Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome the new Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, and wish her well in her role. I thank Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell for this brilliant piece of work. It is a really important document. However, important documents are no good unless we take them on board and implement them. The report is 256 pages long and contains 86 key recommendations. The Senator engaged in 34 comprehensive interviews with people from diverse disciplines. Out of those interviews came 112 suggestions and these are listed in the report. I will not rehash what is said in the report. As the great old expression goes, "Do not teach your mother to suck eggs."

The report is not all gloom and doom. What strikes me most is the statement on page 14 to the effect that "the regenerative and joyous power of the Arts through music, drama, poetry, visual art, poetry and dance were cited as platforms for hope, courage and joy." What a lovely line. The report alludes to the overarching capacity of the arts to enrich us all.

While reading the report, I was reminded of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The latter fits in nicely with this piece of work and describes the psychological need for food, water, warmth and rest, the need for security and safety and the need for belonging and love. Whatever age we are, we all long for, yearn for and require these things. It also includes the need for esteem, prestige and a feeling of accomplishment, as well as the need for acceptance, love, belonging and a sense of purpose. Then there is the need for self-actualisation and the achievement of one's full potential, capacity and ability. Each and every one of us needs that affirmation.

While the report deals with issues concerning death, it is also relevant to life and how we live all of our lives. We never know when our time will be called and we must leave this world. That is the fact of life. The report sets out clearly all the Departments and their objectives. There are 85 key recommendations, as I said. It behoves all Ministers and politicians in these Houses to keep those items on the agenda and drive them forward. Many people facing death at the other end of the age spectrum may be alone, vulnerable, concerned and isolated. They may have to struggle with officialdom for home care packages or community services, including meals on wheels, an amazing movement that is mentioned in the report. People in rural areas may have difficulty accessing the post office. They may have limited opportunities to meet someone for a chat, to feel recognised or to have a sense of belonging to a community. That is important.

For me, the biggest thing coming out of the report is that we are a people of art. One little quote on page 231 resonated with me. It is captioned "We are artistic people" and is attributed to Margharita Solon. It reads:

I am much more than a physical being. I am an emotional, psychological and spiritual being and it is the arts that will make me feel better. My hearing, my touch, my taste, my sight and my thoughts. These are really the things that make a difference into how I live my day. The whole area of the arts is huge.

What an important thing - making someone's day - what an important aspect of anyone's life. This is a really important piece of work. I acknowledge the people in the Gallery who no doubt have been involved. I know some of their faces. However, this fine work will mean nothing and come to nothing unless we keep it on our desks and our agendas, politically and personally, and drive each and every one of these 85 recommendations, heed the 256 pages and drive forward the 112 suggestions offered by the 34 interviewees. I congratulate the Senator on a wonderful legacy - not that she is going anywhere. She has a lot more to do.