As in many sectors of the economy, artists and everyone who works in music and the arts are facing an extraordinary challenge. What needs to be done? How much will it cost? And how will the government respond? 

We begin with some extracts from a debate on the arts that took place in Dáil Éireann, the Irish parliament, last Thursday 14 May, and editor Toner Quinn then speaks to Louise Donlon, director of the Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick and a former member of the Arts Council, and musician and independent consultant Dermot McLaughlin.

Listen on Soundcloud (https://bit.ly/3eaAVwI) or on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/2zcgocz), Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3cWgWlcor Google Podcasts (https://bit.ly/2WWhYZ8. Recent podcasts included interviews with music video and film-maker Myles O'Reilly, Dervish singer Cathy Jordan and fiddle-player Kevin Burke. Browse all of our recent podcasts here: https://journalofmusic.com/podcasts

To support the Journal of Music, visit www.journalofmusic.com/support

Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör The Journal of Music. Innehållet i podden är skapat av The Journal of Music och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.