Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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That genuinely was not planned. It was great that the Minister could reply after Oein's presentation and we are very grateful for that. The Minister is right in that it is only a starting point for our community and the arts. Keeping Traveller culture is not just about Traveller culture but is about keeping that culture alive. I remember speaking with Oein, and I quote this a great deal, where we were going into schools and many settings - we wanted to educate people on Traveller culture but we never get that opportunity to speak about Traveller culture because we are always speaking about the inequalities which Travellers have to endure on a daily basis. I remember Oein asking me one time what we were doing going into schools, where we talk about problems we face and do not talk about culture. One can actually see that shift now and it is about keeping Traveller culture alive and to the heart of Irish society. We can all agree in this House today at this committee that we are at the heart of Irish culture because we as a community still live by and value some traditional Irish ways of life today in society. I thank the Minister.

We move now to our next speaker, Thomas McCann. Thomas has been a great activist for years, it is a pleasure to have him here and the floor is his.