Ms Katherine Licken:

On the programme, the pandemic has taught every one of us, if we needed to be taught it, the importance of artistic content and what it does to enrich our lives and give us resilience, but also our own creativity individually and how important that is. This pandemic has really shone a powerful light on that. It has given us a great impetus as a Department to move forward with many more creative new initiatives.

I wish to mention, because I know the Deputy is an advocate for the Irish language, and our Stiúrthóir na Gaeilge, Aodhán Mac Cormaic, is here, that in terms of disadvantaged schools, we introduced last year - I know the coláistí samhraidh could not go ahead this year - an initiative in the form of scholarships to bring DEIS school students to the Gaeltacht, which we think is important too.