Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I know I have a friend in the Minister of State. He mentioned primary and post-primary education. There is the new initiative of a free preschool year of early childhood care and education. Our focus must be on the arts in pre-primary school and not just in primary and post-primary education. I fully agree with arts for all; it is exactly my point. However, how are we to get people to think about the arts for employment and not just the arts for arts' sake?

I could argue the issue of money all day. If people were involved and gainfully employed in the arts or even with music therapy, we might not have to spend €15 billion on health or more than €20 million on social welfare. We are talking about millions. I know the Minister of State is on my side in this matter. It is a question of how we can convince the establishment that the arts are central to life, life learning and development. There are probably not enough hours left in the night to get an answer on it. We need to keep plugging the battle against the norms. I do not want the normal education. I want a completely different education, but how do we start that?