Danny Healy-Rae urges support for musicians and cultural actors
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about the importance of music, song, dance and storytelling and warned the pandemic threatens cultural life. He called for direct support, funding and social welfare payments for performers and cultural actors who currently have no income streams.
Local performers and examples
Healy-Rae named local musicians including Sleave Luker, Nicky McAuliffe, Anne, Derry Healy and Neelie Conner, and recalled playing for Hannah O'Shea, 105, on the Loose Road in Killarney. He described how performers in Kerry have been playing for elderly people for free and the joy that brings.
Mental and psychological benefits
He emphasised the psychological and mental well-being benefits of live music and song, noting that even people with Alzheimer's or serious illness will often tap to the music. He described how simple tunes can visibly lift the spirits of elderly and sick audiences.
Calls for funding and social welfare
Healy-Rae urged action to "open up some avenues" for cultural actors and to ensure they receive social welfare payments, saying many have nowhere to get funding and are not being administered payments. He framed the appeal as necessary support for those whose livelihoods have been cut off.
Risk to cultural traditions
He warned that without intervention the pandemic could cause a loss of music, song, dance and storytelling traditions. He said he could speak at greater length on the subject and stressed the need to protect cultural life in communities during the crisis.
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Professor, I've only had a short bit of time and I could talk about this for the whole evening, but music and song and dance and everything and our cultural actors are so important and they've gone through such a rough and tough time this year in Kerry. Sleave Luker, Nicky McAuliffe and Anne, Derry Healy and more people that play, Neelie Conner that play music for free at a win for elderly and I had the pleasure of playing for an elderly woman the other night and Hannah O'Shea, 105 years old in the loose road in Killarney, a wonderful woman and she was absolutely delighted. But I have seen playing music even for elderly, very elderly people, some with Alzheimer's or whatever in groups and to see them tapping to the music. So, you know, they would be sick, they would be suffering, they would be elderly, but when you'd play a few tunes, you'd see them tapping to the music. So, it really makes a difference and it's the psychological well-being and the mental well-being of people. It's so important that we do something for the actors who run their knees at the present time and have nowhere to get funding. We must do something to open up some avenues for them and ensure they get some social welfare payment because many of them are not getting administered. And I've just said, I could say a whole lot more of the importance of playing music and song and dance and storytelling, all that kind of thing is so important. And I hope we don't lose it because of this pandemic. Thank you.
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