Chief Executive of the Arts Council Orlaith McBride has said the last few weeks have not been easy for those who worked in the arts.
Ms McBride has also paid tribute to those who she described as "a few brave women", who drew attention to sexism and bullying, specifically in the theatre sector.
Speaking at a meeting of the Joint Committee of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht she said the stories told in recent weeks have "shocked us all", but shock is a transient thing and we must go beyond shock to use the revelations as a catalyst for change.
Karan O Loughlin of SIPTU said although we have employment equality legislation and health and safety legislation, there is an absence of a single piece of legislation on bullying and harassment at work and that would be really useful.
She added that given the freelance nature of a lot of work in the arts, a method of reporting must be established that protects the workers and creates a safe space.
Secretary General of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Katherine Licken said the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys has announced a number of initiatives to deal with bullying and abuse of power.
The initiatives include governance workshops for board members and senior management of bodies reporting to the department, training for other cultural organisations and regional information days.
The Department has also highlighted the nature of obligations of the bodies reporting to it.
Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell said a lot of artists want to work freelance and be free so there is a dichotomy there.
She said the one place she once felt bullied was in the arts sector, and that it did not matter who, or when but when "all this" came up she said she nearly went into hiding because it reminded her of it.
She said the artistic sector is "rule-less" at times because of its creativity and that is both a strength and a weakness.
