I received first class help from the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science, Mr. John Dennehy, when I was chairwoman of Gaisce – The President's Award. He gave me tremendous personal assistance when I had the stressful experience of being involved with the council. I was asked by President McAleese to try to introduce the award in Northern Ireland and I achieved this, in conjunction with the Departments of Education and Science, Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Foreign Affairs. I sent a letter to an official in the Department of Education and Science as chairwoman of the organisation, but I did not receive a response. I assumed that he was making up his mind about what I had requested of him. I became impatient after about three months and arranged to meet the man to whom I had written. I realised at that point that my request was not being dealt with. My letter had been placed in a file. I had thought, innocently, that I had not received a response because a decision had not been made.