Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

That may be so, but I think the Government is possibly taking advice from public health authorities. It is something we could try to get the bottom of and see what the rationale is because there does not seem to be a consistent one behind that. That change would make some difference but it still would not solve the industry's problem until we get back to normal. Is that correct? The industry certainly has my support and, judging from the response, there is a great deal of support from other members. I want to commit to pushing the committee forward as much as possible on our guests' behalf.

I turn to a broader question. The arts and live entertainment are such a central part of the cultural fabric of this country and they are so beloved of everybody in the country. They are badly needed, as we have seen more than ever during this crisis even though most people know it anyway, yet it is such an overlooked sector and it is so far down the pecking order when it comes to getting support. It is a curious irony that that is the case. I hope that this meeting and our guests' campaigning, which has been fantastic, will start to remedy that, but I am curious as to why it is the case and what our guests' views are as to why that irony exists. Something that is so important and valued gets so little support and is often far down the pecking order when it comes to issues that are considered important by the political system.