Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this Bill which I welcome. We were treated to a feast of music from incredible artists, young and old, in the audio-visual room a month or six weeks ago. The O'Neill sisters from Kerry, if my memory serves me right, and Phil Coulter were there, which shows the talent from one age to next that we have in this country and that has been nurtured along. That is a great asset.

No matter where we are, it might be at a wedding and we might have too many pints on us, the final thing the Irish will do at night is to get together and sing the songs of which we are proud. Tonight, I heard that this one and the other one did all the work to ensure that the Irish music business has survived. Mothers and fathers around Ireland who brought their youngsters to learn guitar, the fiddle or whatever, are the ones who kept music alive in this country, as did those who went to the different dance halls to hear bands perform live long before those bands ever played hotels. I recall that 3,000 people would attend The Sound of Music in Glenamaddy, County Galway and many also went to The Beaten Path in Claremorris, County Mayo.

MidWest Radio, Shannonside Northern Sound, Galway Bay FM and Highland Radio are successful radio stations because they have played this music and brought forward these kinds of musicians. We have to face up to it that we have a problem with the large stations because it might not be cool to play some Irish music. It might not be cool in certain parts of the country or in a big city to play it.

This music also generates much money throughout the country. For example, a band playing at an event will involve, say, people on the door and inside the bar working. Thousands of people are employed around the country and the talent these young people have is incredible. It is like a young footballer. A young lad or girl who wants to play football will be brought for training on a Saturday morning or afternoon to learn how to kick. As time goes on, he or she gets better and plays for the local club. If he or she is good, he or she will get the opportunity to play for his or her county. There are parts of this country where youngsters have learned various instruments or have amazing voices or have written great songs, but, unfortunately, after spending €10,000 on recording their music in a studio, they are not given the opportunity they deserve to have it played on the airwaves.

We should be proud of these people. They have gone to foreign lands, as was the case with Foster and Allen many years ago. I remember them appearing on "Top of the Pops" and representing Ireland. As legislators, this is what we should ensure. Do we want all the money going out to Robbie Williams or whoever is on the radio because the music is cooler? Do we want to keep that money in our own country in order to help our own youngsters, to create more jobs and, above all, to preserve our Irishness? Are we ashamed of driving forward with our Irishness?

Deputy Willie Penrose introduced a Bill when I was not long in the Dáil to help people in mortgage trouble to go bankrupt. I commended him on that at the time. I also commend him on the Bill before the House. No one is saying that it is perfect. Earlier, a Deputy claimed that some radio stations play 30% of Irish music. We can agree on an amendment to show the youngsters coming up in rock, pop, traditional or country music, what we mean. When I was a youngster, we danced to Joe Dolan. Then, it was not cool to do that and we listened to Shakin' Stevens and all the others. Now the wheel has turned and everyone is listening to Joe Dolan again. When there is a charity event for a young child or a community, who is the first to do a voluntary gig? It is not the artist in England but an artist in Ireland who will perform at such a gig to raise funds.

This is what we should appreciate. This is our Irishness and what we should be proud of. We should not be ashamed to stand up for musicians both here and abroad. If one is playing Irish music, I do not care if one is from America, so long as it is Irish music one is playing and one has Irish roots. We need to give these youngsters a chance. They have spent a lot of money and have never got the opportunity. One would stand in the snow to listen to the Doyle sisters who sang in the AV room recently. Unfortunately, they are not getting the opportunity to be heard everywhere they deserve to be heard. If one does not get the opportunities, then it is a harder road. They may get a break, they may not. Hopefully, they will. We are not talking about the local radio stations. In fairness, every local radio station in the west and other parts of the country is playing the percentage of Irish music which Deputy Willie Penrose is seeking in this Bill. It is the big guns - in circumstances where it might not be fashionable to do it - that are not doing so. They should be whipped into line the same as the rest.

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