Ms Deirdre Masterson:

I thank Mr. Donnelly. We have sat on audition panels for the American College Dublin AIMS scholarship-bursary to which he referred. The problem we have is the volume of applications. Every one of them is worthy but we have just one scholarship to give out, which is tuition for two years of a four-year degree programme. We have come some way by creating third level education here, which creates an option for people to study at home and they are not emigrating for studies. However, it is still not acknowledged, recognised or assisted financially by the Government or the Arts Council. There should be more waves there in creating more possibilities for those students who want to stay in Ireland to study. The other question then is where they will work. They are getting an education but then, like Killian, they cannot come back and we cannot get to hear and see them unless they are employed by an English touring company to come back to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.