Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)

I welcome the Minister into the House. It is a privilege to stand here speaking to him. I have a very simple idea about the arts. The arts are about human imagination and human energy. Yesterday, spokespeople from the national campaign for the arts came in and told us the who, why, what, how and where they were and in the process opened up a complete world. They covered participation, outreach, tourism, impact, jobs, communities, innovation, health, identity, economy, citizenship, business, arts reputation, education and learning - a world, a cultural circle with 1,000 artistic radii, presenting the best of who we are as individuals and what we are as a country. It is a privilege to stand here with the Arts community in the Visitors' Gallery speaking for and about them.

What will the Minister bring about that is unique in his tenure of office for which he will be remembered? I ask that with affection and respect because it is a question I am asking myself as a new Senator. What am I going to do? I wish to make one small suggestion that during his term of office the Minister take a determined and realistic positioning of drama, music and visual arts in all their forms, as Senator Fiach Mac Conghail has mentioned, as statutory and independent required disciplines in the school curriculum primary, middle and senior. Arts education is as important as mathematics education. The Greeks got that right many years ago.

The template I suggest the Minister look at is the vision and the leadership of John Kelly and the Irish Chamber Orchestra title "Sing out with Strings", in the Limerick regeneration. Some 30% of our population is under 18 years of age, that is, more than 1 million, yet only 5% of the arts budget goes to the area of young people and children in the arts. Does the Minister intend to change that? I suggest he does not allow the budget to be cut as it would not be right. The arts community is the only community who have never let us down.