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

Does the Minister have a responsibility to examine the concerns and the issues rather than hope that the directors of the Abbey Theatre and the 300 signatories will resolve them? Has she read the playwright Jimmy Murphy's further criticism of the Abbey Theatre which appeared in The Irish Timesyesterday? Given the large State funding of the Abbey Theatre I believe it has a number of roles and needs a vision. That vision should lie with the funder, and the funder should ensure it is implemented. Some of that vision is ensuring that people are directly employed, engaging with freelancers in the country, experimenting and encouraging, looking at our history and our future and all the issues that have been raised in recent weeks. However, the responsibility in many ways lies with the Minister, not only to get over this hurdle but also to ensure that these issues continue to be addressed over time rather than just finding a quick answer now.

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