Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I did not disturb the Minister. For a long time during an earlier Dáil, I shared an office and subsequently a corridor with the former Deputy and current President, Michael D. Higgins. Nobody is saying that the Labour Party in government is perfect, but when we went into government in the 1990s we created the first ever culture Ministry in this country with the total backing of my colleague, Deputy Penrose. That is how far it goes back. People said that TG4 was in some way a figment of the Labour Party. I remind the House that Dessie O'Malley said that Michael D. Higgins would "go mad" as a Minister in government. Michael D. Higgins brought forward a vision of an engaged and active Irish culture with massive participation from every community around the country. We need to be clear that this is about our culture. Unless we can hear and play our own music and thereby help our artists and writers to get a stream of income from that music, we will not have the richness, depth and participation that has been a part of the vision in this House over the decades since we first created a Ministry for communications and culture. I remind the Minister, Deputy Naughten, that he should be very honoured to inherit part of that responsibility.

I want to take issue with a specific paragraph in the Minister's speech. He said:

The wording refers to musical composition that relates to some distinguishing element of the culture of the island of Ireland. Who is to decide what those distinguishing elements are to be? For example, will it encompass electronica music such as techno, ambient or downtempo? Furthermore, in a multi-cultural society such as we have now, how should we treat music written or enjoyed by those Irish citizens of African, eastern European or South American heritage?

For God's sake, what civil servant wrote that stuff? The Minister went on to ask "in a multi-cultural society such as we have now, how should we treat music written or enjoyed by those Irish citizens of African, eastern European or South American heritage?". I suggest that whoever wrote that is creating a problem in Irish society where there is none. Has the Minister ever heard of Phil Lynott or Thin Lizzy? Has he ever walked to the top of Grafton Street to see the statue? If he stood beside it, he might feel like doing a little bit of air guitar as the Taoiseach once did. Has the Minister ever heard of Ruth Negga, who is an Irish-Ethiopian? We were delighted to learn recently that she is potentially about to receive an award in America for her cultural achievements and acting skills. What about Paul McGrath? For heaven's sake, we need to move on from an outdated and jaded image of Ireland that is not inclusive of all the different strands that go back to the Tuatha Dé Danann and make us what we are. We are an inclusive culture. I do not attribute the Minister's remarks to him personally. The language used in his speech is not the language I would associate with him. Somebody wrote it for him. When one becomes a Minister - Deputy Penrose and I have been there - it can go to one's head. One can be over-impressed by people who put words in one's hands that one is then required to parrot here.

I would like to get to the essence of this issue by referring to a line of the speech given by the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne. He said that the commitments to Irish playlists "form part of the individual licence of each broadcaster and are monitored by the BAI on an ongoing basis to ensure compliance". I ask the Minister and the Minister of State to speak with their own voices and in their own language. I do not know what kind of globalised American English this is, but it is certainly not Irish English as it is spoken in this country. It is disingenuous to make the suggestion we heard from the Minister of State. The essence of Deputy Penrose's Bill is that Irish music should have playlist opportunities in peak times. He is flexible on the issue of peak times. Perhaps this could apply from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Deputy has had a look at what happens in other jurisdictions and at how this is operable. I hear people like Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin on RTE late at night and early in the morning. A former Member of this House, Pat Rabbitte, used to say that late-night politics programmes were for insomniacs and others. I am sure everybody involved in politics listens to the radio late at night and early in the morning as we sort out our thoughts. Deputy Penrose wants serious playtime at peak times.

I dislike the idea that we cannot allow a small Bill like this to go forward for further debate so that it can be pulled apart and put back together again in improved form. It seems to be contrary to new politics, which involves Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents facing off against each other and essentially agreeing. The objective of this legislation is for this House to make a statement about Irish culture at this time. It is important to make a commitment to that. I remind the House that musicians and artists are working to make a living and need to have a mechanism to earn that living.

Deputy Neville rightly pointed to all the changes that have happened in music distribution in terms of social media and other media. We are all aware of that. We need to put our minds together to find a means of supporting people in the music industry in Ireland. Deputy Butler suggested that this Bill "is an aggressive measure".

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