Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 November 2020
40. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the way in which she plans to track, monitor and measure the impact of the support packages following the significant investment in the arts. [37372/20]
View answerAll grants issued by my Department to agencies or other bodies are subject to the provisions of Circular 13/2014 from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds, including provisions in relation to Service Level Agreements and on monitoring and reporting.
While absolutely necessary to protect us all, the impact of the public health guidelines has been extremely challenging for the sectors supported by my Department. The arts are integral to our society; supporting economic activity, employment and enhancing societal well-being. The public-facing and audience driven nature of the arts means that each time there is an escalation in the Level applicable under the Plan for Living with Covid-19 these sectors are often the hardest hit.
I am acutely aware of the need to support our sectors through these challenging times and have been in regular and sustained contact with a broad range of stakeholders over the past weeks and months. In addition to bilateral engagements with a wide range of stakeholders and agencies under the aegis of the Department, a number of taskforces and consultative fora have been established to ensure that I have the most up to date information about the difficulties facing these sectors. This includes the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce and the Night-time Economy Taskforce. These involve a broad range of stakeholders with experience and insight to develop sustainable roadmaps for the recovery of these sectors. This engagement led to the very favourable outcomes achieved for these sectors in the context of the July Stimulus and Budget 2021.
I will continue this positive engagement with the sectors and consider the recommendations of the taskforces and the views of consultative fora in regard to any further necessary measures or supports required as a consequence of Covid-19. The Deputy will be aware that I put in place substantial measures in Budget 2021 to support and strengthen the arts. This engagement with stakeholders has been key in providing a comprehensive response to ameliorate the impact of Covid-19.
I also established the National Cultural Institutions Consultative to ensure the necessary guidance and supports are in place to comply with the requirements of the Government’s Plan for Living with COVID-19 including the Expert Group on the Return to Sport.
I would particularly note the important advocacy role played by the Arts Council that has worked diligently with my officials to raise awareness of the challenges facing our sectors and to identify ways to support them throughout this pandemic.
