Mr. Sunil Sharpe:

I thank Senator Byrne for the questions. As to how we change brand Ireland, we just need to get more of our creative communities properly involved, allow promoters and collectives to become more involved, give them access to spaces, give them venues and make them part of the team. They cannot always be on the outside. Of course, when they are a success we look to claim them as successful artists and musicians, quite often when they have left the country. In addition, we need to empower younger people, particularly the working classes. There is more and more of a divide and it is widening all the time. What we saw a lot last year was that the blame was levelled at many younger people, whether at house parties or congregating outdoors. Rather than trying to help them, we try to blame them. The thing is that many of those people are the creative future of our country. We really need to be serious about that and recognise it, rather than try to brush problems under the carpet. We need to involve everyone. A lot of the cultural richness of so many countries, including our own, comes from the working classes and from areas where many people live in poverty. They tell it how it is from the streets, from their areas. We really need to be serious about that and not push perhaps just one or two success stories but really get serious on a local level and ask them what they want and what kinds of spaces they want and not just supply what suits us. When I say "us", I mean those in authority, whether local authorities or older generations. We need to listen. Finally, on that, it is one thing being a little older and being young-minded as well. Older generations need to remember what it was like to be young to help support our younger communities and our creative forces of the future.