Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020
332. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason the circus sector has been excluded from the Covid-19 support scheme and Arts Council funding; if she will put in place a financial support package for the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36445/20]
View answer341. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the range of supports available to a person (details supplied) whose business has been adversely affected due to Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36812/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 341 together.
There are a very wide range of supports available to individuals and businesses whose financial circumstances have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The particular support depends on the institutional arrangements of the individual or organisation and whether they are a sole trader or an incorporated entity. There is detailed information provided on all supports on https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/c36c85-covid-19-coronavirus/
A guide to business supports booklet gives details of the key supports and resources available to help businesses and is available at https://dbei.gov.ie/en/Publications/Supports-for-businesses-COVID-19.html. Further details of financial supports can be viewed on gov.ie website at a dedicated webpage that can be accessed at the following link https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-supports/. These include income supports, loans, grants, vouchers and schemes, rates waiver and tax measures as well as skills and training supports. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has a Business Support Call Centre for information on the supports available to businesses and enterprises affected by COVID-19 at +353 1 631 2002 or infobusinesssupport@dbei.gov.ie.
Businesses, including circuses, may qualify for the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) a targeted support for businesses significantly impacted by restrictions introduced by the government, at Level 3 or higher, under public health regulations to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is designed to assist those businesses whose trade has been significantly impacted or temporarily closed as a result of the restrictions as set out in the government’s Living with COVID-19 Plan. The scheme applies to businesses where government restrictions prohibit or reduce access by customers to their business premises. Other features of the scheme are as follows:
- qualifying businesses can apply to the Revenue Commissioners for a cash payment in respect of an advance credit for trading expenses for the period of the restrictions;
- to qualify under the scheme, a business must be able to demonstrate that, because of the COVID-19 restrictions, the turnover of the business in the period for which the restrictions are in operation, and for which a claim is made, will be no more than 25% of an amount equal to the average weekly turnover of the business in 2019 (or average weekly turnover in 2020 in the case of a new business) multiplied by the number of weeks in the period for which a claim is made;
- the scheme will operate from 13 October 2020 to 31 March 2021 and there is provision for the Minister for Finance to vary aspects of the scheme by Ministerial Order; and
- the Revenue Commissioners have published an overview of the scheme with some detailed examples, together with guidance on the operation of the scheme on www.Revenue.ie.
In Budget 2021, the Government announced the provision of support of €50m for the live entertainment sector. This will include measures for the commercial entertainment sector and will support live entertainment across the country. The 2021 supports for the live entertainment sector will be the subject of further consultation with stakeholders. It will also be informed by a pilot Live Performance Support Scheme now rolled out, to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters of live performances to provide employment to workers in the creative industries. The main objective of the scheme is to provide employment opportunities in the ticketed performance sector and allow commercial organisers of live performances to commence preparations immediately and productions to go ahead in the near future while also complying with public health protection measures.
Earlier in the autumn, a project called the Music Industry Stimulus Package was managed on behalf of my Department by First Music Contact. The Package was targeted at professional musicians and their teams to support song-writing camps, recording and album releases. While this scheme is now closed, my Department will consider its continuation in the future.
I would also point to the Deputy that the Arts Council supports and funds the circus sector and in fact circus is one of the artforms identified in the Arts Act 2003 as supported by the Council. The Arts Council's website shows that the Council made many grants to circus in 2020 ranging from €3,000 to €93,000 at http://www.artscouncil.ie/Who_we_funded/.
