John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

With regard to the artists' exemption, it would be remiss of me and of Members of the House, and I compliment Deputy Ó Snodaigh on doing so, not to remember the contribution the artists' exemption has made to Ireland and its people. It was the brainchild of the great Irish poet, Anthony Cronin, who happily is still with us, who inspired Charles Haughey, the then Taoiseach, to bring forward this relief. It was not meant to make millions for any given individual. It was not meant to set up record companies, and it certainly was not meant to create an elite. It was meant to give expression to Ireland's unique cultural identify and in that context it was also meant as a haven for great artists who might come into this country and give expression through painting, poetry, novels or other ways to Ireland's history and cultural heritage. To that extent, let it be said, it was an enormous success.

I understand the economic exigencies which see the ceiling come down to €40,000 and I understand the philosophy behind that, but I am greatly minded of the words of William Butler Yeats who said one should never seek to extract the marrow from the bone. He wrote:

What need you being come to sense,

But fumble in a greasy till

And add the halfpence to the pence

And prayer to shivering prayer, until

You have dried the marrow from the bone.

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