Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)

The Minister is welcome to the House. I am delighted to be able to take part in the debate. It is always good to have a debate, although there are serious issues at stake. It is worth saying, if I might shamelessly talk about Yeats Day for a moment – the Minister and I had the pleasure of being part of the inaugural launch of Yeats Day in Sligo two weeks ago - that in the current times when things are difficult and there is not much money, it shows that with some creativity and a small amount of money, much can be done to tap into what we have talked about as our identity and culture. As Senator Zappone said, it is in our hearts and souls and sometimes we are touched by it. On the day when we started to celebrate the legacy of W.B. Yeats, we were able to do so with the participation of the national cultural institutions, which were holding hands, so to speak, and at their best. The National Gallery, the National Library and the Abbey Theatre were in Sligo, on the ground, sharing the moment and proving that even in straitened times there is great creativity and enthusiasm for the arts. We should not forget those moments because they are the things we work towards. I am sure that when Senator Barrett talks about bureaucracy, he means inefficient bureaucracy as opposed to bureaucracy per se, because we need people to do that work, the stuff one has to churn through to create a commemorative day, week, event or matinee. Without the bureaucratic input, there is nothing else to see on the outside. I am sure Senator Sean Barrett was thinking of inefficient bureaucracy as opposed to bureaucracy in general.

I understand why the Minister is not in a position to accept the motion. I respect that, too. As Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill and others said, we do not want to be in disagreement here. We all value our national cultural institutions because they are the tangible, concrete manifestation of our artistic and cultural endeavour. They are where we keep our connections with our ancestors, history and past, with whom we were and, therefore, with whom we are, and where our dreams and concerns for the future find a home. They bind us together and are vital to our well-being and sense of identity. We need our national cultural institutions, but not more than ever before. We always needed them. We now need them to be underpinned by independence, while being able in a cut-throat commercial world to do business. That is the reality.

I welcome the Minister's absolute commitment to the curatorial and programming independence of all the institutions. That is something he never had any intention of touching. It is important, in this context, that he make that clear.