Dr. Orfhlaith Ní Bhriain:

A Airí agus a Theachtaí Dhála, ár mbuíochas libh as ucht an deis a thabhairt dúinn labhairt libh inniu ar son na múinteoiri in Éirinn atá cláraithe leis an gCoimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha. Irish dance is an art form which demands dedication of mind and body. CLRG has in excess of 2,300 teachers registered worldwide with teachers across all the continents and 518 teachers registered on the island of Ireland.

In the current climate, the very future of Irish dance is in a precarious situation. We want to highlight following on from our recent lobbies numerous formal educational benefits of Irish dance. It is an integral part of the physical education curriculum at primary level and is sometimes taken as a choice subject for the leaving cert applied and for such awards as the Gaisce awards. There is also a Bachelor of Arts in Irish dance at the University of Limerick, as well as MA programmes and the possibility to conduct doctoral studies in dance. Without access to this training many senior cycle students are disadvantaged. Additionally, organisations such as an coimisiún provide educational training to future teachers, examiners and adjudicators of Irish dance. This is done through a grade exams system.

Second, we wish to highlight the various contributions made by the Irish dance industry to Irish society, tourism, and the economy more broadly. For example, a world Oireachtas can bring in in the region of €14 million to the host city. Shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance have also greatly increased our cultural capital and the long-term impact of dancers not being able to train in Ireland will lead to a considerable loss of cultural ownership, influence and impact globally.

Irish dance is vital for children’s physical health and well-being. It offers them the opportunity to build transferable and transversal skills that can serve them in so many areas of their lives. In the current climate, children are having to engage on Internet platforms, thus increasing their screen time. Many inequalities have arisen as a result of this. By running Irish dance classes, we can help to combat to these issues and promote healthy lifestyle choices.

I reiterate that current restrictions are having a seriously damaging impact on the Irish dance industry. We have not been able to hold in-person classes since we entered level 5 and a return to level 3 still precludes us from teaching indoors. We seek guidance from this committee as to why dance has been excluded from activities allowed indoors at level 3, particularly when other comparable activities have been permitted to continue indoors.

Under the terms of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, it is the right of Irish citizens to expect the State to provide for and facilitate the preservation, through practice and transmission, of traditional Irish step dance. In this context, we respectfully request that due consideration be given to the adverse effect of ongoing restrictions on our national cultural heritage, particularly our Irish dance form.