Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 October 2020
21. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht the reason no additional funding has been announced for the live events sector since the July Stimulus; and the reason it took until September 2020 to provide an application mechanism for that funding. [27394/20]
View answer28. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht her plans for further supports for music and events workers, who continue to be among the hardest hit by ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. [26590/20]
View answer35. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht the way in which she plans to support the live gig industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27393/20]
View answer46. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht if further urgent consideration will be given to the detailed requests of the events and entertainment industry for adequate financial support for the sector in view of the very severe and ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector and the loss of employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27423/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 28, 35 and 46 together.
I am acutely aware of the unprecedented nature of the challenge facing live performance promoters and producers, not least from a financial point of view. The Government July Stimulus was announced on 23 July. My Department has reached out to representative groups for a wide range of stakeholders in the entertainment sector, including representatives of professional musicians and independent venues, to ensure that the measures made available reached as wide a base as possible. On 9 September, I launched a number of new music and performance support schemes which made a total of €6 million available to assist in the provision of employment in the creative industries.
The Music Stimulus Package, involves three funding schemes designed to help sustain the popular and commercial music sector across all music genres, including rock, pop, hip hop, indie, jazz, country and western and traditional and folk. Under this package, a fund of €1 million has been put in place to stimulate areas of work which artists would usually fund with income from own sources including live event fees. These schemes are targeted at professional musicians and their teams and will support song writing camps, recording and album releases. The aim is to ensure that Irish musicians, engineers, PR, media, agents, labels and publishers can continue to develop and share their work in the context of COVID restrictions. The Music Stimulus Package schemes are being managed on behalf of the Department by First Music Contact and will be subject to peer panel assessment.
Under the “Live Performance Support pilot Scheme” a further allocation of €5 million is being made available which aims to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters of live performances and provide employment to workers in the creative industries. Applications were accepted by my Department for this scheme and allocations will be made on the basis of the number of people being employed.
In the meantime, I have appointed an Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce which represents the putting in place of a commitment in the Programme for Government to ensure that survival of recovery of this very important sector. The Taskforce will be chaired by Clare Duignan and membership is as follows:
- Arts Council
- Business to Arts
- Council of the National Cultural Institutions
- County and City Management Association (CCMA)
- Department of Health
- Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht
- Department of Social Protection
- Ealaín na Gaeltachta
- Events Industry Alliance
- Irish Congress of Trade Unions
- National Campaign for the Arts
- Irish Music Rights Organisation
- Irish Theatre Institute
- Screen Ireland
- Screen Producers Ireland
- Denise Chaila
- Martin Hayes
The Taskforce will prepare a report for the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht including a set of recommendations on how best the arts and culture sector can adapt and recover from the unprecedented damage arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The sector includes culture, the arts, the audiovisual industry and the live entertainment industry. Taking as its starting point, the research and evidence of the devastating impact of the pandemic on the sector compiled by the Department, the Arts Council and other stakeholders, the Taskforce will:-
- adopt a solution-focused approach;
- seek sector-specific expert input and consult with stakeholders;
- invite additional individuals or expertise to attend meetings on an ad hoc basis, as it deems necessary;
- focus on providing intelligence and recommendations for an expected on-going and varying impact of COVID-19 restrictions;
- identify immediate and medium term goals for recovery and sustainability in the sector;
- identify possible policy initiatives or impediments to a robust sustainable recovery in the sector;
- recommend whole of Government policy initiatives and actions to support the sector;
- report to the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht by the 31 October 2020 in order to provide the Government with an action-plan for the sector.
The taskforce has already met twice. Its proceedings will be conducted in a transparent manner and all correspondence will be published in due course.
