Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 November 2020
186. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if event-specific supports have been made available to encourage increased numbers of Covid-19-safe cultural events - for example, outdoor cinemas. [35904/20]
View answerUnder the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, Ireland is at Level 5 until 1 December 2020. At this level the public health risk means that we are all being asked to stay at home. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has been working in conjunction with agencies and bodies under the aegis of my Department, to provide support to the Arts and Culture sector and we will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure the continuation of safe cultural events in line with what is permitted under the Framework for Restrictive Measures. Additional monies secured as part of Budget 2021 will ensure that substantial measures are put in place to support and strengthen the Arts and Culture sectors through 2021. These measures include: a new €50m support for live entertainment which will see a range of supports for live entertainment events to take place in 2021 in venues across the country, other measures to support music, as well as a new grant scheme for equipment; record level of funding for the Arts Council of €130m; and a €9m increase in funding for Screen Ireland from its initial 2020 allocation to over €30m. These are sector-specific measures, and are augmented and supplemented by the economy-wide business support and social welfare measures which were announced in the budget.
