Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019
12. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to figures that found one third of artists and creative practitioners earn less than the national minimum wage; her views on a movement to a living wage for persons working in the arts, culture and heritage sector; the actions she is taking to achieve same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8689/19]
View answerI am aware of the issues referred to in the question and I am continuing to deliver additional supports to the arts and culture sector in line with Government commitments, as evidenced in Budget 2019.
Primary support for the Arts is delivered through the Arts Council. Funding for the Arts Council has increased in recent years and now stands at €75 million in 2019, and increase of some €6.8m or 10% over 2018. The Creative Ireland Programme is also delivering additional resources to the sector, for example, through the Creative Youth Programme and the Culture and Creativity Strategies delivered by local authorities. This increase in current funding builds on the multi-annual commitment to increased capital funding of €1.2 billion over the ten year period to 2028 set out in the National Development Plan, and is in line with the Government's commitment to double funding for the sector over a seven year period.
The Arts Council, which is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003, operates within a published 10 year strategic framework entitled Making Great Art Work. This strategy prioritises support for artists throughout their careers, by the involvement of many agencies in cultural provision, by the impact of the arts on the creative economy, and by the depth and breadth of people's engagement with the arts.
For example, the Arts Council now include as an assessment criterion, an organisation’s policy on the remuneration of artists. This aims to ensure that organisations in receipt of Arts Council funding should offer fair and equitable remuneration to artists.
Furthermore, last year I launched a €200m Audio-visual Action Plan, an industry-wide, long-term plan, under the Creative Ireland Programme, to support the Government’s ambition to enable Ireland to become a global hub for the production of Film, TV drama and animation, and which aims to double employment in the sector.
With regard to legal protections for workers across the arts sector, it is important to note that employees in every industry and sector are entitled to all existing legal protections.
As members will be aware legislation was introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018 should improve the insecurity and unpredictability of working hours for employees on insecure contracts and those working variable hours. Employment law in general should also have a role to play in terms of existing legal protections. There are also institutions for reporting abuse of employment legislation. I am satisfied that the industry works in general to a high standard.
