Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am confident in Mr. Falvey and the Department's commitment to this. It is for the Department to stand by the cultural element of this campaign. This is not about drink. One of the largest obstacles would be for this to be an extension of drinking or whatever. It does not have to be, though. Mr. Falvey will have noted from the witnesses from Waterford two weeks ago that they had to transition into an alcohol-based event to stay open, which is atrocious and cannot be defended.

Regarding artists' ability to earn money, we are discussing the time of night that they earn a wedge of cash. Artists' wages are approximately €12,000 per year. This is necessary and does not require grants or other State funding. It is a win-win for the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.