Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

If they are to be in RTÉ then they are to get the money to be ring-fenced and developed so that the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra can travel. At the moment the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra cannot travel and it has been reduced to 68 players. The RTÉ Concert Orchestra cannot do a lot of things because it does not have the money. It is an outrage that we cannot argue for them on the grounds of the power of music - the absolute encased power of the beating heart of all our percussive hearts - which is where we begin with the heartbeat of music. We have to argue it at that level.

If one looks at countries that have taken music and made it come alive for the gangs of Venezuela or for the political impasses of Israel and Palestine, that is the power of music. That is what I call for today. I know the Minister to be a very fine Minister who does not argue on the grounds of whether she has €20 million or whether it should be a cultural institution. Both of those orchestras should remain alive in our country. I wanted to put that on the record today because it is so important. It is not politics. We have the money. It is about the development of our expressive, cultural, rhythmic selves. I will leave you with this, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. Thank you for the time. It is most interesting-----