Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to pay tribute to three young lads from Scoil Mhuire in Strokestown who recently won a national Garda youth award for the fundraising they did for Childhood Cancer Foundation Ireland. In 2020, Jack Beirne, Andrew Jordan and Mark Rogers did a transition year enterprise project. It is supposed to be a money-making enterprise but they decided they wanted to do something for Childhood Cancer Foundation Ireland. They decided to restore a 1956 Ferguson 20 vintage tractor. Even people who live in the middle of Dublin must admit that a 1956 vintage tractor is something special. They raised a whopping €64,000. Imagine that figure. Jack is a survivor of childhood cancer and a friend of my family. It is something spectacular and it shows the good work young people throughout the country are doing. We often hear about negative things but we do not hear enough about positive things. I want to pay tribute to them this morning.

Unfortunately, because of the new restrictions for Covid, the entertainment sector will be under pressure. Over the past two days, the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland, which represents many of the people in the entertainment sector, has done a survey of bands and various artists. The cancellation rate for the coming months is 75%. From now until next spring, the entertainment sector will be under enormous pressure. With the agreement of the House we might write to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, urging her to put in place a package to look after this body of people because they are under enormous pressure.