Mr. Brendan McGowan:

The Senator mentioned capital investment. There is great need for such investment in the amateur theatre world. I realise there is no capital allocation for the Arts Council. We need to get that from elsewhere. Some of our festivals take place in professional theatres, which is good, but many of our festivals take place in community centres and parish halls. As I said, our festivals have lost a substantial amount of money in the past while. We need capital investment to upgrade our technical facilities and all the elements that go into making a theatre for the duration of the festival. It is a vital requirement.