Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have come to the end of my line of questioning. I am sorry that there are not more of my colleagues present, although the witnesses might be delighted at that. We had a two-hour session before this, there are other committee meetings ongoing and I see a lot of our members in the Dáil and Seanad Chambers. I thank the witnesses for coming. This is our first engagement on this particular theme. I am sure it will not be the last. It will take us a lot of time to get our heads around it, no more than it will for the witnesses. We are coming through a difficult and strange time. Hopefully, we will never again be hit with a pandemic or with a similar set of circumstances. I know the witnesses would have all had to think on their feet about the challenges that were faced, be it our national institutions, theatres, galleries and sports venues or the likes of Northern Sound and RTÉ. Ms Gleeson and I have had a lot of discussion on tourism and the impact of that, including today. It is a learning curve and one that continues. I thank the witnesses for their work over the past two to three years through difficult and strange times, including working from home, working here and navigating all of that.