Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister agree that Irish theatre is a cold place for women, just as the Oireachtas has been on very many occasions? That is not withstanding the fact that there are now more women in the Oireachtas, which I welcome. Was the Minister shocked by the revelations, in particular those concerning The Gate theatre?

She said she has read the letter from the 72 women who are workers and practitioners in the arts and in theatre across the spectrum in Ireland. They have said that they are very shocked by the fact that, in respect of what happened at the Gate Theatre, the people who are the subject of the harassment and bullying were not consulted about the inquiry commissioned by the Gate. I understand that inquiry was commissioned on 17 November, around the time, as the Minister said, of the previous Minister having spoken to the Irish Theatre Institute. What I am struggling to understand is how a young person, be it a man or a woman, although most of the harassment affects young women, going to work in the theatre can feel empowered to take on what can be a very powerful theatre management where they experience bullying and harassment. What has the Minister got to say to that?

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