Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is really important to acknowledge the very important research undertaken by the ESRI, published this morning, on how young workers now fare worse in wages and access to housing compared with previous generations. For years, trade unionists and others on the left raised this and we were told Ireland was different because we had the most highly educated workforce across any EU member state. Well, that is not the case; Ireland is not different. We now need to hear from the Government about how it will take seriously the employment issues for young workers and the rental and housing crisis that befalls all young people now.

A paper by Dr. Úna Monaghan published on 31 March in Ethnomusicology Irelandtalked about the mechanisms and structures of the Irish traditional music scene and how it continues to privilege the contribution of men. This cosseted position is enabling some within the music scene to abuse their power to harass, assault and coerce women without consequences. Many of us watched the "Prime Time" programme last year which described the culture of fear and sexual harassment perpetrated by some within that scene. We have enormous thanks to Fair Plé and #MiseFosta in their campaign tackling that culture. There are very serious questions about what we are prepared to do as legislators. Are we prepared to allow public support and funding to be given to some of those artists who are perpetrating that harassment and coercion?Will we sit back and let these women be silenced into saying nothing because of the impact on their livelihoods, their hopes and their ambitions? We, as legislators, need to do more to ensure compliance with bullying and harassment requirements is made a condition of airplay, performance and other financial support that the State gives to the arts and music sector. It is no longer acceptable to stand by without having conditions in place for financial support to the music and wider arts sector.