. What can we do? Does the Arts Council simply lack facilities because it does not get enough money, or does it not make the right decisions? I am not playing a blame game. I am just trying to find out. Since dance is one of the most important areas and disciplines in our lives, can we not prioritise it accordingly? The witnesses are all doing this in their own way. What are we not listening to?

I have asked very general questions rather than specific ones because all of the witnesses have made extraordinary and well-researched contributions. The collaborations are really something else. I congratulate the representatives of the Firkin Crane on the new directorship.

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