Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second the amendment. There is a lot of merit there. If the board members have to go away and talk among themselves to choose who should be chairman, it would promote the kind of autonomy that is needed in cultural institutions and that we have always had in this State. It is not really comparable with other State or semi-state bodies in that cultural institutions require autonomy, ideas and culture - the kind of expressions I heard the Minister use in her speech at the annual famine commemoration in Newry. She spoke of broadening the famine into all of the traditions on the island of Ireland and different types of people. Sometimes bureaucracy can stifle creativity. Creativity and diversity, and the creative arts holding a mirror up to society as a whole, are the essence of what we are looking for in all the cultural institutions. They are the elements by which we hold our cultural institutions in such esteem. It would be a good start to follow Senator Ó Clochartaigh's lead and let that group of people decide among themselves who should be their chairperson.