Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I second the amendment which is also in my name and reiterate Senator Finucane's comments. While the Bill deals with the necessity to protect Irish cultural heritage, an issue about which we spoke at length on Committee Stage, it is important we include another dimension which could be useful to it. We often pay lip service to Ireland's role in the global community. In reality, Irish culture has had a defining role in a global context and, in particular, in an American and European context. The influence of Irish cultural heritage throughout Europe goes back many centuries.

It is important, in this modern era, that new television and radio programmes foster understanding of the global dimensions of Irish society. We are concerned that the Bill as currently drafted creates the notion of Irishness as a static one. The Bill is not sufficiently flexible and is not complete without such recognition. We will have to come back at a later stage to amend it to include such recognition. We may also find ourselves in the position where lack of recognition undermines the potential of the fund and the spirit of the legislation.

I do not think the Minister is averse to that notion. He has been generous in taking on board other points and I commend him for doing so. I ask that he consider taking on board this minor but extremely relevant amendment. While we should recognise and promote Irish uniqueness in the international context we can use this legislation – this is important – to acknowledge and promote an understanding of the impact European and international cultural aspects have on Irish citizens at home and abroad. In that sense, the amendment creates a reflective context of how the wider world shapes what it means to be Irish and does not simply remain static.

The amendment could potentially offer the possibility of delivering to an audience a range of new stories and new types of investigations about, for instance, the experience, rights, responsibilities, successes and challenges faced by Irish citizens in the global community. It could allow us to explore the dynamic and progressive changes currently taking place in Ireland. When travelling on a bus last night, I heard people speaking in a wide range of languages. I did not hear anyone speak in English. Dublin has become a metropolitan area and Ireland has turned into a multi-cultural society. It is important this is recognised in the legislation.

It is also important we examine those changes in the context of how we situate ourselves in Europe and beyond. That would allow us to explore the nurturing of expertise, talent, culture, heritage, language skills and overseas development and our contribution in that regard. It would allow us to examine how we have been enriched by our experiences and how, through that process, we have become more diverse and multi-cultural.