Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leo siúd a chur an rún seo faoinár gcomhair inniu. Tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil muid ag déanamh plé ar na healaíona mar ró-mhinic ní dhéantar plé orthu nó ar na healaíontóirí. Sin é an príomhfháth go bhfuilimid anseo inniu. Mar mhac ealaíontóra, tuigim go maith na fadhbanna a bhíonn ag ealaíontóirí agus iad ag triail a gceard a chleachtadh, ní hamháin ó thaobh infheistíochta de ach uaireanta ó thaobh spás a bheith acu chun an ealaín sin a chleachtadh, nó an t-airgead a bheith acu chun an spás sin a bheith acu. Is gá dúinn díriú isteach ar seo i gceart. Muna dhéanaimid é, beimid thíos mar shochaí dá thairbhe sin.

Every cent that is spent on the arts, whether in schools, colleges or in the public realm, enhances us as a society. Everybody in this House will agree with that. We are here as policy-makers and our decisions here dictate what happens outside these Chambers. Pennypinchers should regard it as an investment in our society, not just in the artist, the art space or the works of art. Deputy Tóibín has shown that whatever we invest in the arts, we get it back in spades, in tourism, employment, goodwill, exports, digital media and our reputation. Major opportunities will exist if we are to come out of the recession that was imposed on us by Governments and by the EU.

However, we can only benefit from those investments if we look at exactly what is needed in the arts. In many cases, it is access to artist's studios and access for those who are under the living wage and under the social welfare payments to spaces in which to live and to carry out their works. We also need to ensure the arts are a prominent part of local authority planning and any major public works. In particular, we have opportunities in terms of the National Children's Hospital. Where else but a children's hospital can we allow our imagination to run wild? I call on the Minister for Health, as he plans that hospital and the satellite units, to use the opportunity to enhance the arts in that realm.

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