Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To my knowledge, Kildare County Council is a good example of where the local authority rolls out regular education. It does the Laban Guild Dance, which is the dance format, style or genre it works with. There is a greater opportunity through our schools to roll out dance. Dance should be like music or art. One has a music class. There should be a dance teacher in every school, particularly in light of physical and mental health, where we are spending millions of euro on addressing those two issues. Access should be provided for pupils in secondary school. They do not experience dance unless it comes from the parents and they get the opportunity to do these extracurricular activities or go to fee-paying classes. The problem for artists is the short contracts. They have to make a living but they have no security, healthcare, or continuity in their job, which is awful.

In regard to where funding and Arts Council funding is going and the application form for the Arts Council, do the organisations believe there is a shift away from dance companies, as such? Are we moving towards individual dancers, to which there is merit?

What happens to the dance companies? They may be more encompassing of professional dancers. I refer to delivering to more than just individuals.Perhaps I am wrong. I get a sense from the dance community that there is a shift happening. We need to be made aware of that and we need to know whether it is the right or wrong shift.

Do the delegates agree with delivery through schools?