Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ultimately, rather than seeking to impose our musical preferences on broadcasters, which I am somewhat uncomfortable with, why not develop the ecosystem, supported by the State to the greatest possible extent, from where the artists emerge of their own accord when they are given the necessary supports? Rather than banging their heads off the wall after two or three years of creating good music and material, they should feel that they are plugging into something that is State-funded and State-supported, which will give them the chance to succeed and become cultural and musical ambassadors for our country. Let us go about it the other way. I suggest we talk to the Minister, our colleagues, the coimisiún, IMRO which has huge expertise in this area and people like Mr. Butler who have spent a lifetime in the industry. We need to ask how we can make this happen. We also should not try to reinvent the wheel. We should look at what was done in Korea, how it was structured and what is being done elsewhere. That is the direction this conversation needs to go in the coming weeks and months.